Old Town Walking Tour Through Bischofswerda Town History

Open for Discoveries Fountain sculpture “Children Playing“ by Harry Schulze

Old Town Walking Tour through Bischofswerda Town History

Town History

The medieval city center of Bischofswerda (in Sorbian “Bis- kopicy”) is located on a flat hill made of ice-age sand and gravel, dropping off gently on all sides. Most likely this ele- vation in the midst of inhospitable marshland was settled by Sorbs around the year 600 and given the name “Wer- da“, meaning river island. There are many indications that the name and origins of our modern-day city are thanks to Bishop “Benno, Count of Waldenburg“, head of the Meis- sen diocese. It is said that he transformed Bischofswerda from a “small and insignificant market town” into a proper city, setting up a church there in 1076.

The first historical mention of Bischofswerda was in 1227. In 1286, a ring wall and moat were created under Bishop Withigo I. It was around this time that the town gates were built as well as the tower at Dresden Gate (Fronfeste am Dresdner Tor). Thus, the conditions were set to be granted a town charter. In 1361, Bischofswerda officially became a city. Crafts and trades quickly developed in the ensuing years. The bakery trade is historically documented from as early as 1379, followed by cobbler, furrier, clothwor- ker, locksmith, blacksmith, wheelwright, cartwright, linen- weaver, mason, butcher, tailor and needlemaker guilds. The town brewers were soon to follow, forming a union of their own.

The city received its coat of arms and H O F seal in 1392. After being granted C F S market rights in 1406, it developed V I

E into a town of traders and crafts- B

men. As an economic center and R

D T

A place of pilgrimage, the city en- D

S joyed extensive market privileges T until the Reformation in 1558, when First municipal seal the rule of Meissen bishops came to an end and the city fell into the hands of Saxon electors. The coat of arms has since been blue and gold, with two crossed golden-yellow bishop’s crosiers and four six-pointed stars against a blue background. Bischofswerda about 1837

Two centuries marked by wars and epidemics followed until the great conflagration of May 12, 1813, presumably caused by the negligence of French troops after capturing the city. The fire left only three buildings within the ring wall untouched, along the city wall. The future mayor Hein- rich Gottlob Süssmilch played a key role in rebuilding the city after 1813. Various buildings, including Christ Church (Christuskirche), the Town Hall (Rathaus) and the restaurant “Zum goldenen Löwen“, were erected according to the plans of Dresden court architect Gottlob Friedrich Thormeyer in a classicist style and are landmark structu- res of the city today.

With the construction of the Saxon-Silesian Railroad and the opening of the Bischofswerda train station in 1845, existing manufactories were modernized and new fac- tories built in the ensuing decades. A variety of public facilities, the “Butterberg” hill-top restaurant, the marksmen’s clubhouse (Schützenhaus) and new streets were constructed as well.

The Bischofswerda district was formed in 1952 in the course of administrative reform, combining parts of the Ka- menz, Bautzen, Pirna and nonmetropolitan Dresden are- as. Bischofswerda was a district town and administrative center until 1994. In 1998 the city earned the title of “major district town.” The old market square was put under historical protection in 1980 and in 1995 the downtown area of Bischofswerda was declared a redevelopment area, ha- ving since been almost completely restored. City Walking Tour

1 The Bischofswerda city walking tour starts at the classicist Town Hall (Rathaus). This cen- trally located building on the Old Town Square houses the mayor’s office, the registry office, the citizens’ advice bu- reau as well as the City and Tourist Information Center.

2 The Paradise Fountain (Paradiesbrunnen), popularly known as “Eva Fountain”, was un- veiled in November 1914 in a secret ceremony at 10 o’clock in the evening to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the city fire in 1813. The work was created by Dresden sculptors Köppl and Polte.

3 The so-called Bishop’s Resi- dence (Bischofssitz), located on Dresdener Strasse 1, is also an impressive classicist structure. Its architectural high- light is the round stair tower with its Latin cupola. The Bishop’s Residence houses the Public Library, the Culture Office, the Office for Education, Youth and Sports as well as the Carl Lohse Gallery.

