Bad Elster
Encyclopedia
Bad Elster (ˌbaːt ˈɛlstɐ) is a spa town in the Vogtlandkreis
district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
. It lies on the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic
in the Elster gebirge hills. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster
, and is protected from extremes of temperature by the surrounding wooded hills. It is 25 km southeast of Plauen
, and 25 km northwest of Cheb
. The B 92 runs close by.
It is part the Freunde im Herzen Europas microregion.
1412 a manor was sold to the von Zedtwitz family, who held it until 1800.
1533 the Reformation
reaches Adorf and its daughter church in Elster, and the first Protestant pastor was installed in 1540.
The healing properties of the waters from the spring now known as the Moritzquelle were recognised well before, Georg Leisner, physician to the Duke Moritz von Sachsen-Zeitz, wrote in 1669 that inhabitants of both Adorf and Elster come to the spring to take the waters, and he had successfully used them on many different patients.
One famous visitor was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
, who came in 1795. He mentions the spring at Elster in his work Hermann and Dorothea
.
Elster was promoted to be the "Königlich-Sächsischen Staatsbad", official royal spa of Saxony in 1848. With that the visitor numbers rose: 1848: 129; 1850: 378, 1860: 1.750, 1870: 2450, 1890: 5870, 1900: 8900, 1990: 15.600.
Elster prepended the Bad meaning "spa" in 1875, Bad Elster became its official name in 1935. In 1880, "Bademuseum Bad Elster
" opened, it was the first museum in the town and in Vogtland
, it was short lived. A new museum opened in 1993.
The town lies near the B 92. There are two open border crossings into the Czech Republic; open for pedestrians and bicycles but not cars, though post Schengen
even the barrier has been removed. The station is 2.5 km from the town centre at Mühlhausen on the Plauen Eger line where there is a two hourly service.
Vogtlandkreis
The Vogtlandkreis is a Landkreis in the southwest of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, at the borders to Thuringia, Bavaria, and the Czech Republic. Neighboring districts are Hof, Saale-Orla, Greiz, Zwickau and Erzgebirgskreis...
district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It lies on the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
in the Elster gebirge hills. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster
Weiße Elster
The White Elster or Weisse Elster is a long river in central Europe, right tributary of the Saale. Its source is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, near Aš. After a few kilometres, it flows into eastern Germany...
, and is protected from extremes of temperature by the surrounding wooded hills. It is 25 km southeast of Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
, and 25 km northwest of Cheb
Cheb
Cheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany...
. The B 92 runs close by.
It is part the Freunde im Herzen Europas microregion.
Elster before 1900
Two kilometers north west of the town centre lies the remains of a twelfth century walled village, known today as the "Alte Schloss" or "Old Castle". This was first documented in 1324.1412 a manor was sold to the von Zedtwitz family, who held it until 1800.
1533 the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
reaches Adorf and its daughter church in Elster, and the first Protestant pastor was installed in 1540.
The healing properties of the waters from the spring now known as the Moritzquelle were recognised well before, Georg Leisner, physician to the Duke Moritz von Sachsen-Zeitz, wrote in 1669 that inhabitants of both Adorf and Elster come to the spring to take the waters, and he had successfully used them on many different patients.
One famous visitor was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
, who came in 1795. He mentions the spring at Elster in his work Hermann and Dorothea
Hermann and Dorothea
Hermann and Dorothea is an epic poem, an idyll, written by German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe between 1796 and 1797, and was to some extent suggested by Johann Heinrich Voss's Luise, an idyll in hexameters, first published in 1782-84...
.
(Bad) Elster in the 19th and 20th century
Elster became an independent parish in 1851. In 1892 the old St. Peter und Paul church was demolished and replaced with the Revival Gothic, St. Trinitatiskirche.Elster was promoted to be the "Königlich-Sächsischen Staatsbad", official royal spa of Saxony in 1848. With that the visitor numbers rose: 1848: 129; 1850: 378, 1860: 1.750, 1870: 2450, 1890: 5870, 1900: 8900, 1990: 15.600.
Elster prepended the Bad meaning "spa" in 1875, Bad Elster became its official name in 1935. In 1880, "Bademuseum Bad Elster
Bad Elster Bademuseum
The first Spa Museum in Bad Elster, Saxony was opened in 1880 due to the work of Prof. Dr. Robert Flechsig , Bernhard v. Heygendorff and the Royal Saxony court photographer Emil Tietze . It soon closed. After World War 2, Dr...
" opened, it was the first museum in the town and in Vogtland
Vogtland
The term Vogtland refers to a region reaching across the German free states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia and into the Czech Republic . The name of the region contains a reference to the former leadership by the Vögte of Weida, Gera and Plauen, which translates approximately to advocates or lord...
, it was short lived. A new museum opened in 1993.
Demography
Growth of Population (ab 1964 31. December):
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Business
The main industries are tourism and health. There are seven clinics specialising in recuperation. In 2005 there were 35 establishments offering accommodation with 2400 beds, and receiving 540,000 bednights.The town lies near the B 92. There are two open border crossings into the Czech Republic; open for pedestrians and bicycles but not cars, though post Schengen
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
even the barrier has been removed. The station is 2.5 km from the town centre at Mühlhausen on the Plauen Eger line where there is a two hourly service.
Town Council
For the term 2004-09 there is no overall control, the independents being the largest group. The Mayor is an independent.- Freie Wähler (independents): 6 members (including the Mayor)
- CDU: 3 members
- Linkspartei (the left): 1 members
- PDS list: 1 members
- FDP: 2 members
- SPD: 1 members
Coat of Arms
Field gold (or), with a naturalistic Magpie standing on three green hills (vert). From centre hill, a spring (argent) with water flowing to pool (argent).Attractions
The most important buildings in Bad Elster are from the last quarter of the 19th century.- Das Königliche Kurhaus is an important example of turn of the 20th century neo classicism, demonstrating the importance of Spa building to the state.
- Albert Bad was built in the Jugenstil.
- The König Albert Theater, formerly called the Kurtheater, opened in 1914 and has been recently modernised. Alexander Prinz von Sachsen is the theatres patron. It is also an important conference venue for Saxony and the Euroregion.
- The NaturTheater lies in a woodland setting. It is the oldest open-air theatre in Saxony. In 2007 it was adapted to meet modern standards and reopened, offering a six month season of Opera, theatre, concerts and cinema.
- The 1892 Lutheran church St.-Trinitatis-Kirche was built in the revival gothic style. It contains artifacts from the previous building such as the gothic statues of St Peter and Paul from ca. 1490.
- The former luxury hotel building, the Wettiner Hof is listed for protection; it awaits renovation.
- There are also smaller monuments such as the Postmeilensäule (1724) and the Schillerdenkmal.