Döbeln

Döbeln is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, part of the Mittelsachsen district, on both banks of the river Freiberger Mulde.

For the Swedish war hero, see Georg Carl von Döbeln.

Döbeln
View on the old town
Coat of arms
Location of Döbeln within Mittelsachsen district
Döbeln
Döbeln
Coordinates: 51°7′10″N 13°6′46″E
CountryGermany
StateSaxony
DistrictMittelsachsen
Subdivisions19
Government
 • MayorSven Liebhauser (CDU)
Area
 • Total84.55 km2 (32.64 sq mi)
Highest elevation
262 m (860 ft)
Lowest elevation
159 m (522 ft)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total23,829
 • Density280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Time zoneCET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes
04720
Dialling codes03431
Vehicle registrationFG, BED, DL, FLÖ, HC, MW, RL
Websitewww.doebeln.de

History
  • 981: First written proof that Döbeln existed.[2]
  • Around 1220: Döbeln got the official status of a town.
  • 1293: Church of St. Nicholas was first mentioned.
  • 1296: Castle and town are occupied by Adolf of Nassau.
  • 1330: Monastery buildings are completed.
  • 1333: A serious fire incinerates the entire town.
  • 1360: Knight Ulmann of Staupitz builds castle Reichenstein.
  • 1429: Looting of the town and destruction of the castle by the Hussites.
  • 1450: Döbeln is raided by the Bohemians, severely damaging the castle. After that, the castle declined in its importance.
  • 1567: Döbeln was mentioned as "deserted palace" and afterwards only used as a quarry.
  • 1637: Plundered by the Swedes
  • 1730: Another serious fire hit Döbeln. As a result, the remains of the castle were used as building material for rebuilding. In this fire, 266 homeowners and 400 renters lost their homes.
  • 12 May 1762 (during the Seven Years' War): Battle between the Prussians and the Austrians. The troops of Prince Henry of Prussia defeated the Austrian troops and took prisoners including the commander General von Zedtwitz.
  • 1754–1810: Döbeln is a garrison of the infantry regiment Lubomirsky.
  • 1847: Döbeln was connected to the railway from Riesa.
  • 1857: The railway was extended to Chemnitz.
  • 1868: The Dresden-Döbeln-Leipzig railway line was opened.
  • 1945: Döbeln was occupied by the Soviet Army without a shot being fired.

Population history

From 31 December 1960 unless otherwise noted:[3][4]

1694 to 1946

  • 1694: 1,300
  • 1834: 5,677
  • 1859: 10,078
  • 1875: 10,969
  • 1880: 11,802
  • 1890: 13,892
  • 1910: 19,627
  • 1925: 22,508
  • 1933: 24,714
  • 1939: 25,339
  • 1946: 28.841[5]

1950 to 1998

  • 1950: 31,037[6]
  • 1960: 28,904
  • 1964: 28,641
  • 1981: 26,812
  • 1984: 26,998
  • 1986: 27,706
  • 1990: 27,112
  • 1995: 25,046
  • 1997: 24,396
  • 1998: 24,045

1999 to 2006

  • 1999: 23,610
  • 2000: 23,128
  • 2001: 22,653
  • 2002: 22,201
  • 2003: 21,816
  • 2004: 21,365
  • 2005: 21,236
  • 2006: 20,943

2007 to 2017

  • 2007: 20,726
  • 2008: 20,527
  • 2009: 20,337
  • 2010: 20,242
  • 2011: 21,077
  • 2012: 21,016 (May)
  • 2016: 23,823
  • 2017: 23,769 (September)[7]

Note that the town of Ebersbach, Mittelsachsen, with its population of approximately 1,000 was merged into Döbeln in 2011. On 1 January 2016, the former municipality Mochau became part of Döbeln.

Memorials
  • Memorial in front of the Crematorium in the graveyard for 21 Polish and Russian men and women who were transported to Germany during World War II and died as slave laborers.
  • Memorial at Wettinplatz for all victims of fascism.
  • Memorial in front of the Lessing School for the victims of war and dictatorship between the years 1933 and 1989.

Transport

Döbeln Central Station is on the Borsdorf–Coswig and Riesa–Chemnitz lines.

It has two connections to the A14 motorway (Autobahn).

Döbeln has the last remaining horse-drawn tram line in Germany, in the form of the Döbeln Tramway. This line originally ran from 1892 to 1926, and was reopened in 2007.

Schlegelbrunnen (fountain) with St Nicholas's Church in background

Notable people

Twin towns

Döbeln is twinned with:

References
  1. "Bevölkerung des Freistaates Sachsen jeweils am Monatsende ausgewählter Berichtsmonate nach Gemeinden" (PDF). Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen (in German). July 2019.
  2. MGH DD Otto II. 195. Digitalisat:
  3. Source from 1998: Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen
  4. Digitales Historisches Ortsverzeichnis von Sachsen - Döbeln
  5. Census 29 October 1946
  6. Census 31 August 1950
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