4 Birkengasse, at the edge of the city center, offers a fantastic view of the rowing pond (Gondel- teich) and open-air swimming pool. The masonry work visible there is the remains of the old City Wall, built in 1286 as a ring wall with moat and ramparts around the present city center.

5 The tower (Fronfeste), built around 1286, was originally a fortification at Dresden Gate. It was later used as a prison and detention house, and is the oldest existing building in the city of Bischofswerda.

The New Market Square 6 (Neumarkt) is also known as “Potter’s Market“, a reminder of what was once traded here. The cannon balls cemented into a number of doorways on the adjoining streets commemorate the battle of 1813, as freshly constructed buildings were struck by countless projectiles.

7 Located not far from the city center is Luther Park, unique not only for its giant linden trees and adventure playground but also for its historical markers. A stone bench serves as a reminder of the end of Fried- rich August the Just’s imprisonment, and an erratic block commemorates the great conflagration.

8 St. Benno’s Catholic Church, built in Art Deco style, is situa- ted in an idyllic and peaceful location. The stone figure at the left-hand cor- ner of the church is a reminder of Bi- shop Benno of Meissen, who is said to have founded the city and became the church’s namesake. Oberlausitz- KlinikenKliniken BischofswerdaBischofswerda

Route of the City Walking Tour (ca. 60 minutes)

G Goethe-Goethe- Gymnasium .

r. August-König-St

NeueNeuerr r. FriedhofFriedhof ca. 3,5 km Bautzener Str Goethe- park

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Käthe-K e- PPoolizel i Feuerwehr Kollwitz- B Parkark Bahnhofstr Neustädter Str. BahnhoBahnnhhof . FreibaFreiibbad

tereer S . Dresdener Str Oberlausitz- KlinikenKliniken BischofswerdaBischofswerda

Route of the City Walking Tour (ca. 60 minutes)

Goethe-Goethe- Gymnasium . D r. August-König-St

NeueNeuerr r. FriedhofFriedhof Bautzener Str Goethe- park

AlAlterter Kamenzer St FriedhofFriedhof Kampf- Kulturhausurhau bahnbahn Grund-rund-und- und MittelschulMittelschittelsch e E ca. 2 km Schmöllner Weg rchstr F KirchstK r. . H.-Muntschick-Str 10 StadionStadion

Am Schillerplat katholho . Kamenzer Str. Kirche amenze St. BennB nno t k WWeesnitzsportesnitzspos sporport- Bautzener Str. park LuLuther-ther- Wallgasse pparkark 11 z asse SSchillerchiller- Rat-Rat- ChristusCh i t - pparkark p haush s Kirchstkirchkirchr.e asse 14 Neu-N u- Alt-Alt FleischergasseFleisch 12 t Pfarrgasse AmA Lutherpararkrkt mark Am Schillerpl.Schiller Lutherstrm r. Bahnhofstr. gasse r St Strr h BischofBiisschchoff-- r. nesitzs undu hof13 GaleriGaaler e H m AmA Hof Am Mühlteich . tr TiT erparker arrkk DresdenerD St

Karl-Liebknecht-St

Käthe-K e- PPoolizel i Feuerwehr Kollwitz- Parkark Bahnhofstr Neustädterca. 2Str km. BahnhoBahnnhhof . FreibaFreiibbad

tereer H S . Dresdener Str City Walking Tour

9 Close to Brauhausgasse, two brick walls serve as a reminder of one of the many old pottery works characteristic of our city’s past and its tradition of handicrafts. This well-kept monument is a pleasant sight in the midst of the city.

10 Not far from the Old Potte- ry Works is the fountain sculpture “Children Playing” by artist Harry Schulze. The work was installed on September 27, 1969 for the 20-year anniversary of the GDR’s founding. The fountain was restored in 2004.

11 Schiller Park offers a place to relax in the middle of the city, along with a jungle playground ope- ned in 2010. Nearby is the house on Färbergasse 3, which served as a poor- house in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During the world economic crisis, the building offered cheap apartments and warming rooms.

12 Just a few steps from the park is the mill-pond, an idyllic spot at the edge of town. The ice- cream parlor located nearby, with its sun terrace and a range of culinary delights, offers a view of a granite water feature.

