Bad Muskau (; formerly ''Muskau'', hsb, Mužakow, pl, Mużaków, cs, Mužakov) is a
spa town
A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...
in the historic
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the ...
region in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, at the border with
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. It is part of the
Görlitz
Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, :de:Ostlausitzer Mundart, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and ...
district in the State of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
.
It is located on the banks of the
Lusatian Neisse
The Lusatian Neisse (german: Lausitzer Neiße; pl, Nysa Łużycka; cs, Lužická Nisa; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.[Sorbian settlement area
hsb, Serbski sydlenski rum, dsb, Serbski sedleński rum, image_map=File:Sorbisches Siedlungsgebiet.png, subdivision_type1=Country, subdivision_name1=Germany, subdivision_type2=State, subdivision_name2=Saxony, subdivision_type3=State, subdivision ...]
in Saxony.
Upper Sorbian
Upper Sorbian (), occasionally referred to as "Wendish", is a minority language spoken by Sorbs in Germany in the historical province of Upper Lusatia, which is today part of Saxony. It is grouped in the West Slavic language branch, together ...
has an official status next to German, with all villages bearing names in both languages.
The town of
Lugknitz, formerly incorporated into Bad Muskau, was separated in 1945 by the new state border drawn along the
Oder–Neisse line
The Oder–Neisse line (german: Oder-Neiße-Grenze, pl, granica na Odrze i Nysie Łużyckiej) is the basis of most of the international border between Germany and Poland from 1990. It runs mainly along the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers a ...
.
Muskau Park
Muskau Park (german: Muskauer Park, officially: ''Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad Muskau''; pl, Park Mużakowski) is a landscape park in the Upper Lusatia region of Germany and Poland. It is the largest and one of the most famous English gardens in Ce ...
, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, is similarly split with the municipality containing its western half. Bad Muskau gained worldwide fame through prince and landscape artist
Hermann von Pückler-Muskau Hermann or Herrmann may refer to:
* Hermann (name), list of people with this name
* Arminius, chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe in the 1st century, known as Hermann in the German language
* Éditions Hermann, French publisher
* Hermann, Miss ...
, who created a unique cultural asset with his landscape park.
History
![Schloss des Fürsten Pückler zu Muskau Teichgräber](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Schloss_des_F%C3%BCrsten_P%C3%BCckler_zu_Muskau_Teichgr%C3%A4ber.jpg)
Muskau (Sorbian, "men's town") was founded in the 13th century as a trading center and
defensive location on the Neisse, being first mentioned in a document in 1249. The
state country (''Standesherrschaft'') of Muskau was the largest of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
. From 1319 it was part of the
Duchy of Jawor
Duchy of Jawor ( pl, Księstwo Jaworskie, german: Herzogtum Jauer) was one of the Duchies of Silesia established in 1274 as a subdivision of the Duchy of Legnica. It was ruled by the Silesian Piasts, with its capital at Jawor in Lower Silesia.
...
, one of
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ( pl, Dolny Śląsk; cz, Dolní Slezsko; german: Niederschlesien; szl, Dolny Ślōnsk; hsb, Delnja Šleska; dsb, Dolna Šlazyńska; Silesian German: ''Niederschläsing''; la, Silesia Inferior) is the northwestern part of the ...
n duchies of fragmented
Piast
The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great.
Branche ...
-ruled Poland. In 1329 it passed to the
Bohemian (Czech) Kingdom, where it formed part of the Margraviate of
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the ...
, a
Bohemian (Czech) Crown Land.
The town passed into the possession of the von Bieberstein family in 1447, gaining its
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
in 1452.
[ Part of the von Bieberstein crest, the red five-pointed stag horn, remains in the town's coat of arms.
By the 1635 Peace of Prague it passed to the ]Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz.
In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charles ...
, later elevated to the Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...
in 1806. Between 1697 and 1763, it was also under rule of Polish kings in personal union and was one of two main routes connecting Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
and Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
ran through the town at that time. Kings Augustus II the Strong
Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
and Augustus III of Poland
Augustus III ( pl, August III Sas, lt, Augustas III; 17 October 1696 5 October 1763) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1733 until 1763, as well as Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire where he was known as Frederick Aug ...
often traveled that route. In 1815, the northern and eastern parts of Upper Lusatia came to Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
as a result of the Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
, which reorganized the political order of Europe after the Coalition Wars (1792–1815) and from then on bore the official name "Prussian Upper Lusatia". Administratively, this area was integrated into the Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia (german: Provinz Schlesien; pl, Prowincja Śląska; szl, Prowincyjŏ Ślōnskŏ) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1919. The Silesia region was part of the Prussian realm since 1740 and established as an official p ...
and later into the Province of Lower Silesia, which existed until 1945.
