Country Germany District Erzgebirgskreis Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Population 2,546 (31 Dec 2008) | State Saxony Elevation 914 m (2,999 ft) Postal codes 09484 Local time Wednesday 4:35 AM | |
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Weather -1°C, Wind N at 14 km/h, 93% Humidity Points of interest Oberwiesenthal ‑ Fichtelberg, Fichtelberg, Meeresaquarium am Fichtelberg, LGO Liftgesellschaft mbH, Historiche Brücke | ||
Fichelbergbahn dampfbahn cranztal oberwiesenthal
Oberwiesenthal is a town and a ski resort in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in the Ore Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 19 km south of Annaberg-Buchholz, and 23 km northeast of Karlovy Vary. At 914 metres (2,999 ft), it is the highest town in Germany. The Olympic and World Championships goldmedalist in ski jumping Jens Weißflog competed for SC Tractor Oberwiesenthal and Oberwiesenthaler SV.
Contents
- Fichelbergbahn dampfbahn cranztal oberwiesenthal
- Map of Oberwiesenthal Germany
- Fichelbergbahn dampfbahn in oberwiesenthal
- Geography
- Neighbouring municipalities
- Subdivisions
- History
- Historical Population
- Town council
- Mayor
- Twinnings
- Culture and sights
- Museum
- Structures
- Sport
- Notable people
- References
Map of Oberwiesenthal, Germany
Fichelbergbahn dampfbahn in oberwiesenthal
Geography
Oberwiesenthal lies in the county of Erzgebirgskreis, on the border with the Czech Republic that follows the course of the Pöhlbach stream as far as Bärenstein (10 km northeast). The highest elevation in the borough is the Fichtelberg (sometimes called the Großer Fichtelberg or Great Fichtelberg) which, at 1,215 m above NN, is the highest mountain in Saxony.
Other important mountains in the region around Oberwiesenthal are the:
Neighbouring municipalities
On the Czech side is the municipality of Loučná pod Klínovcem (Böhmisch Wiesenthal) and, further west, is Boží Dar (Gottesgab). Adjacent municipalities in Germany are Bärenstein, Crottendorf, Sehmatal, Breitenbrunn/Erzgeb. and Raschau-Markersbach.
Subdivisions
History
The "new town in the Wiesen valley" ("Neustadt am Wiesenthal") was founded in 1527 by the lords of Schönburg as a mining town because, one year earlier, silver ore had been found in the region. By 1530 the new settlement had been granted town rights and, in 1559, its ownership passed to the House of Wettin.
Mining operations finally wound up in the 19th century and tourism increasingly took its place during the 20th. However, after the Second World War, there were attempts by the Russians to mine uranium for the nuclear arms race in the Zechengrund, today a nature reserve. Traces of their activity are still visible. On 1 September 1921 Oberwiesenthal was merged with the town of Unterwiesenthal further down the valley, which had first been mentioned in the records in 1406 and had town rights by 1510.
Historical Population
Data source to 1990: Oberwiesenthal in the Digital Historic Index of Places in Saxony (Digitalen Historischen Ortsverzeichnis von Sachsen)
Data source from 1998: Statistisches Landesamt Sachsen
Town council
The town council of Oberwiesenthal consists of 14 councillors and the directly elected mayor or Bürgermeister, who presides over the council. The local elections of 7 June 2009, which had a voter participlation of 62.5%, the following result:
Mayor
Heinz-Michael Kirsten (CDU) was elected mayor (Bürgermeister) in January 2002. By February 2002 the Annaberg district office (Landratsamt Annaberg) had declared this result void due to unpermitted election advertising. This resulted in a five-year legal battle by all sides that ended with a decision in 2007 by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, that confirmed the decision in February 2007 by the administrative appeals tribunal (Oberverwaltungsgericht) of Bautzen as legal. Heinz-Michael Kirsten was then sent on leave by the regional authority (Regierungspräsidium). On 4 November 2007 a new election took place in which no party achieved an absolute majority. In the second round of elections on 18 November the independent (now FDP) candidate, Mirko Ernst, was elected mayor.