13 The partially restored postal mile marker from the year 1724 is located on Bahnhofsstrasse. The letters A and R and the coat of arms refer to Friedrich August the Strong, Elector of Saxony (1694-1733) and King of Poland (1697-1733). Other remnants of the original milepost are exhibited in the Town Hall.

14 Located on the highest point in the city center is Christ Church (Christuskirche). Its found- ation walls from the twelfth century are still intact. One of the most recent monuments in Bischofswerda, “Awa- kening 1989” (Aufbruch 1989), can be seen on Kirchplatz next to Christ Church.

The Media Tower, erected in 15 2007 by artist Uwe Hempel, is located in the middle of the Old Town Square. It stands on the site of the Old Town Hall, which existed until 1763. Its height of 12.27 meters symbolizes the first historical mention of the city of Bischofswerda in the year 1227.

16 The bust of Friedrich August the Just was returned to the Old Town Square on the 780th anniversary of the city in the year 2007, where it now stands in new radiance and splendor. Close by is the horse trough, likewise restored in 2007. Sights and Side Trips

Artist Carl Lohse, one of the A leading representatives of Ger- man Expressionism after the First World War, lived and worked in Bi- schofswerda from 1929 until his death in 1965. The gallery of the same name offers regular exhibits and chamber- music concerts.

Just a few minutes from down- B town is the open-air swimming pool (Freibad) of Bischofswer- da. With its attractive “water world” facilities and expansive sunbathing lawns, it’s the perfect place for young and old to spend some time in the summer.

The Bischofswerda Zoo (Tier- C park), a jewel in the heart of the city, welcomes young and old to an animal adventure. Around 300 ani- mals of 60 species live here in nature- like enclosures. The bears, in particu- lar, housed in a one-hectare facility, lure tens of thousands of visitors each year.

The Goethe Gymnasium, built D in 1912 in an impressive “reform style” architecture and functio- ning as a prep school ever since its opening, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2012. In the course of modernization in 1989, the auditori- um and its organ were restored to their original state. The House of Culture (Kul E turhaus), once referred to as the “marksmen’s clubhouse“, today serves as a meeting place for young and old, as well as for events such as concerts, theater and dances. A stone sculpture by Vinzenz Wanitschke has adorned the square out front since 1975.

Every year the Karl-May-Spie- F le take place on the Waldbüh- ne Bischofswerda. About 7,000 spec- tators visit the 12 to 16 performances at the open-air theatre annually. The adventures of Winnetou and Old Shat- terhand at the Waldbühne in Bischofs- werda are mostly performed by children and young people.

For more active guests and visi- G tors to our city, a hike up to Berg-Gasthof “Butterberg” restaurant is just the thing. A 50-minute walk to the summit of the mountain will reward you with a wide range of culinary delights as well as an exciting array of family-friendly recreational activities.

The new South Market on H Belmsdorf Hill (Südmarkt am Belmsdorfer Berg), completed in 2010, is located in the Südvorstadt neigh- borhood of Bischofswerda. The South Market offers young and old a chan- ce to kick back and relax. This square boasts newly planted trees, park ben- ches, and a brand-new playground. Information and Contact

Tourist Information & Citizens’ Office of Bischofswerda Our services to you: • general information about the city and tourist info • information about overnight accommodations, events, culture and recreation • advice and assistance in planning excursions • consulting and coordinating services • ticket sales for events • sending informational brochures by mail • listening to your comments, suggestions and complaints • distribution of forms • passport, ID and registration office • sale of books, hiking maps and more • lost and found • application drop-off point for other municipal offices and authorities • business registration, deregistration and reregistration

Contact: Citizens‘ Office Bischofswerda Altmarkt 1 • D-01877 Bischofswerda/Germany Tel.: 03594 786-140 • Fax: 03594 786-149 E-mail: [email protected]

Opening hours: Mon/Tues/Thurs: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wed/Fri: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sat: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Sun: closed

Telekom info-terminal Outside our opening hours we ask our visitors and guests to use the Telekom info-terminal (right next to the Town Hall, in front of the Evabrunnen Hotel). Publisher: City council Bischofswerda • Altmarkt 1 D-01877 Bischofswerda/Germany • Tel.: 03594 786-150 Fax: 03594 786-159 • e-mail: [email protected] www.bischofswerda.de