Wilthen

coat of arms	Germany map
	Coordinates: 51 ° 6 '  N , 14 ° 24'  E
Basic data
State :	Saxony
County :	Bautzen
Height :	288 m above sea level NHN
Area :	17.04 km 2
Residents:	4881 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density :	286 inhabitants per km 2
Postcodes :	02679-02681
Area code :	03592
License plate :	BZ, BIW, HY, KM
Community key :	14 6 25 630
City structure:	3 districts / boroughs
City administration address :	Bahnhofstrasse 5 02681 Wilthen
Website :	www.wilthen.de
Mayor :	Michael Herfort ( CDU )
Location of the city of Wilthen in the Bautzen district

Wilthen ( Upper Sorbian Wjelećin ^{? / I} ) is a small Saxon town near the Czech border on the edge of Upper Lusatia in the Bautzen district . The city also calls itself "City of Brandy".

location

Wilthen is located about 9 km south of the large district town of Bautzen and 45 km east of Dresden on the Butterwasser in the Lusatian mountains .

The districts are Sora (Sorb. Zdźar ), Irgersdorf ( Wostašecy ) and Tautewalde ( Tućicy ).

Neighboring cities and communities are Obergurig in the north, Schirgiswalde-Kirschau in the east, Steinigtwolmsdorf in the south, Neukirch / Lausitz in the west and Doberschau-Gau says in the northwest.

history

Wilthen was probably built around 1000 as a Sorbian settlement that was transformed into a Waldhufendorf by German colonists . The place was first mentioned in a document in 1222. The first buildings were erected on the protected spot where the Irgersdorfer water flows into the butter water - the later Niederdorf. Based on the name of the first settler, the village was then called "Welentin". The Sorbian name "Wjelećin" still reminds of it today. At that time, the small town already had a church. However, nothing is known about their appearance today. In 1559, the place with the entire Episcopal-Meissnian office of Stolpen fell to Kursachsen , so it did not belong to the Bohemian Upper Lusatia , which only passed to Saxony in 1635 in the traditional recession.

In 1585 Wilthen was struck by the plague, which killed 148 people. In 1612 the Wilthen residents suffered from a great famine, so birch leaves were eaten raw and cooked and the bark was scraped. During the Thirty Years' War , especially between 1631 and 1648, there were civil unrest, looting and abuse in Wilthen.

In 1668, Baron Reinhard Dietrich von Taube tried to obtain market and town rights for Wilthen, which Elector Johann Georg II granted the town the following year. Little use was made of this. There were only two annual fairs per year. In 1741 the manor house, which still exists today, was built by the feudal lord Adam Friedrich von Braun in the manor.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the appearance of Wilthen changed noticeably. The village with city rights became a small town. The CG Thomas spinning and weaving mill was founded in 1871. In the following years the factories of OP Sperling, Ernst Grahl, Augustin u. Co., Hillmann et al. Thonig, Martin Forker, the Kloas shoe factory, the suitcase u. Leather goods factory Liebscher u. Stolle, the construction companies Hübner and Dietrich. The village was largely shaped by the Hünlich company, founded in 1842, with the production of beer and brandy. The city coat of arms still shows a golden archer and a bunch of grapes as an indication of the two oldest branches of industry.

With industrialization, the structure of the population also changed: If Wilthen was still predominantly Sorbian-speaking in the first half of the 19th century, the language change to German took place within a few decades in the course of immigration and assimilation. In the 1880s, Sorbian and German services were still held every Sunday in the Wilthen church. The last two Sorbian pastors in the community were Karl Martin Rentsch (Korla Měrćin Renč, 1882-1911) and his son Johannes (Jan, 1911-1945) as his successor. Sorbian stayed a little longer in Irgersdorf and Sora than in Wilthen itself.

In 1877 the first railways passed through Wilthen. At that time it was the Neustadt – Wilthen – Sohland and Bautzen – Wilthen – Bad Schandau lines. In the same year the post office was opened and the first telephone station was set up.

In 1901/02 the current church was built under the direction of Pastor Rentsch. The church tower in Wilthen is older, it dates back to 1704.

At the Paris World Exhibition in 1900, the largest storage barrel from the Hünlich company was exhibited and thus contributed to the popularity of the Wilthen spirits. They were awarded a gold medal in the liqueur class and the silver medal for cognac. The so-called "Paris barrel" is still on display at Hardenberg-Wilthen AG.