In the so-called "Zornfeuer" of 1766, the city burned down completely; Only the town church and the castle on the Burglehn were spared. During the withdrawal
Withdrawal means "an act of taking out" and may refer to:
* Anchoresis (withdrawal from the world for religious or ethical reasons)
* ''Coitus interruptus'' (the withdrawal method)
* Drug withdrawal
* Social withdrawal
* Taking of money from a ban ...
of the Napoleonic army
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
from Russia in 1813, Württemberg cuirassier
Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adoptin ...
s brought a typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure.
...
epidemic to Muskau, which killed around a fifth of the population. The inhabitants lived (with a few exceptions) in the status of hereditary subservience, which was only ended after 1815 under Prussian rule.
Due to the rich clay deposits, a strong pottery trade developed in Muskau. During its heyday from the 17th to the middle of the 19th century, up to 20 masters settled in the southern suburb of the town, the Schmelze (today Schmelzstrasse).
The first documented mention of alum
An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , where is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium or a ...
mining in the town of Muskau comes from 1573. The alum hut, laid out on the site of today's bathing park, was once one of the oldest in Saxony, along with the huts in Reichenbach, Schwemsal
Schwemsal is a village and a former municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous co ...
and Freienwalde. Alum mining stopped in 1864.
In the 19th century, lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...
was mined in the area between Muskau and Weißwasser.
Until the beginning of the 19th century Muskau's direct rulers were the Counts of Callenberg, succeeded up to 1845 by Count (later Prince) Hermann von Pückler-Muskau Hermann or Herrmann may refer to:
* Hermann (name), list of people with this name
* Arminius, chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe in the 1st century, known as Hermann in the German language
* Éditions Hermann, French publisher
* Hermann, Miss ...
, later on by Prince Wilhelm Friedrich Karl von Oranien-Nassau, and after him by the Counts von Arnim, right up to their flight in April 1945.
Towards the end of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the city was severely damaged by artillery fire from the Soviet Army, which was pushing over the Neisse, and by the 2nd Polish Army. After World War II, the town was divided along the Neisse River between East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
and Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. About two thirds of the park came under Polish administration. In Autumn 1945, the castle and large parts of the city fell victim to a fire. In July 1945, Count von Arnim received the notification that “class rule and all businesses had been seized without compensation." Muskau was largely rebuilt with the exception of the town church, the Sorbian St. Andrew's Church, and the town hall. The town church was blown up in April 1959.
In 1962 Muskau was renamed "Bad Muskau" (spa town
A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...
Muskau), with the construction of a sanatorium on the site of brine
Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, on the lower end of that of solutions used for br ...
source. In 1972 the border crossing between East Germany and Poland was opened[ and visa-free ]local border traffic
Border control refers to measures taken by governments to monitor and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across land, air, and maritime borders. While border control is typically associated with international borders, it a ...
was allowed.
The Sorbs make up a very strongly part of the population to this day, with the Muskau dialect spoken in and around the town. Today Sorbian is - theoretically, but not actually - the second official language.
Governance
Town twinning
* Łęknica
Łęknica (german: Lugknitz; hsb, Wjeska) is a border town in western Poland, one of the two gminas of Żary County in Lubusz Voivodeship.
Muskau Park (''Park Mużakowski''), a Polish-German World Heritage Site, stretches north of the town ce ...
, Poland
* Bolków
Bolków (german: Bolkenhain) is a town in Jawor County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district ( gmina) called Gmina Bolków and part of the '' Neisse-Nysa-Nisa'' Euroregion.
Overvi ...
, Poland
Notable people
* Nathaniel Gottfried Leske
Nathanael Gottfried Leske (22 October 1751 in Muskau – 25 November 1786 in Marburg) was a German natural scientist and geologist.
After his studies at ''Bergakademie'' of Freiberg in Saxony and the ''Franckeschen Stiftungen'' in Halle, Leske b ...
(1751–1786), natural scientist and geologist
* Leopold Schefer
Leopold Schefer (30 July 1784 in Muskau – 13 February 1862 in Muskau), German poet, novelist, and composer, was born in a small town in Upper Lusatia (then under Saxon rule), the only child of a poor country doctor.
Biography
Leopold Schefer wa ...
(1784–1862), writer and composer
* Hermann von Pückler-Muskau Hermann or Herrmann may refer to:
* Hermann (name), list of people with this name
* Arminius, chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe in the 1st century, known as Hermann in the German language
* Éditions Hermann, French publisher
* Hermann, Miss ...
