Breitenbrunn, Saxony

Breitenbrunn is a community in the Ore Mountains in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in the Free State of Saxony in Germany.

Breitenbrunn
Church
Coat of arms
Location of Breitenbrunn within Erzgebirgskreis district
Breitenbrunn
Breitenbrunn
Coordinates: 50°28′29″N 12°46′0″E
CountryGermany
StateSaxony
DistrictErzgebirgskreis
Subdivisions8
Government
 • MayorRalf Fischer (CDU)
Area
 • Total60.02 km2 (23.17 sq mi)
Highest elevation
950 m (3,120 ft)
Lowest elevation
550 m (1,800 ft)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total5,263
 • Density88/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zoneCET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes
08359
Dialling codes037756
Vehicle registrationERZ, ANA, ASZ, AU, MAB, MEK, STL, SZB, ZP
Websitewww.breitenbrunn-erzgebirge.de

Geography

Constituent communities

The community consists of Breitenbrunn with Breitenhof, Carolathal, Halbemeile and Rabenberg, Antonsthal with Antonshöhe, Erlabrunn, Steinheidel and Fällbach as well as Rittersgrün and Tellerhäuser.

Neighbouring communities

Bordering on Breitenbrunn are Johanngeorgenstadt, the health resort of Oberwiesenthal and the town of Schwarzenberg, all in the Erzgebirgskreis.

Location

Breitenbrunn lies on a mountain ridge stretching from the Schwarzwasser Valley on east. It is surrounded by, among other mountains, the Rabenberg and the Sauberg.

History
Ruins of the former Electoral hunting lodge

As the highest village in the lordly domain of Schwarzenberg, Breitenbrunn was likely founded only in the 13th century. With the help of vast meadows and sites it can be ascertained that no more than ten families settled here at first. The village had its first documentary mention as “breitinprun” in 1380 in a chronicle of the mountain counts of Leisnig when the mining rights for a tin mine had just been granted. Even before Breitenbrunn’s founding there was over the site of the later settlement a wall with a watchtower, a moat and a small outer defence to defend the Schwarzenberg lordly domain at its southernmost point. Since a spring was found within the moat, the moat was called a “broad spring”, or breiten Brunnen in German, and soon this description was taken up as the place’s name.

Of special historic importance is the Breitenbrunn Papermill found in the town, from which, among others, Johann Sebastian Bach got his notepaper.

The church at Breitenbrunn about 1900

Religion

In Catholic times, Breitenbrunn first belonged to the Parish of Schwarzenberg. Later, a chapel consecrated to Saint Peter was built, making Breitenbrunn into a Schwarzenberg branch parish. Even after the Reformation, a dependent relationship was maintained for the time being. Now, however, Breitenbrunn was a daughter community of the newly established parish of Grünstädtel.

The village at last got its ecclesiastical independence in 1559, in which same year St. Christopher’s Church (St.-Christophorus-Kirche) was built. Chosen as the location was the village’s upper end to make the walk for churchgoers from the neighbouring, parochially united community of Rittersgrün somewhat easier, especially in the winter months.

Today, alongside the Evangelical Lutheran community of St. Christopher is an Evangelical Methodist community.

Population development
  • 1533 – ca. 200
  • 1801 – 2250
  • 1834 – 2058
  • 1852 – 2943
  • 1890 – 2224
  • 1910 – 2167
  • 1925 – 2113
  • 1946 – 2467
  • 1956 – 5018
  • 1960 – 4259
  • 1971 – 3420
  • 1999 – 3909
  • 2002 – 3879
  • 2005 – 3751
Data from 1999 on: Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen

Politics

Mayor

The community’s mayor (Bürgermeister) Ralf Fischer, born in 1955, was elected in the latest mayoral contest on 10 June 2001 with 98.4% of all the votes. The other 1.6% was shared by other candidates who each received one vote.

Partnership

Culture and sightseeing
Breitenbrunn in winter
Haus des Gastes and school
  • St. Christoph visitors‘ mine
  • Silberwäsche Technical Museum in the constituent community of Antonsthal
  • Christophoruskirche from 1559
  • Memorial to the Plague Minister Wolfgang Uhle at cemetery entrance
  • Hunting lodge ruins

Natural memorials
  • “Himmelswiese” natural monument near the constituent community of Halbemeile
  • Preißhausbuche, a famous beech tree

Education

Breitenbrunn is also known for its Staatliche Studienakademie Breitenbrunn (Breitenbrunn State Academy). Here roughly 300 students are taught by the dual principle in the fields of tourism economics, industry and welfare.

Sport
  • Rabenberg Sport and Education Centre (with indoor swimming pool and cross-country ski run)

Regular events
  • Church consecration festival (kermis) in the upper village on the last weekend of August

Famous people
  • Sven Hannawald, ski jumper
  • Wolfgang Uhle (1512–1594), known as the “Plague Minister” of Annaberg, was minister in Breitenbrunn from 1569 to 1594.
  • Christian Gottlob Wild, minister and dialect poet, died here in 1839.

References
  1. "Bevölkerung des Freistaates Sachsen jeweils am Monatsende ausgewählter Berichtsmonate nach Gemeinden" (PDF). Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen (in German). July 2019.
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