Oschatz () is a town in the district

Nordsachsen Nordsachsen ("North Saxony") is a district ('' Kreis'') in Saxony, Germany. History The district was established by merging the former districts of Delitzsch and Torgau-Oschatz as part of the district reform of August 2008. On 10 December 200 ...

, in

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 ...

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 ...

. It is located 60 km east of

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

and 60 km west of

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 ...

Geography

Site and climate

Klimadiagramm-deutsch-Oschatz (SN)-Deutschland

Oschatz lies in the

Saxon Lowland The Leipzig BayDickinson (1964), p. 29.Döllnitz, which joins the river

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...

as a left tributary 15 km away near

Riesa Riesa is a town in the district of Meißen in Saxony, Germany. It is located on the river Elbe, approximately northwest of Dresden. History The name ''Riesa'' is derived from Slavic ''Riezowe''. This name, romanised as "Rezoa", appears first i ...

. Oschatz is situated near the forested regions of the Dahlener Heath as well as the Wermsdorf Forest and the

Collmberg Collmberg (Sorbian languages, Sorbian ''chołm'' - "Hill, mound“), regionally and colloquially called ''Collm'', is the highest elevation in the Nordsachsen district and of the Northwest Saxon Basin, situated 6 km west of Oschatz near the ...

. Neighboring districts include:

Liebschützberg Liebschützberg is a municipality in the district Nordsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. Until 1991 the territory of Liebschützberg and its 1,600 residents were part of the town of Borna. During the administrative reform of Saxony which followed the ...

, Strehla, Riesa,

Stauchitz Stauchitz is a municipality in the district of Meißen, in Saxony, 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 ...

, Naundorf,

Wermsdorf Wermsdorf is a Municipalities in Germany, municipality in the Nordsachsen Districts of Germany, district in Saxony, Germany. Two hunting castles of the Saxon Dukes and Kings are to be found here. Geography Landscape Wermsdorf is situated wi ...

and Dahlen. The average air temperature in Oschatz is approximately 8.6 °C, the annual rainfall is about 570 millimeters.

Subdistricts

The administrative district of the town Oschatz also contains the following 14

townlands A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

History

Early times to 18th century

The area of the present-day town has been settled since

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

times. The name Oschatz derives from the Sorbian word for

abatis An abatis, abattis, or abbattis is a field fortification consisting of an obstacle formed (in the modern era) of the branches of trees laid in a row, with the sharpened tops directed outwards, towards the enemy. The trees are usually interlaced ...

. The first written mention was in 1200 as a name "Johannes de Ozzetz", however the association to Oschatz is uncertain. The first definite mention of the town dates from 1238, as ''Ozzechz'' is mentioned in a document from the

Henry III, Margrave of Meißen Henry III, called Henry the Illustrious (''Heinrich der Erlauchte'') (c. 1215 – 15 February 1288) from the House of Wettin was Margrave of Meissen and last Margrave of Lusatia (as Henry IV) from 1221 until his death; from 1242 also Landgrav ...

. The oldest document found in the town archive is an indulgence letter from Bishop Conrad of

Meißen Meissen (in German orthography: ''Meißen'', ) is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechts ...

, dated 1246. In 1344 the people's army The Geharnischten certified for the association of towns Oschatz,

Torgau Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen. Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces first ...

and

Grimma Grimma ( hsb, Grima) is a town in Saxony, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany, on the left bank of the Mulde, southeast of Leipzig. Founded in 1170, it is part of the Leipzig (district), Leipzig district. Location The town is in ...

, and a schoolmaster was employed in 1365. A fort in Oschatz was first mentioned in 1377, and a watch tower was erected at the site of the current museum. The town received market rights in 1394. The town hall was built in the Market Square in 1477. In 1478 the town was awarded its own jurisdiction by the local rulers. The current town hall was built between 1538 and 1546. During the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

Oschatz, like many towns in the region, turned Protestant. There are still letters from

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (give ...

Melanchthon Philip Melanchthon. (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lu ...

and

Justus Jonas Justus Jonas, the Elder (5 June 1493 – 9 October 1555), or simply Justus Jonas, was a German Lutheran theologian and reformer. He was a Jurist, Professor and Hymn writer. He is best known for his translations of the writings of Martin Luthe ...

in the town archives.

Plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

killed 900 of 3000 inhabitants in 1566. Oschatz was scene of a witchcraft trial in 1583. Leonhard Sihra was convicted of sorcery and was hanged. In 1616 the town experienced a fire which destroyed 440 houses and storehouses.

