Reichenbach im Vogtland | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Church of Saints Peter and Paul | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Reichenbach im Vogtland within Vogtlandkreis district  | |
  Reichenbach im Vogtland  Reichenbach im Vogtland | |
| Coordinates:50°37′N12°18′E / 50.617°N 12.300°E /50.617; 12.300 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Saxony |
| District | Vogtlandkreis |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2023–30) | Henry Ruß[1] (Left) |
| Area | |
• Total | 34.46 km2 (13.31 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 380 m (1,250 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 19,974 |
| • Density | 579.6/km2 (1,501/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 08468, 08491(Jägerhaus), 08499(Mylau, Obermylau) |
| Dialling codes | 03765 |
| Vehicle registration | V, AE, OVL, PL, RC |
| Website | www.reichenbach-vogtland.de |
Reichenbach im Vogtland (German pronunciation:[ˈʁaɪçn̩baxʔɪmˈfoːktlant],lit. 'Reichenbach in theVogtland') is a town in theVogtlandkreis district ofSaxony in eastern Germany. With a population of 20,108,[3] it is the second-largest town in the Vogtlandkreis afterPlauen. It is located close to theA72 between Plauen (at c. 18 km) andZwickau (at c. 19 km).
The town of Reichenbach im Vogtland dates back to a settlement of theFranks and owes its early growth to its privileged situation in a valley close toMylau Castle. In 1212, it was officially namedRichenbach, possibly because of the many wetland basins (German:Bächen) located in what is today theold town. Reichenbach was grantedtown privileges around 1240 and mentioned in a 1271 decree as "civitatis richenbach", a town with autonomous rights to self-defence, trade, and municipal elections. Much of the Reichenbach history was lost in the town fires of 1720, 1773, and 1833. The foundations of the Ss. Peter and Paulparish church still date back to the 12th century.
The rise ofindustrialisation allowed the town to grow further, again promoted by its accessibility.Sewing andweaving were Reichenbach's main trades, but in the 19th century themetal working industry settled in the city and in the early 20th century, there was a rise of thepulp and paper industry and printing works. Some of Reichenbach's most remarkable structures date from this era, including itstown hall (1837–1839),the railway station (1846), and world's largest brick bridge, theGöltzsch Viaduct (1846–1851).
Reichenbach im Vogtland has had a rather insignificant role inWorld War II. The town was thecremation site of many prisoners of various nationalities, who died in the subcamp of theFlossenbürg concentration camp located in nearbyLengenfeld.[4] On March 21, 1945, American bombings killed 161 citizens and destroyed or damaged many buildings.[5] Against the orders of theNational Socialists, Mayor Otto Schreiber capitulated the town on April 17 without a fight. The town was occupied by American troops, who handed over control to theRed Army on July 1. About 120 innocent youth aged 15 and 16 were taken in custody and transferred to theSoviet Union's secret service (predecessor of theKGB), hoping all other citizens would be spared.
After Germany was split up, Reichenbach im Vogtland became part ofEast Germany. The population has since declined from nearly 35,000 to little over 20,000 today. As was the case with many former East German industrial cities, the 1991German reunification caused many workers to lose their jobs and they started to move away. Many initiatives have since been deployed to rebuild the local economy. There are still many industrial buildings in Reichenbach with a high historic value, but with little appeal.
The administrative district of Reichenbach has grown since the early 20th century to include the quarters and villages of Brunn (1994), Cunsdorf (1924), Friesen (1994),Mylau (2016), Obermylau (2016), Oberreichenbach (1908), Rotschau (1996), and Schneidenbach (1999), and has had a collaborative relationship withHeinsdorfergrund since 2000.[6][7][8] Schneidenbach joined on 1 January 1999,[9] and Mylau on 1 January 2016.[10]
.jpg)
.jpg)
Reichenbach im Vogtland also has a telecommunication tower ofDeutsche Telekom erected out of concrete, which includes aVHF broadcasting station for among othersVogtlandradio. It is not to be confused with the tower inReichenbach (Oberlausitz) which transmits MDR Info at 1,188 kHz.
TheWestsächsische Hochschule Zwickau - University of Applied Sciences Zwickau teaches architecture atbachelor andmaster level and Textile- and Leather Craftsmanship. The town also has agymnasium, a middle school, three primary schools, and aspecial school for the physically and mentally challenged. Middle school students also attend schools in the surrounding towns.
Reichenbach im Vogtland istwinned with:[11]
Althen-des-Paluds, France
Jędrzejów, Poland
Karlštejn, Czech Republic
Ma'alot-Tarshiha, Israel
Montecarlo, Italy
Nordhorn, GermanyRočov, Czech RepublicWaldenbuch, Germany
(in German)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
