Sebnitz

Sebnitz

Sebnitz during winter

Coat of arms
Sebnitz

Coordinates: 50°58′N 14°17′E / 50.967°N 14.283°ECoordinates: 50°58′N 14°17′E / 50.967°N 14.283°E
Country Germany
State Saxony
District Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Municipal assoc. Sebnitz
Government
  Mayor Mike Ruckh (CDU)
Area
  Total 88.09 km2 (34.01 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
  Total 9,992
  Density 110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 01851–01855
Dialling codes 035971
Vehicle registration PIR, DW, FTL, SEB
Website www.sebnitz.de
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sebnitz.

Sebnitz (IPA: [zɛpnɪts]) is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.

Geography

The town of Sebnitz lies in the valley of the River Sebnitz and its side valleys between 251 and 460 m above sea level between the mountains of Saxon Switzerland and the Lusatian Highlands. Topographically the town itself lies in the West Lusatian Upland, but lies right on the border with the Upper Lusatian Highlands. Because the natural region of Saxon Switzerland is also very close by, the countryside around the town is very varied. The local hill of Sebnitz is the Tanečnice (Tanzplan) which is on Czech territory.

The municipality consists of the town Sebnitz itself, Schönbach (joined 1935), Hainersdorf (joined 1920), Hertigswalde (joined 1950), Hinterhermsdorf (joined 1998) and the former municipality of Kirnitzschtal (joined 2012), that itself consisted of the villages Altendorf, Mittelndorf, Lichtenhain, Ottendorf and Saupsdorf.

History

Sebnitz was first mentioned in a document of 1223/1241 outlining the borders between the kingdom of Bohemia and the diocese of Meißen. In 1451 it was first mentioned as a town. A new town hall was built in 1714/1715, but was destroyed together with numerous other buildings, among them the school house, in a fire in 1854. Around 1900 Sebnitz became a centre of the manufacture of artificial flowers. From 1952 until 1994 the town was the administrative centre of the district Sebnitz. Sebnitz hosted the Festival "Tag der Sachsen" in 2003.

Transport

Sebnitz railway station is served by the Städtebahn Sachsen which operates a two-hourly service along Saxon Switzerland Ring between Pirna, Neustadt in Sachsen, Sebnitz and Bad Schandau. The Kirnitzschtalbahn, a rural tramway, serves the Lichtenhain Waterfall from Bad Schandau.

References