Geringswalde
Encyclopedia
Geringswalde is a town in the district of Mittelsachsen
, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
. It is situated 12 km northwest of Mittweida
, and 27 km north of Chemnitz
.
nun's convent. After the Protestant reformation
, the convent was dissolved and transformed into a manor
. The town was never walled. A short-lived orthodox Lutheran school was closed in 1568 due to the rector being accused of Gnesio-Lutheranism
.
Until the 19th century, the economy was chiefly based on agriculture
and linen
manufacture. After Industrialization Geringswalde was known for the production of furniture
(mainly chairs and armchairs) and cutting tools. The manor was dissolved after World War II
and most of its buildings demolished. Geringswalde was part of Kreis
Rochlitz
from 1945 to 1994, of Landkreis Mittweida
from 1994 to 2008 and belongs now to Landkreis Mittelsachsen
.
From 1893 to 1997, the town was served by the standard-gauge railway line Waldheim - Rochlitz.
Martin Luther church of 1890 replaces a former romanesque
church. The neo-baroque
town hall was opened in 1905, the school house in neo-renaissance
style in 1894. An observation tower
named after Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
, situated north of the town, opened in 1907.
A copy of the 1727 Postmeilensäule
stands near the town centre. The original is kept in a museum in Rochlitz
.
A castle
in the nearby forest was already destroyed again in the Middle Ages
, only minuscule remains of its basement walls are left.
The village church of Altgeringswalde houses a painted wooden altar
which was made around 1510 and restored in 1994.
Mittelsachsen
Mittelsachsen is a district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Döbeln, Freiberg and Mittweida as part of the district reform of August 2008.- Geography :...
, 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 is situated 12 km northwest of Mittweida
Mittweida
Mittweida is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, in the Mittelsachsen district. It is situated on the Zschopau River, 18 km north of Chemnitz, and 54 km west of Dresden....
, and 27 km north of Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
.
History
The town was first mentioned in 1233 in a document confirming the establishment of a BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nun's convent. After the Protestant 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...
, the convent was dissolved and transformed into a manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
. The town was never walled. A short-lived orthodox Lutheran school was closed in 1568 due to the rector being accused of Gnesio-Lutheranism
Gnesio-Lutherans
"Gnesio-Lutherans" is a modern name for a theological party in the Lutheran Church, in opposition to the Philippists after the death of Martin Luther and before the Formula of Concord. In their own day they were called Flacians by their opponents and simply Lutherans by themselves...
.
Until the 19th century, the economy was chiefly based on agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
manufacture. After Industrialization Geringswalde was known for the production of furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
(mainly chairs and armchairs) and cutting tools. The manor was dissolved after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and most of its buildings demolished. Geringswalde was part of Kreis
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
Rochlitz
Rochlitz
Rochlitz is a major district town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Rochlitz is the head of the “borough partnership Rochlitz” with its other members being the boroughs of Königsfeld, Seelitz und Zettlitz...
from 1945 to 1994, of Landkreis Mittweida
Mittweida (district)
Mittweida is a former district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It was bounded by the districts Muldentalkreis, Döbeln, Freiberg, the district-free city Chemnitz and the district Chemnitzer Land, the district Altenburger Land in Thuringia and the district Leipziger Land.- History :In 1994...
from 1994 to 2008 and belongs now to Landkreis Mittelsachsen
Mittelsachsen
Mittelsachsen is a district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Döbeln, Freiberg and Mittweida as part of the district reform of August 2008.- Geography :...
.
From 1893 to 1997, the town was served by the standard-gauge railway line Waldheim - Rochlitz.
Sights
The neogothicGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
Martin Luther church of 1890 replaces a former romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church. The neo-baroque
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
town hall was opened in 1905, the school house in neo-renaissance
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
style in 1894. An observation tower
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
named after Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
This article is about King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony. For the elector Frederick Augustus III, see Frederick Augustus I of Saxony.Frederick Augustus III was the last King of Saxony and a member of the House of Wettin.Born in Dresden, Frederick Augustus was the son of King George of Saxony...
, situated north of the town, opened in 1907.
A copy of the 1727 Postmeilensäule
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
stands near the town centre. The original is kept in a museum in Rochlitz
Rochlitz
Rochlitz is a major district town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Rochlitz is the head of the “borough partnership Rochlitz” with its other members being the boroughs of Königsfeld, Seelitz und Zettlitz...
.
A castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the nearby forest was already destroyed again in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, only minuscule remains of its basement walls are left.
The village church of Altgeringswalde houses a painted wooden altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
which was made around 1510 and restored in 1994.