Zittau

Zittau (, , ) is a city in the south east of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, close to the border tripoint of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. , there are 28,638 people in the city. It is part of the Görlitz district.

The inner city of Zittau still shows its original beauty with many houses out of several areas of German architecture. There is the famous town hall in an Italian style, the church of St. John and the stables (Salzhaus) with its medieval heritage. This multistoried building is one of the oldest of its kind in Germany.

History

During the Counterreformation and after 1620 after the battle at Weisser Berg (White Mountain) a large number of Protestant refugees from Bohemia (böhmische Exulanten) came to Zittau, where the Protestant Saxon rulers took them in. Many of them went on and found refuge in surrounding villages, in Dresden and in Berlin in Brandenburg. Primarily due to near-complete war destruction during the Seven Years' War the once superior well-to do situation is only reflected in few extraordinary buildings and the rich cemeteries of the city.

One of the most important trading goods of this early age in the 16th century was beer. Later in the 18th and 19th century textiles became important too, a tradition common in the region of Upper-Lusatia. During World War II, a labour camp was located in the city. It provided forced labour for Schoenmann Werke, an aircraft parts manufacturer.

After the reunification in 1990 most of the big textile-enterprises that survived the time of the GDR nearly without any changes and any further investment closed down in just a few years. The city lost most of its economical strength. In addition, lignite surface mining was discontinued on the outskirts of the city in the foothills of the Zittau Mountains, while it still goes on across the border in Poland. This, however, has saved parts of the city from sure destruction, yet primarily now dormant military garrisons and schools. The city is also disadvantaged by the cheaper labour from neighbouring countries.

Main sights

Culture

Transportation

Former border crossings

Zittau is located near the tripoint where the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland meet and there are several border checkpoints between the three countries. Immigration and customs checks have however been removed since December 21, 2007, when all three acceded to the Schengen Area.

Germany-Czech Republic

Germany-Poland

Zittau is the only city along the Oder-Neisse line where six existing border bridges connecting Germany and Poland are still closed although both countries are members of the Schengen area.

Natives

References

Category:Germany–Poland border crossings Category:Czech Republic – Germany border crossings