Zwickau

Zwickau is the fourth-largest city in Saxony, Germany, after Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz. It has about 88,000 people living there. The city sits in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde River. It is part of a line of cities stretching from Plauen in the southwest to Dresden in the northeast.

Zwickau is home to the West Saxon University of Zwickau. The university has campuses in several nearby towns. The famous composer Robert Schumann was born here. Zwickau has a long history in making cars. It was where Audi and its predecessor Horch began. Later, it made the Trabant, which was a very popular car in East Germany. Today, a big Volkswagen factory works in the area.

The Zwickau Mulde River flows through the city from south to north. Many bridges cross the river. The Silver Road is Saxony’s longest tourist route. It links Dresden to Zwickau. You can get to the city by car, train, or bicycle using the Mulderadweg path.

History

The area around Zwickau was settled by Sorbs as early as the 7th century AD. The name Zwickau may come from a Sorbian word connected to an old Slavic sun god. By the 10th century, German settlers arrived, changing the area’s culture.

In 1118, Zwickau was first mentioned as a trading place, and it became a town in 1212. The city grew in importance during the 15th and 16th centuries because silver was found nearby.

Zwickau became known for its churches, including St. Mary’s, which has a very tall tower. The city helped spread early printing and held important documents. It was also where important religious changes began, supporting the Lutheran Reformation. Today, Zwickau is known for its automobile industry, with factories making cars for Volkswagen and Audi.

Boundaries

Zwickau is next to several nearby places, including Mülsen, Reinsdorf, Wilkau-Hasslau, Hirschfeld, Lichtentanne, Werdau, Neukirchen, Crimmitschau, Dennheritz, and the city of Glauchau. These towns and cities are close together, making the area a busy place to live.

Incorporations

Zwickau has grown by including nearby areas over time. It started in 1895 with Pölbitz and added more areas later. Some important additions include Marienthal in 1902, Brand and Bockwa in 1939, and several areas in 1993 and 1996, like Hartmannsdorf and Rottmannsdorf. By 1999, places such as Cainsdorf and Mosel also became part of Zwickau.

Population

Bergparade in Zwickau, a Christmas tradition

Zwickau is a city in Saxony, Germany, with about 88,000 people. It is the fourth-largest city in Saxony, after Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz. The city is in a valley along the Zwickau Mulde river. This river flows into the Elbe and then to the North Sea. Zwickau is part of a line of cities from Plauen in the southwest through Zwickau, Chemnitz, and Freiberg to Dresden in the northeast. It is also the seat of the Zwickau District, the most crowded district in the new states of Germany.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1462	3,900	—
1530	7,677	+96.8%
1640	2,693	−64.9%
1723	3,753	+39.4%
1800	4,189	+11.6%
1840	9,740	+132.5%
1861	20,492	+110.4%
1871	27,322	+33.3%
1875	31,491	+15.3%
1890	44,198	+40.4%
1900	55,825	+26.3%
1905	68,502	+22.7%
1910	73,542	+7.4%
1925	80,358	+9.3%
1933	84,701	+5.4%
1939	85,198	+0.6%
1946	122,862	+44.2%
1950	138,844	+13.0%
1960	129,138	−7.0%
1972	124,796	−3.4%
1981	121,800	−2.4%
1990	122,979	+1.0%
2001	101,726	−17.3%
2011	93,081	−8.5%
2022	87,020	−6.5%
Source: Census data for 1875 to 1939

Education

Zwickau has the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau. It has about 4,700 students and two campuses in the city. There is also a school for grades 1–4 called Dr. Martin Luther School. This school belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church.

Politics

Zwickau has had many mayors over the years. The first mayor chosen by people after Germany reunited in 1990 was Rainer Eichhorn. He served until 2001. Since 1994, people have directly chosen the mayor. Dietmar Vettermann served from 2001 to 2008. Pia Findeiß served until 2020. In 2020, Constance Arndt became the mayor.

The most recent city council election was on June 9, 2024. The city council helps make important decisions for Zwickau.

Historical mayors

1501–1518: Erasmus Stella
1518–1530: Hermann Mühlpfort
1800, 1802, 1804, 1806, 1808, 1810, 1812, 1814: Carl Wilhelm Ferber
1801, 1803, 1805, 1807, 1809, 1811, 1813, 1815, 1817, 1819: Tobias Hempel
1816, 1818, 1820, 1822: Christian Gottlieb Haugk
1821, 1823, 1825, 1826: Carl Heinrich Rappius
1824: Christian Heinrich Pinther
1827–1830: Christian Heinrich Mühlmann, Stadtvogt
1830–1832: Franz Adolf Marbach
1832–1860: Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer
1860–1898: Lothar Streit, from 1874 Lord Mayor
1898–1919: Karl Keil
1919–1934: Richard Holz
1934–1945: Ewald Dost
1945: Fritz Weber (acting Lord Mayor)
1945: Georg Ulrich Handke (acting Lord Mayor)
1945–1949: Paul Müller
1949–1954: Otto Assmann
1954–1958: Otto Schneider
1958–1969: Gustav Seifried
1969–1973: Liesbeth Windisch
1973–1977: Helmut Repmann
1977–1990: Heiner Fischer
1990–2001: Rainer Eichhorn
2001–2008: Dietmar Vettermann
2008–2020: Pia Findeiß
2020 until now: Constance Arndt

Sports

Main article: FSV Zwickau

Zwickau has a strong sports tradition, especially in football. The city’s football club, FSV Zwickau, is important to the city. It has been part of Zwickau’s history and brings together many people who love sports. Over the years, the club has helped make Zwickau a lively place for athletes and fans.

Transport

Zwickau is near the A4 and A72 motorways, so it is easy to travel by car. The city has a main train station, Zwickau Hauptbahnhof, on a busy rail line between Dresden and Nuremberg. There are also trains to Leipzig, Karlovy Vary, and Cheb in the Czech Republic. Zwickau has its own tram system, which is a model for other cities. The nearest airports are Leipzig/Halle Airport and Dresden Airport, with many flights to different places.

Museums

In the city centre of Zwickau, there are three interesting museums. Near St. Mary's church, you can find an art museum from the 19th century and the old houses of priests from the 1300s. Nearby is the Robert-Schumann museum, which celebrates the life of the famous composer who was born in Zwickau in 1810. His birthplace, now called the Robert Schumann House, is also a museum dedicated to him.

Another museum, the August Horch Museum Zwickau, tells the story of the Audi and Horch automobile factories. It is an important stop on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. All these museums offer collections about the city's history, art, and natural sciences from the area and the nearby Ore Mountains.

Notable people

Born before 1900

Zwickau was the birthplace of many interesting people. There was Nicholas Storch, a weaver and preacher, and Robert Schumann, a famous composer. Other notable figures include August Horch, an automotive engineer, and Fritz Bleyl, an Expressionist painter.

Born after 1900

Many well-known individuals were also born after 1900. Gerhard Küntscher invented a modern method to treat bone fractures. Gert Fröbe became a famous actor, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf served in a leadership role in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other famous people include footballer Jürgen Croy and athlete Lutz Dombrowski.

Twin towns – sister cities

Zwickau is twinned with several cities around the world. These include Jablonec nad Nisou in the Czech Republic since 1971, Zaanstad in the Netherlands since 1987, Dortmund in Germany since 1988, Volodymyr in Ukraine since 2014, and Yandu (Yancheng) in China since 2014. These partnerships help cities share knowledge and work together.