Miesbach

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Miesbach is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and is the capital of the Miesbach district. The district is at an altitude of 697 meters above sea level. It covers an area of approximately 863.50 km² of alpine headlands and in 2004 had a population of 93,942. The town is located 50 km southeast of Munich. Lake Schliersee and Lake Tegernsee, around which are the internationally renowned spas, Bad Wiessee, Rottach-Egern and Tegernsee, are nearby. Miesbach was founded around the year 1000 and was for hundreds of years the seat of the County of Hohenwaldeck. In the 19th century it became the center of the conservation movement for the traditional costumes, the Tracht. Miesbach has also a rich history as a pilgrimage and a mining village, which can still be seen in the city landscape.

On September 16th 1882, Miesbach became the starting point for the first long distance transmission of electric power in the world. A 1,343 voltage power transmission line transferred electricity from Miesbach over a distance of 35 miles (57 kilometers) to Munich. The starting point was the technologically advanced Miesbach mine, where electricity was generated using a steam engine. On the receiving end in the Munich Glass Palace, an electric pump powered an artificial waterfall. With this, Oskar von Miller and Marcel Deprez were able to show that electric power could indeed be transferred over long distances.