Poststrasse Leipzig – Merseburg
The Poststrasse Leipzig – Merseburg was an important trade and military route within the Electorate of Saxony . The successor is today's federal highway 181 .
course
The Poststrasse led initially together with the Poststrasse to Weißenfels through the Ranstädter Tor of Leipzig, in front of which there was a distance column, and further through the Outer Ranstädter Tor. The street was only partially maintained in the area from Leipzig in 1802. Because it was always used by freight trucks, it was partly full of holes, sandy, loamy and pelted with large stones and only good to drive on in dry weather.
A quarter milestone is recorded in the mile sheet before Lindenau. After the village, the Merseburger Strasse branched off from the Weißenfelser. In the period up to 1806 the expansion of the road had started, but was not yet finished. Regardless of this, this road was easy to pass in 1806 even in bad weather.
East of Leutzsch you came across a half-mile column. In 1806 the rest of the Poststrasse had not yet been expanded to include the road. At that time it was in good condition until a few steps behind the wooden bridge over a field ditch above the Sprittenwiese. But from there the sandy bottom began. Here was another quarter milestone. Especially the section over the Sandberg near Rückmarsdorf to a few 100 paces behind the stone bridge over the Zschampert was difficult to drive because of the deep sand.
There was a full mile column at Rückmarsdorf. The rest of the way to the "Zur Holländischen Wiondmühle" inn, on the other hand, was still passable, although the ground was a bit sandy at the time. There was another quarter milestone just outside the inn.
To the west and north of Günthersdorf , Poststrasse passed the "Zum schwarzen Bären" inn. There was also a border customs office and a long way in front of this customs office was a half-mile column. Poststrasse was easy to pass in this area.
The road left the villages of Zschöchergen and Göhren on the right. A quarter milestone stood before the confluence of the Dürrenberger Salzstrasse. The street continued through Zöschen, where there was a full mile column in front of the entrance to the village, and through Wegewitz, where a quarter milestone stood in front of the entrance to the village. Now Pretzsch and Wallendorf were passed, Tragarth left on the right. A half-mile column was south of the village.
The Poststrasse continued over two bridges at Zöschen and, not far from the Wegewitz peat pit, over three stone bridges, which were built for field ditches. There were three more stone bridges between Wallendorf and Tragarth, because of a mire, the raft ditch and the stream that comes from Kriegsdorf.
In this section of 1806, the road was very difficult to pass in most places, especially between Zschöchergen and Zöschen, because of the clay soil in wet weather. From Zschöchergen to Wallendorf it was fair to drive on, as the soil was sandy and in some places there was soil mixed with sand. From Wallendorf on, Merseburger Strasse was paved and easy to drive on, which is why there was a by-way to the left of the paved street, which was very easy to drive on in dry weather.
The Leipziger Chaussee reached Merseburg at the Fasanenhaus. Until then it led from the area near Tragarth over six stone bridges, which had been built because of the ditches and depressions there. Shortly before the Fasanenhaus there was another full-mile column on the old course of Poststrasse.
After passing the Fasanenhaus, the Alte Saale was crossed by a high stone bridge. In the suburb of Merseburg, a stone bridge spanned the Teufelstimpel and then the stone Saale Bridge was reached, after which one reached the Neumarkttor. On the Merseburg city map from 1807 there are no distance columns in the city area.
The last stretch of road was paved in 1806 and in very good condition.
swell
- Sächsische Meilen Blätter , Berlin copy, No. 1, 7, 12, 13, 18 (all 1806) and 19 (1802) and accompanying booklets.