Schleiz is a town in the district of Saale-Orla-Kreis in Thuringia, Germany. The former municipality Crispendorf was merged into Schleiz in January 2019, and Burgk in December 2019.

Location

Schleiz is in the Thuringian Vogtland area, an area of wooded hills on the borders of Thuringia, Saxony, Bavaria and the Czech Republic. The city is located in a valley with the river

Wisenta Wisenta is a river of Thuringia and Saxony, Germany. It flows into the Saale near Eßbach. See also *List of rivers of Thuringia *List of rivers of Saxony A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: Peop ...

near the motorway A 9 ( Berlin –

München Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

Neighboring parishes

Distances calculated as between town centers.

Subdivisions

Schleiz includes the following subdivisions: * Möschlitz * Grochwitz * Oberböhmsdorf * Lössau * Langenbuch * Wüstendittersdorf * Dröswein * Gräfenwarth * Oschitz * Heinrichsruh * Crispendorf * Burgk

History

Schleiz can be traced back to a settlement established about 1200 ("Altstadt") and a separate "Neustadt" that was established next to it. The "Neustadt" had a castle and a city wall. Until 2 December 1482 they were totally separate communities after which they combined to one city. There was a settlement of the Teutonic Order here, and for some years previous to 1848 the town was the capital of the small principality of

Reuss-Schleiz The Principality of Reuss-Gera (german: Fürstentum Reuß-Gera), called the Principality of the Reuss Junior Line (german: Fürstentum Reuß jüngerer Linie) after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of ...

. In the vicinity a battle was fought, between the French and the Prussians on 9 October 1806. Within the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

(1871-1918), Schleiz was part of the Principality of Reuss-Gera.

20th Century

During World War II hundreds of women and men from several nations, including the Soviet Union were transported to Schleiz as forced laborers. At least 60 of them died there. The palace was destroyed April 1945.

Population

Trend of population figures:

Recreation

Schleiz is also the site of the Schleizer Triangle motor racing track. Schleiz Boettger plaque

Notable people

Johann Friedrich Böttger Johann Friedrich Böttger (also Böttcher or Böttiger; 4 February 1682 – 13 March 1719) was a German alchemist. Böttger was born in Schleiz and died in Dresden. He is normally credited with being the first European to discover the secret of th ...

(1682–1719), alchemist and co-inventor of European porcelain *

Heinrich Gottfried Piegler Heinrich Gottfried Piegler (* 23 February 1797 in Schleiz, Principality of Reuss j.L., today Thuringia; † 6 February 1849 in Schleiz) was a German entrepreneur and manufacturer who produced the first "modern" lighters which delivered a flame at ...

(1797–1849), probably the largest manufacturer of Döbereiner's lamps * Richard Barthold (1855-1932), US-american politician * Kurt Holzschuher (1873-1945), owner of the oldest factory in Schleiz (Gebr. Holzschuher) and German politician (DVP) * Theodor Piegler (1904-1991), great-grandson of H.G. Piegler, co-owner of the internationally active metal goods factory for hairdressing articles " Gebr. Piegler" in Nuremberg *

Joachim Blechschmidt Joachim Blechschmidt (* 28 December 1912 in Schleiz/Thuringia; missing since 13 July 1943 after shooting down near Oryol/Central Russia) was a German lieutenant colonel in the German Air Force during the Second World War. He is counted among the ...

(1912-1943), German pilot and fighter ace in World War II * Bernhard Klee (born 1936), conductor * Juergen K. Klimpke (born 1963), mayor of the city of Schleiz from 2012-2018, member of political committees of the city of Schleiz, author ("Schleizer Heimathefte"), founding member and longtime chairman of the "Geschichts- und Heimatverein zu Schleiz e.V." and photographer

References

;Attribution *

External links

* http://www.schleiz.de Official web site for Stadt Schleiz. {{Authority control Saale-Orla-Kreis Principality of Reuss-Gera