Meissen

For porcelain originating in Meissen see the article Meissen porcelain

Meißen
Municipality
Old town of Meissen. Old town of Meissen.
Coat of arms
Location of Meißen
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
Admin. region	Dresden
District	Meißen
Subdivisions	12 Stadtteile/Stadtbezirke
Government
• Lord mayor	Olaf Raschke
Area
• Total	30.90 km2 (11.93 sq mi)
Elevation	106 m (348 ft)
Population  (2005-09-30)
• Total	28,544
• Density	920/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	01654–01662
Dialling codes	03521
Vehicle registration	MEI
Website	www.stadt-meissen.de

Meissen (de: Meißen, Czech: Míšeň) is a town of approximately 30,000 near Dresden on both banks of the Elbe in the Free State of Saxony, in the southern part of eastern Germany. Points of interest are mainly the internationally renowned Meissen porcelain manufactory, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral, the Meissen Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), and the St. Afra high school for gifted children.

History

View of Meissen.

The city of Meissen, located in the Free State of Saxony, in southeastern Germany. It lies on the Elbe River just northwest of Dresden. It grew out of the early Slavic settlement of Misni and was founded as a German town by King Henry the Fowler in 929. In 968 it became the seat of the Margraviate of Meissen, which passed in 1089 to the house of Wettin, electors of Saxony after 1423. Meissen was chartered in 1205, when it was a bastion of the German colonization of the Slavic lands east of the Elbe. Meissen is famous for the manufacture of porcelain (production dates from the early 18th century), based on extensive local deposits of china clay (kaolin) and potter's clay (potter's earth). Meissen porcelain was the first high quality porcelain to be produced outside of China. Other ceramics are also manufactured, and wine is produced. The city is dominated by a group of 13th- and 14th-century Gothic cathedral buildings and by Albrechts Castle.

File:Pic 022.jpg

Map of Meissen, 2005.

In 963, the Diocese of Meissen-Dresden was founded, and Meissen became the episcopal see of a bishop. The bishopric was suppressed in 1581 after the diocese accepted the Reformation (1559), but re-created in 1921 with its seat at Bautzen.

Around 1000, Meissen became a market town, and in 1150 it was officially documented as a city (Stadt).

The construction of the Meissen Cathedral was started in 1260 on the same hill as the castle. This created a lack of space due to which the cathedral is one of the smallest cathedrals in Europe. The cathedral is also known as being one of the most pure examples of Gothic architecture. The first European porcelain was manufactured in Meissen in 1710, when the Royal Porcelain Factory was opened in the Albrechtsburg Castle. Later, in 1861, it was moved to the Triebisch valley of Meissen, where the Porcelain Factory of Meissen can still be found today. During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenburg concentration camp was located in Meissen.

Main sights

With a history dating back more than a thousand years, Meissen has long been known as the "cradle" of Saxony. That the town is worthy of such a name is clearly seen in its buildings - records of stone which bear witness to the different epochs of not only Saxon history but also the history of the Holy Roman Empire with Germany at its centre.

porcelain bells in Meissen.

This is manifest, for example, in the mighty ensemble of Albrechtsburg Castle and Meissen Cathedral on the hill above the town. With the romantic silhouette of the roofs of the Old Town below it, the hill offers a magnificent panorama and has become a favourite subject for photographers from the banks of the Elbe.

In the Middle Ages, the Wettin Princes became the Margraves of Meissen, thus marking the beginning of Saxon history. Albrechtsburg Castle is regarded as being the first castle to be used as a royal residence in the Germanspeaking world; built between 1472 and 1525, it is a fine example of late Gothic style. Today the castle, the former residence of the House of Wettin, is a museum which is just as popular with visitors as the cathedral, whose architecture is pure Gothic and whose Princes' Chapel is one of the most famous burial places of the Wettin family.

Equally imposing is the view from the 57-metre high tower of the Frauenkirche ( Church of Our Lady ), situated in the old market-place. From here, the visitor will be tempted to take a leisurely stroll through the narrow medieval streets, with their quiet squares and steep flights of steps, past century old patrician houses which today accommodate small shops, cafes and wine cellars.

Some of its attractions are:

• The historic district: the area of the city located mostly around the market at the foot of the castle's hill. Its narrow serpentine streets make a picturesque scenery, complemented by several remarkable Renaissance buildings.
• Porzellan - Manufaktur, a world-famous porcelain factory. Visitors can watch how the Meissen porcelain is manufactured, or have a look at the exhibition hall which displays around 3000 selected items, historical and modern.
• Albrechtsburg, the late Gothic castle of Wettins, redecorated in the 19th century with a range of murals depicting Saxon history.

Dom, Meissen 2005, Photography by Jason West.

• Dom, the city cathedral, built in the 13th century in the gothic style. The hill on which the castle and the cathedral are built offers a view over the roofs of the old town.
• Markets and festivals: From spring to autumn, several festivals take place in Meissen, for example the pottery market or the Weinfest, which celebrates the wine harvest.

Meissen wine is produced at the vineyards in the river valley around the town.

See also

• Meissen porcelain
• Heinrich von Meissen, a Middle High German lyric poet
• List of Margraves of Meissen
• Meissen (district)
• Rulers of Saxony
• Saxon Switzerland

Sources and external links

• Giga-Catholic
• Municipal website Template:De icon
• Meissen Porcelain
• History of Meissen Porcelain Works
• Further information on Tourism