| Hainichen | |
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Hainichen
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Location of the town of Hainichen within Mittelsachsen district
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| Coordinates | |
| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Saxony |
| Admin. region | Chemnitz |
| District | Mittelsachsen |
| Mayor | Dieter Greysinger (SPD) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 51.57 km2 (19.91 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 304 m (997 ft) |
| Population | 8,876 (31 December 2010)[1] |
| - Density | 172 /km2 (446 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | FG |
| Postal code | 09661 |
| Area code | 037207 |
| Website | www.hainichen.de |
Hainichen is a market town in the German Free State of Saxony. It is located on the river Striegis and about 15 miles north-east of Chemnitz. Hainichen has been shaped by its industrial past.
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A first settlement had been mentioned in 1276 as villa forensis Heynichen.
Hainichen used to be a place of considerable industry. Its primary manufacture was once that of flannels, baize, and similar fabrics; at the time it may have been called the centre of this industry in Germany.[2]
The Gellert institution for the poor was established in 1815.[2]
In 1933, a production plant for small delivery vans and minibuses called Framo moved from nearby Frankenberg to Hainchen. Since then, the automotive industry has been the most import employer.
An early concentration camp, Hainichen concentration camp, was established in April 1933 and dissolute in June 1933. During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp was located here, housing female prisoners working for the Framo enterprise.[3]
The former plant of the Framo company was nationalized. The 1960s saw a reingeneering of delivery vans and minibuses under the Barkas B1000 brand. Hainichen became a major producer of parts for these cars.
Production of the B1000 delivery vans and minibuses ceased in 1991.
Typical for a market town in the east of Germany, Hainichen faces a demographic problem.
(from 1960 onwards per 31 December):
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1834 | 4,623 |
| 1933 | 8,047 |
| 1960 | 11,188 |
| 1998 | 10,405 |
| 1999 | 10,266 |
| Year | Population |
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| 2000 | 10,061 |
| 2001 | 9,888 |
| 2002 | 9,744 |
| 2003 | 9,628 |
| 2004 | 9,554 |
| Year | Population |
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| 2005 | 9,502 |
| 2006 | 9,314 |
| 2007 | 9,236 |
| 2008 | 9,131 |
:Source from 1998 onwards: Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen
Hainichen is the birthplace of C.F. Gellert, to whose memory a bronze statue was erected in the marketplace in 1865.
Friedrich Gottlob Keller, the inventor of the groundwood pulp technique, was born in Hainichen.
Hainichen is home of a camera obscura.
Other important sights are the Gellert museum (literature museum), Tuchmacherhaus (clothier museum)and a communal park. Hainichen is surrounded by the beautiful valleys of the river Striegis.
Hainichen has a communal sports centre with a small indoor pool, a communal outdoor swimming pool and a bowling centre. Also, there is a cycling track nearby.
Hainichen is characterised by small and medium-sized businesses. The largest employer is the car parts maker ISE Industries Hainichen GmbH (429 employees in 2005).
Areas of the city include
Hainichen is twinned with:
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