Chemnitz

Chemnitz (Sorbian/Lusatian Kamjenica, formerly called Karl-Marx-Stadt) is a city in Saxony, Germany. It is located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains. The city has a population of 248,021 ( 31. march 2005), and an area of 220.8 km².

History

In 1143 there was a Benedictine monastery at the place where the city now is. A settlement grew around the monastery and about 1170 Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor granted it the rights of an imperial city. In 1307 the town became subordinate to the margravate of Meissen (which was the predecessor of the Saxon state). In medieval times Chemnitz became a centre of textile production and trade. More than one third of the population worked in textile production. This continued through the industrial revolution: factories were established, and by the early 19th century Chemnitz had become an industrial centre (sometimes called "the Saxon Manchester"). In 1913 Chemnitz had a population of 320,000 and is one of very few cities which were larger at that time than they are today.

Related Topics:
1143 - Benedictine - Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor - 1307 - Margravate - Meissen - Industrial revolution - 19th century - Manchester - 1913

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In World War II the factories of Chemnitz produced mainly goods for the military. As a consequence, the city was heavily bombed and almost entirely destroyed.

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The East German government decided to turn Chemnitz into a socialist model city. Boroughs full of concrete slab buildings were erected around the city centre, and few of the pre-war buildings were restored. In 1953 Chemnitz was renamed to Karl-Marx-Stadt ("Karl Marx City"). It returned to the original name of Chemnitz on 21 June 1990.

Related Topics:
East German - 1953 - Karl Marx - 21 June - 1990

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