Meißen

Meißen (spelled "Meissen" in the absence of non-ASCII characters), internationally most known for porcelain, is a town of approximately 35,000 near Dresden on the river Elbe in the State of Saxony in the southern part of eastern Germany. Points of interest are mainly the Meißen porcelain label, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meißen Cathedral, the Meißen Frauenkirche, and the St. Afra high school for gifted children.

History

In 929, King Henry I erected a stronghold on the hill that is the center of today's old town, where formerly a Slavic castle had been located. The castle, called Albrechtsburg, was the centre of the Margravate of Meißen, which later became the Electorate of Saxony and then the Kingdom of Saxony. With minor changes, its territory corresponds to that of the Free State of Saxony today.

Related Topics:
929 - King - Henry I - Slavic - Castle - Albrechtsburg - Margravate - Electorate - Kingdom of Saxony - Free State of Saxony

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In 963, the Diocese of Meißen-Dresden was founded, and Meißen became the seat of a bishop.

Related Topics:
963 - Diocese - Dresden - Bishop

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Around 1000, Meißen became a market town, and in 1150 it was officially documented as a city (Stadt).

Related Topics:
1000 - Market town - 1150 - City

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The construction of the cathedral was started in 1260 on the same hill as the castle. This created a lack of space due to which the cathedral is one of the smallest cathedrals in Europe. The cathedral is also known as being one of the most pure examples of gothic architecture.

Related Topics:
Cathedral - 1260 - Europe - Gothic architecture

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The first European porcelain was manufactured in Meißen in 1710, when the Royal-Polish-Electoral-Saxonian Porcelain Manufactory was opened in the Albrechtsburg Castle. Later, in 1861, it was moved to the Triebisch valley of Meißen, where the Porcelain Manufactory of Meißen can still be found today.

Related Topics:
1710 - 1861 - Triebisch - Porcelain Manufactory of Meißen

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