In 1918 Friedrich August III visited (Saxony) Wilthen to visit the youth home. The students stood in line and Julius Hünlich, operator of the first daycare center and partner in Hünlich AG, led the king through Wilthen.

On May 12, 1921, the foundation stone for the current elementary school was laid and the school was inaugurated in 1922. At that time Wilthen had 3,200 residents, 500 of whom were school children. In 1975 the school was expanded to include an annex.

In 1922 the 700th anniversary was celebrated in Wilthen. On this occasion, the national song festival was celebrated in the Zeppelin hall of the Hünlich company. 40,000 people came to Wilthen for the big anniversary celebration.

The communities Irgersdorf, Sora and Wilthen were merged into one community in 1936. The village of Tautewalde followed in 1974 and has been part of Wilthen ever since.

In 1960 the dialect poet Hermann Klippel died in Tautewalde. His works helped to preserve and spread the life of the time and the Upper Lusatian dialect.

In 1969, exactly 300 years after the first award, Wilthen was granted town charter again. In 1972 the city became a state-recognized resort for the first time and received a new coat of arms for its 750th anniversary.

In 1991, shortly after reunification, the VEGRO textile company became the “Oberland” trading center. In the following year the Wilthener Gymnasium was established. The city now has three schools.

In 2000, the town hall, which was built in 1889, was rebuilt and renovated to give it its current appearance.

Population development

Wilthen mansion, Caritas welfare station St. Barbara

As in almost all municipalities in Upper Lusatia, the population in Wilthen continues to decline. This happens on the one hand through substantial emigration and on the other hand through a growing surplus of deaths in the aging region. As a consequence, Wilthen began to demolish industrially manufactured residential buildings in the north of the city. Many more apartments are to be demolished here in the coming years.

Development of the population (from December 31, 1991):
Data source from 1991: State Statistical Office of Saxony

• 1834-1180
• 1885-2035
• 1991-8121
• 2002 - 6761
• 2004 - 6336
• 2007 - 5870
• 2008 - 5744
• 2009 - 5684
• 2010 - 5523
• 2012 - 5315
• 2013 - 5268
• 2015 - 5348

religion

28% of the population are Protestant, 5% Catholic. The Evangelical Lutheran Parish of Wilthen belongs to the regional church of Saxony . The Catholic Church of St. Barbara in the former Wilthen manor is a branch church of the parish of the Assumption of Mary , based in Schirgiswalde , diocese of Dresden-Meißen .

politics

mayor

mayor	Term of office
Max Otto	1922-1945
Emil Richter	June 7, 1945–1946
Erich Große	1946-26. December 1964
Hermann Schabacher (deputy until new appointment)	December 27, 1964-10. April 1965
Herbert Grosche	April 11, 1965-28. May 1974
Horst Hönig	May 29, 1974-1987
Gabriele Parakeninks	1988 – May 1990
Bernd Wucke	May 30, 1990-7. January 1991
Manfred Melior (CDU, provisional until new elections)	January 8, 1991-27. August 1991
Knut Vetter (FDP)	August 28, 1991-31. July 2008
Michael Herfort (CDU)	since August 1, 2008

City council

The 2019 local elections resulted in the following distribution of seats in the city council, with a turnout of 62.6%:

Party / List:	CDU	FWWB *	FDP	AfD	LEFT	total
Seats:	7th	3	3	2	1	16 seats

^* Free voters list Wilthener citizens

In addition, the city council includes the separately elected mayor who presides over it. This is in Wilthen Michael Herfort (CDU).

coat of arms

The coat of arms of the city of Wilthen shows a woman on a blue shield. Her eyes are blindfolded, in her raised left hand she holds a golden scale and in her lowered hand a golden sword. To the right above her there is a bar-wise golden web guard over a golden bunch of grapes. This woman represents Justitia , the ancient Roman goddess of law and the embodiment of justice. The coat of arms has probably been carrying Justitia since 1669, when Wilthen was granted market and city justice. In 1920 the symbol of the typical textile industry and wine distillery was added as a symbol in order to preserve the uniqueness principle. The scales of Justitia represent justice. Both sides of a conflict should be considered and weighed up. The golden sword stands for the subsequent punishment due to the guilty. To symbolize justice, the woman's eyes are blindfolded so that no one is wrongly judged or neglected (based on origin, appearance, nationality). Between 1972 and 1992 the city of Wilthen had a GDR coat of arms.

