The Free State of Saxony

Der Freistaat Sachsen

Sachsen Sachsen is only the 10 t h largest state

7,110 square miles (18,416 square km)

6 t h in total population

4.5 mi l l ion people

Capital c ity is Dresden

3 Major Distr icts 1) Chemnitz2) Leipzig3) Dresden

Brief History…The region that is known now as present day Saxony was one of the most prosperous and well-known regions of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1089 Heinrich von Eilenburg, became the first ruler under what was known as the House of Wettin. Although the Kingdom of Saxony was under one line of family rule for its entire existence, it became part of several different empires during that span.

In 1485 the Kingdom was divided into two parts and split between two brothers, Albert and Ernst. Albert took a large part of the eastern territories which would have been most of present day Sachsen, while his brother took the western part which would include some of what is now Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen. Albert ran his Kingdom mainly out of Dresden, and Ernst was stationed out of Leipzig. Both however, remained within the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1697 Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, was crowned King of Poland, and the two sides were reunited and became part of the Polish Empire. Just over a hundred years later, in 1813, the Battle of Leipzig took place over a 3 day period while Napoleon tried to expand his forces into the Prussian Empire. Saxony fought on the side of Napoleon and they lost they battle. As a result, substantial territories were put under Prussia control.

…Continued

The German Empire remained in tact until World War I, and when the Germans and their Allies lost in 1918, the Empire was dissolved and new territories were assigned to Germany. This included Saxony and the Kingdom of Saxony was officially over, ending a 829 year run of the House of Wettin. The last king of Saxony was Friedrich August III, who resigned his position after Germany’s surrender and Saxony became a state.

Saxony was a state in the Weimar Republic after the war, and remained that way until World War II. It was all but forgotten during the Nazi Era, and then a large portion of it fell under Soviet Communist control after the war. It remained under Soviet control until the revolution in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was reunited. That’s when it became the Free State of Saxony.

In 1871, the German Empire was created and controlled much of the land surrounding Saxony, but with it’s substantial size it remained its own kingdom and remained under Prussian principle.

Present DayCurrently Sachsen is one of 16 states in Germany and is governed by a Parliament, with its leader being Stanislaw Tillich. He has been the Minister-President since 2004.

The capital of Sachsen is Dresden, which is where the Parliament building is located.

Although Dresden is the Capital, the largest city is Leipzig with a population of close to 513,000.

$ Economy $Saxony has the highest rail network density of all the German Federal States, and has three freight distribution centers: in Leipzig, Dresden, and Glauchau. Their central location makes them a great location for commerce and international business and trading.

They have a very productive mining industry, with major resources being silver, copper, and brown coal.

They have become a major player in modern resources as well, with several different energy and natural gas plants, including Leipzig Power Exchange, which is among the most successful companies of its kind in all of Germany.

They have over 100 years of experience in the auto industry, that includes one of the largest Volkswagen factories. It’s were most all of the Limited Edition Golfs are made.

Art and Literature Under the rule of Friedrich August I (Augustus the Strong) and Friedrich August II, Dresden became a center of European art and culture. They had many artists, composers, and writers that came from Saxony. One of the oldest universities in all of Germany is the University of Leipzig. It was built on founded back in 1409 and has been a solid institution of learning ever since.

Saxony was also a religious center, with some of the oldest churches from the Holy Roman Empire era. The Nikolaikirche Cathedral for example, has been a large part of their religious culture for generations. Another Cathedral that has been a big part of their history is the Frauenkirche, in Dresden.

CultureOne of the greatest German composers ever was a man named Johann Sebastian Bach. He was the city choirmaster in Leipzig at the Thomaskirche. He also played the organ at the Nikolaikiche, and composed and performed many symphonies at the Semper Opera House, as well as the Brühlsche in Dresden.

Der Zwinger

The Zwinger Palace was built by August der Starke in 1728, although it was formally inaugurated in 1719. Construction lasted from 1710-1728, and was built in celebration of August becoming King of Poland and the Polish Empire. Construction continued after that however, adding on to keep expanding it, but August died in 1733 and building was stopped. It would later be finished over time but never actually reached the size that it was originally drawn up for. It was heavily damaged during the bombings of WWII in 1945, and remained almost destroyed until the people of Dresden voted to have the building restored in the 1980’s, before the revolution. It is now a cultural center in Dresden, home to many scientific treasures, a weapons and armor gallery, as well as an Art Museum.

The Radeburg Brewery was built and founded in 1872, and is known as the first brewery to create the classic pilsner style beer. The Radeburger Pilsner, as it became known, was King August of Saxony’s favorite drink and in 1905 he declared that the Radeburg Export Brewery would become the “Royal Court Brewery of Saxony”. Before the fall of the iron curtain, it was so in demand that it was used as a secret secondary currency by the East German government as barter in exchange for goods from other communist countries.

BEER

Saxony is the smallest of Germany’s 13 quality wine regions. It only has about 800 acres of good vineyards, which are primarily located along the Elbe River. A region near Dresden called Müller-Thurgau, which counts for 38% of the total acreage. The winemaking in this region is finally starting to be rebuilt, with a great deal of it smothered out while under communist rule. Gewürztraminer and Weissburgunder, each count for about 15% of the acreage.

WINE

Sports

Castles

Mortizburg Castle was built from 1726-1736 by August der Starke. Plans for the Castle were drawn up by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. It became a museum in 1955, and is considered one of the most beautiful structures in Dresden.

Colditz Castle was built in the city of Colditz, which is near Leipzig, between 1160-1200. It was the major factor in starting a settlement there and became one the busiest cities, linking Leipzig and Chemnitz.

The Göltzschtal Bridge is the biggest brick bridge in the world. 26 million bricks went into its creation. It is 1880 ft. (574 m) long and 255 ft. (78 m) high. It was built from 1846-1851 and is located in Netzschkau, and once linked Leipzig and Nuremberg via railway.

Danke Schön!