(1785–1871), famous landscape gardener and writer, founder of the Park von Muskau
* Gustav Fechner
Gustav Theodor Fechner (; ; 19 April 1801 – 18 November 1887) was a German physicist, philosopher, and experimental psychologist. A pioneer in experimental psychology and founder of psychophysics (techniques for measuring the mind), he inspired ...
(1801–1887), experimental psychologist
* Eduard Petzold Carl Eduard Adolph Petzold (14 January 1815 – August 1891) was a German landscape gardener.
Life
Petzold was born in Königswalde (Lubniewice), Brandenburg. As a child, he followed his parents in 1826 to Muskau, visiting the town's schoo ...
(1815–1891), landscape gardener
* Alwin Schultz
Alwin Schultz (6 August 1838 – 10 March 1909) was a German art historian and medievalist, professor of art history at the Charles University in Prague.
Biography
He was born at Muskau, Lusatia. He studied archaeology and Germanic philology at th ...
(1838-1909), art and cultural historian
* Paul Kraske
Paul Kraske (2 June 1851, Bad Muskau, Berg, Province of Silesia – 15 June 1930, Freiburg im Breisgau) was a German surgeon.
He studied medicine at the universities of University of Halle, Halle and University of Leipzig, Leipzig, receiving ...
(1851–1930), surgeon
* Bruno von Mudra
Karl Bruno Julius Mudra, from 1913 von Mudra (1 April 1851, in Bad Muskau – 21 November 1931, in Zippendorf) was a Prussian officer, and later General of Infantry during World War I. He was a recipient of Pour le Mérite with Oak Leaves.
Mudra ...
(1851-1931), General of Infantry and freeman of Muskau
* Werner Richter
__NOTOC__
Werner Richter (21 October 1893 – 3 June 1944) was a German general during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Werner Richter was wounded on 21 May 1944 and died in Riga on 3 June 1944.
Awards ...
(1888-1969), writer
* Erna Pfitzinger
Erna may refer to:
* Erna (mythology), figure from Norse mythology
* Érna, or Iverni, a people of medieval Ireland
* Erna (moth), ''Erna'' (moth), genus of moths in the family Erebidae
* Erna (planet), fictional world in C. S. Friedman's Coldfire ...
(1898–1988), potter
* Karl Peglau
Karl Peglau (18 May 1927 – 29 November 2009) was a German traffic psychologist who invented the iconic Ampelmännchen traffic symbols used in the former East Germany in 1961. The Ampelmännchen depicts a symbolic person on the red and g ...
(1927-2009), traffic psychologist, inventor of the East German Ampelmännchen for traffic lights
* Olaf Zinke
Olaf Zinke (born 9 October 1966) is a former Speed skating, speed skater.
Zinke specialised in the 1,000 metres and 1,500 metres distances. In 1990, at a World Cup race in Helsinki he proved his skill at top level for the first time, finishing ...
(1966), skater, Olympic gold medalist
* Tim Kleindienst
Tim Kleindienst (born 31 August 1995) is a German professional association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for 1. FC Heidenheim.
Club career
Kleindienst joined FC Energie Cottbus, Energie Cottbus in 2 ...
(1995), soccer player
In addition, a number of professional hockey players were born in Bad Muskau:
*Ronny Arendt
Ronny Arendt (born November 24, 1980) is a German former professional ice hockey player who most notably played for Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He also played with the Berlin Capitals and Augsburger Panther.
After complet ...
(born 1980)
*Frank Hördler
Frank Hördler (born 26 January 1985) is a German professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for VER Selb in the DEL2. He previously played the entirety of his professional career with Eisbären Berlin in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, ...
(born 1985)
*Ivonne Schröder
Ivonne Schröder (born 25July 1988) is a German ice hockey player for Tornado Niesky and the German national team.
She participated at the 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship
The 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship was the 16th such even ...
(born 1988)
*Elia Ostwald
Elia Ostwald (born March 17, 1988) is a German professional ice hockey forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forw ...
(born 1988)
*Toni Ritter
Toni Ritter (born February 6, 1990) is a German professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Dresdner Eislöwen in the DEL2.
He previously played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga with the Adler Mannheim, Krefeld Pinguine, Iserloh ...
(born 1990)
References
External links
Official website of Bad Muskau
{{Authority control
Towns in Görlitz (district)
Germany–Poland border crossings
Spa towns in Germany
Populated places established in the 13th century