Landmark

The symbol of the city is Martin Pumphut , who is considered the sorcerer of Upper Lusatia. The 2 meter high landmark was made by Franz Rosche, a nativity scene carver from Schluckenau, on behalf of the Wilthener Heimat- und Gebirgsverein, based on a design by Ms. Hösler. The figure near the hunter's house was erected on August 19, 1939. After several acts of vandalism, the figure was restored for the first time by Hans Thuma in the 1950s and erected in the village and later brought into the foyer of the home parlor. Herbert Michalz created a second figure in March 1993, which was placed near the town hall. A private third figure was set up in 1998 on the pass across from the Jägerhaus. Many stories, songs and poems entwine around this legendary figure, which was also made an "honorary citizen". Martin Pumphut was considered a wandering rogue of Upper Lusatia, who was born in the village of Spohla (Hoyerswerda). He learned the miller's trade, spoke Sorbian and German and always had pranks in mind. He spent his time as a traveling miller journeyman who went from mill to mill and told people jokes and jokes for a good hostel. Its high, pointed, broad-brimmed hat is a characteristic.

Town twinning

Wilthen maintains town twinning with Eppelheim and Lwówek Śląski .

Culture and sights

View of Wilthen

Wilthen offers numerous hiking opportunities, historic buildings and mountain restaurants. There are many historical buildings in Wilthen, including a. well-preserved half-timbered houses . The “Die Linde” inn shows the typical exterior facade of half-timbered houses . Buildings that shape the cityscape are the administration buildings Zittauer Straße 12 (built in 1906) and St.-Barbara-Platz 8 (built 1917–1921) as well as the Protestant church (built in 1901/02 with a tower from 1750) and the manor with mansion (1740).

Museums

→ Main article : List of cultural monuments in Wilthen

• Heimatstube - was built in 1954 as a local museum and shows, among other things, an Oberlausitz weaver's parlor from 1850.
• Hardenberg-Wilthen
• Historic well - in Sora

music

Since 1965 there was in Wilthen under the direction of Adolf Kiertscher the "Chapel Oberland". Kiertscher was the head of the band for 45 years. In 2010 he handed over the management to Olaf Hoffmann, who continues the chapel under the name "Olaf und die Oberländer".

Biking and hiking trails

One of the hiking trails is called the Pumphutsteig. The 17 km long route leads u. a. over the Mönchswalder Berg, through Sora, the Großer Picho and the Weifaer Höhe. The entire route is divided into eight sections and is also suitable for beginners. Marked viewpoints offer views of Upper Lusatia and legend boards provide information about the history of the city. A nature trail leads through the local flora and fauna. Bike paths lead z. B. along the Spree or through surrounding villages on the brandy route. The 32 km long circular cycle path begins and ends in Schirgiswalde and leads u. a. via Wilthen, Gaussig and Neukirch.

gastronomy

As a former “Erbgericht zum Pichotal”, the “Landidyll Hotel Erbgericht Tautewalde” was restored down to the last detail in 1993 and reopened as a hotel in December 1994. The "Pichobaude Tautewalde" is located on the Großer Picho. The “Zur Linde” inn was built in 1802 as a typical half-timbered house. The building of today's restaurant "Jägerhaus" (formerly Adlerschänke) was built in 1892. The restaurant has existed since 1786.

The construction of the "Mönchswalder Bergbaude" was decided on May 1st, 1884. This was inaugurated on September 28, 1885. Next to the restaurant there is a guest house, a beer garden and a lookout tower.

The “Schöne Aussicht” mountain chalet and guesthouse is located in the Sora district of Wilthen.

