Olbernhau
Encyclopedia
Olbernhau is a town in the district Erzgebirgskreis
, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, 35 km southeast of Chemnitz
, and 23 km north of Chomutov
, Czech Republic
.
founded the first settlement in the upper Flöha valley, shortly after ore was found here. Olbernhau was first mentioned in records in 1434 (as "Albernaw") in a contract documenting the sale of Olbernhau to the patritian Caspar von Berbisdorf.
Ore mining started in 1511. In the course of the Protestant reformation
Olbernhau became a parish
in 1539. A school is mentioned for the first time in 1556. The solidly built church was consecrated in 1590. About 1684 the industrial art of gunsmith
ing was introduced in Olbernhau. In 1690, Olbernhau's first barrel forge was erected in the Rungstock valley, and in 1708 the gun manufactory delivered 12,000 guns to the Saxonian Army. In 1815, a gun powder mill was founded, which was partly destroyed by explosions in the years 1835, 1850 and 1865. The last gun left the Olbernhau factory in 1854.
The launch of the "Floehatalbahn" in May 1875 linked Olbernhau to the railway network. A Kindergarten was built in 1878. In the 1880es, Olbernhau gained a hospital, gasworks and gas street lights, and in 1892 Saxony's very first electric power station began operation in Olbernhau. From 1895, steam trains ran on the section of line between Olbernhau and Neuhausen.
On 1 January 1902 Olbernhau received town privileges
. In 1906, the beautiful art deco
Concert and Ball Hall "Tivoli" was inaugurated. A public swimming bath opened in 1930. In 2002, one of the worst Flöha floods in history destroyed parts of the town centre and many houses on the river's banks. Thanks to many private donations from all over Germany, most of the enormous damages (amounting to several million Euros) was repaired within one year.
Snuggled in the beautiful Flöha Valley with its six sub-valleys, Olbernhau offers scenic views and attractive paths for hiking and winter sports.
Erzgebirgskreis
Erzgebirgskreis is a district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the Erzgebirge , a mountain range in the southern part of the district which forms part of the Germany–Czech Republic border...
, 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 in the Ore Mountains, 35 km southeast 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...
, and 23 km north of Chomutov
Chomutov
Chomutov is a city in the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region.Chomutov has been a statutory town since 1 July 2006. It occupies an area of 29,26 km² and has 50 782 inhabitants , thereby making it the 20th largest town in the Czech Republic, the 4th largest in the Ústí nad Labem...
, 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....
.
History
Presumably, the town's name arose from the old German name Albert (Albernhaw, Alberthau, Albernhau, Albretshain). Olbernhau has its origins back in the 13th century. Encouraged by Archbishop Albert I. of Meissen, the so-called White Monks (Cistercians) from OsekOsek (Teplice District)
Osek is a small town in the Czech Republic that lies at the foot of the Krušné Hory in the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region, in the northwest of Bohemia.- Geography and demographics :In 2006 the town's population was 4,934...
founded the first settlement in the upper Flöha valley, shortly after ore was found here. Olbernhau was first mentioned in records in 1434 (as "Albernaw") in a contract documenting the sale of Olbernhau to the patritian Caspar von Berbisdorf.
Ore mining started in 1511. In the course of 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...
Olbernhau became a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in 1539. A school is mentioned for the first time in 1556. The solidly built church was consecrated in 1590. About 1684 the industrial art of gunsmith
Gunsmith
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds firearms. This occupation is different from an armorer. The armorer primarily maintains weapons and limited repairs involving parts replacement and possibly work involving accurization...
ing was introduced in Olbernhau. In 1690, Olbernhau's first barrel forge was erected in the Rungstock valley, and in 1708 the gun manufactory delivered 12,000 guns to the Saxonian Army. In 1815, a gun powder mill was founded, which was partly destroyed by explosions in the years 1835, 1850 and 1865. The last gun left the Olbernhau factory in 1854.
The launch of the "Floehatalbahn" in May 1875 linked Olbernhau to the railway network. A Kindergarten was built in 1878. In the 1880es, Olbernhau gained a hospital, gasworks and gas street lights, and in 1892 Saxony's very first electric power station began operation in Olbernhau. From 1895, steam trains ran on the section of line between Olbernhau and Neuhausen.
On 1 January 1902 Olbernhau received town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
. In 1906, the beautiful art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Concert and Ball Hall "Tivoli" was inaugurated. A public swimming bath opened in 1930. In 2002, one of the worst Flöha floods in history destroyed parts of the town centre and many houses on the river's banks. Thanks to many private donations from all over Germany, most of the enormous damages (amounting to several million Euros) was repaired within one year.
Tourism
Olbernhau is a popular tourist destination. Among the town's major sights are:- the Copper Hammer Mill "Althammer" on which the Russian tzar Peter the Great once rode
- the open-air museum "Saigerhütte" (founded in 1493, ore processing technology + tiny workmen's houses)
- the museum, located in a former manor, offering a wide range of information about local traditions
- the "Tanz- und Ballhaus Tivoli", a ballroom with beautiful Art Deco glass window
- the pittoresque Oberneuschönberg church (consecrated in 1695).
Snuggled in the beautiful Flöha Valley with its six sub-valleys, Olbernhau offers scenic views and attractive paths for hiking and winter sports.