19th century to modern times

Population development

Architecture and monuments

Notable buildings:Sehenswürdigkeiten der Stadt Oschatz
Oschatzer Freizeitstätten *The 16th century town hall, rebuilt after the 1842 fire *The 19th century neogothic St.-Aegidien-Kirche, with two 75 m high towers *The 13th-15th century Klosterkirche, the only remaining building of the Franciscan monastery *several 16th and 17th century buildings on the Neumarkt square Monuments: * Monument in the town park to the victims of Fascism with an additional memorial plaque for French

Resistance fighters Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, r ...

, which was erected in 1984. * Graves and a memorial stone in the graveyard beside the chapel for 19 female predominantly Jewish

Concentration Camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

prisoners, who were on a

death march A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinguished in this way from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Convent ...

from one of the subcamps of

Buchenwald Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or su ...

when they died in April 1945. * Memorial at the corner of Leipziger Platz and Friedrich-Naumann-Promenade in memory of the overnight stay of

Ernst Thälmann Ernst Johannes Fritz Thälmann (; 16 April 1886 – 18 August 1944) was a German communist politician, and leader of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) from 1925 to 1933. A committed Marxist-Leninist and Stalinist, Thälmann played a major r ...

, the chairman of the

KPD The Communist Party of Germany (german: Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, , KPD ) was a major political party in the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1933, an underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and a minor party in West German ...

before he was interned in

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budis ...

prison. * Plaque on the house at Strehlaer Straße 5, also in memorial of Thälmann.

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Oschatz has a connection to the A14 autobahn via the exits Mutzschen, Leisnig or Döbeln-North. The

Bundesstraße 6 The Bundesstraße 6 (abbr. B6) is a German federal highway running from Bremerhaven on the North Sea coast in a southeasterly direction through the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony to Görlitz on the Polish border. Hi ...

goes through the town and the Bundesstraße 169 is few kilometres distant and connects with the A14 as well as the towns of Döbeln (towards

Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt , ) is the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden. It is the 28th largest city of Germany as well as the fourth largest city in the area of former East Germany a ...

) and Riesa (towards

Cottbus Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exten ...

Tourism

In the historic center the hotel and restaurant ' Zum Schwan' is located, one of the oldest

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

s in

, founded in 1458. Oschatz is situated at the

Via Regia The Via Regia (Royal Highway) is a European Cultural Route following the route of the historic road of the Middle Ages. There were many such ''viae regiae'' associated with the king in the medieval Holy Roman Empire. History Origins The ...

, a centuries old trade route, recognised as

Cultural Route of the Council of Europe A Culture Route of the Council of Europe, sometimes referred to as a European Cultural Route, is a certification awarded by the Council of Europe to networks promoting the European shared culture, history and memory. These routes must also matc ...

. Several historical monuments and other places of interest can be found in the old town. Oschatz Aegidienkirche

Oschatz is the terminal station of the narrow gauge

Döllnitzbahn The Döllnitzbahn GmbH is a private railway company in Saxony in eastern Germany. It is the operator of the Oschatz–Mügeln–Kemmlitz/Glossen narrow gauge line in central Saxony. History In November 1993 the newly founded ''Döllnitzbahn GmbH'' ...

. The city hosted the 2006 Saxon Garden Exhibition (Landesgartenschau) and since that time has renovated and upgraded its landscape park, called O-Park.

International relations

Oschatz is twinned with: * Blomberg,

Filderstadt Filderstadt (; Swabian: ''Fildorsdadd'') is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located approximately 13 km south of Stuttgart. Filderstadt is located next to the Stuttgart Airport and t ...

, Germany *

Starogard Gdański Starogard Gdański (; until 1950: ''Starogard''; csb, Starogarda; formerly german: Preußisch Stargard) is a city in Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland with 48,328 inhabitants (2004). Starogard is the capital of Starogard County. It is ...

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 ...

Třebíč Třebíč (; german: Trebitsch; yi, טרייביטש Treybitsh) is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants. The beginnings of the town's history are connected with the establishment of a Benedictine ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Vénissieux Vénissieux (; Arpitan language, Arpitan: or in the Lyonnais dialect) is a Communes of France, commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in eastern France. Geography Vénissieux is located on the sou ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

People

Melanie Müller Melanie "Melli" Müller (born 10 June 1988) is a German reality television personality, schlager singer and pornographic actress. Early life From 2005 to 2009, Müller, who was born in Oschatz, trained as a restaurant specialist and a barte ...

(born 1988), German television personality

References

External links

{{Authority control Nordsachsen