The “Zum Butterwasser” inn with beer garden is located on Zittauer Strasse.

economy

Street view of the Wilthener Weinbrennerei as seen from St.-Barbara-Platz

• Hardenberg-Wilthen AG - founded around 1700 by Fritz-Dietrich von Hardenberg. A wide variety of spirits have been distilled here for more than 300 years. Her tasks include a. the production of grain brandies, brandies and liqueurs and the marketing of fine brands of spirits.
• Kunststofferzeugnisse GmbH Wilthen (short: KEW) - produces construction parts made of plastic. Other tasks include a. the manufacture of prototypes and molded parts on a thermoplastic basis, construction of tools and material analyzes.
• Lakowa GmbH - high-performance manufacturer of technical plastic parts for the rail and vehicle industries. For customers such as Bombardier, Siemens, Volvo and many more, the company develops, manufactures and supplies interior clothing systems for trams, railcars, locomotives, buses and ambulances.
• VTN Wilthen GmbH - heat treatment company for the aerospace industry. Other locations are Witten, Freiburg and Bielefeld.
• SLM Industrie-Service GmbH - machining and processing of components and assemblies made of plastics and metal parts.
• Schumann Kies und Hartsteinwerke Sora - only deposit of the lamprophyr. The stone is used to process and manufacture raw blocks, tranches, facade cladding, floor slabs and natural stone paving.
• The Seniorenvilla DASAR GmbH is a private retirement and nursing home in Wilthen. The Wilthen retirement home is also located in Wilthen with 34 fully inpatient places.

Infrastructure

The public facilities in Wilthen include the city library, the youth center and the city pool, which is open in summer.

education

• DRK day care center "Spatzenhaus" - has been working since 1996 under the sponsorship of the German Red Cross.
• Pumphut primary school - has existed since 1992/93. The old building was built as a school in 1921. A fundamental reconstruction took place in 1993/94. On October 19, 2012, the Pumphut Primary School was officially named.
• Goethe High School - since 1878. The school building contains 18 classrooms and specialist cabinets with modern media technology.
• Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium - In 1988 the foundation stone was laid as the second polytechnic high school. In 1992/93 the course system began in upper secondary level and the first high school graduates left the school.

traffic

Wilthen has a train station on the Oberoderwitz – Wilthen ( South Lusatian Railway ) and Bautzen – Bad Schandau lines , which are served hourly by Trilex RE2 and RB61 trains in the direction of Dresden and Zittau . In addition, the following bus routes operated by Regionalbus Oberlausitz GmbH run through the city:

• Line 101: Bautzen - Wilthen - Taubenheim - Oppach via Singwitz - Steinigtwolmsdorf
• Line 111: Bautzen - Wilthen - Weifa - Wehrsdorf
• Line 113: Wehrsdorf - Schirgiswalde-Kirschau - Wilthen - Wehrsdorf (Ring I and Ring II)
• Line 123: Cunewalde - Crostau - Schirgiswalde-Kirschau
• Line 178: Bischofswerda - Gaussig - Schirgiswalde-Kirschau

Wilthen personalities

personality	engagement
Baron Reinhard Dietrich von Taube	In 1669 the Elector of Saxony obtained town charter
Martin pump hat	Miller's boy and legendary figure, symbol of the city
Christian Traugott Hünlich	Founder of Wilthener Weinbrennerei in 1842
Carl Albert Hünlich	Son of CT Hünlich and founder of the volunteer fire brigade in 1876
Max Liebscher	Founder LAKOWA in 1913
Franz Roessler	Homeland friend, chronicler and forefather of the pump hat figure in Wilthen
Hermann Klippel	Dialect poet from Lausitz

Peter Dietrich was born in Wilthen in 1938 . He died in Hamburg in 2017 and was buried in Wilthen.

literature

• Cornelius Gurlitt : Wilthen. In:  Descriptive representation of the older architectural and art monuments of the Kingdom of Saxony. 32nd issue: Bautzen Official Authority (Part II) . CC Meinhold, Dresden 1908, p. 313.

Web links

Commons : Wilthen  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: Manors and castles in the kingdom of Saxony: Wilthen  - sources and full texts

• Wilthen in the Digital Historical Directory of Saxony

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Population of the Free State of Saxony by municipalities on December 31, 2019  ( help on this ).
2. ↑ City of Wilthen, digital historical directory of Saxony. Retrieved April 24, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Historical. In: wilthen.de. Retrieved June 13, 2016 . 
4. ↑ Chapter about Wilthen in the "Statistics of the Lusatian Sorbs" by Arnošt Muka on www.sorabicon.de. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
5. ↑ 2011 census