Hohnstein

{{About|the town in Saxon Switzerland|the nearby castle|Hohnstein Castle (Saxon Switzerland)|the ruined castle in the Harz|Hohnstein Castle (Harz)}}

{{Infobox German location

|image_photo = Hohnstein, Saxony (by Pudelek).jpg

|image_caption = General view of the town

|type = Stadt

|image_coa = Wappen Hohnstein.svg

|coordinates = {{coord|50|59|N|14|07|E|format=dms|display=it}}

|image_plan = Hohnstein in PIR.svg

|state = Sachsen

|district = Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge

|elevation = 330

|area = 64.61

|postal_code = 01848

|area_code = 035975

|licence = PIR

|Gemeindeschlüssel = 14628190

|website = [http://www.hohnstein.de/ www.hohnstein.de]

|mayor = Daniel Brade[https://wahlen.sachsen.de/download/Buergermeister/statistik-sachsen_wahlen_buergermeister_uebersicht_aktuell.xlsx Gewählte Bürgermeisterinnen und Bürgermeister im Freistaat Sachsen, Stand: 17. Juli 2022], Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen.

|leader_term = 2022–29

|party =

}}

Hohnstein ({{IPA|de|ˈhoːnˌʃtaɪ̯n|-|De-Hohnstein.ogg}}) is a town located in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony, in eastern Germany. As of 2020, its population numbered a total of 3,262.

Geography

It is situated in Saxon Switzerland, 12 km east of Pirna, and 28 km southeast of Dresden (centre). It is dominated by its castle, standing on a sandstone rock.

The municipal territory includes the villages (Ortsteile) of Cunnersdorf, Ehrenberg, Goßdorf, Lohsdorf, Rathewalde, Ulbersdorf and Waitzdorf.

History

In 1900, the town had a population of 1,321.{{cite book|author= |title=Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon|year=1906|volume=9|location=Leipzig und Wien|page=467}}

During the German invasion of Poland at the start of World War II, in September 1939, the Oflag IV-A prisoner-of-war camp for Polish officers was established at the local castle, and from 1940 it also held French and Belgian officers and orderlies.{{cite book|last1=Megargee|first1=Geoffrey P.|last2=Overmans|first2=Rüdiger|last3=Vogt|first3=Wolfgang|year=2022|title=The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV|publisher=Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum|pages=236, 413|isbn=978-0-253-06089-1}} In 1941, the Oflag IV-A was dissolved, and the Stalag IV-A POW camp was relocated to Hohnstein from Elsterhorst. It held Polish, French, British, Belgian, Serbian, Dutch, Soviet, Italian, American, Slovak, Czech and Bulgarian POWs, and was liberated by the Soviets in April 1945.

Gallery

File:Hohnstein - Burg und Stadt von Osten.JPG|View of the town and the castle.

File:Hohnstein - Blick auf die Stadtkirche - geo-en.hlipp.de - 11321.jpg|Town's church

File:Rathewalde_church.jpg|Church in Rathewalde

File:Amselfall_2014.jpg|The Amsel Falls near Rathewalde

File:Hockstein Schutzhütte.jpg|Shelter on the Hockstein in the Saxon Switzerland National Park

References

External links

Newsreel WK2 from a private archive: http://www.archiv-akh.de/filme#1549 (Material Nr 1966, Time 10:17:28)

{{Cities and towns in Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge (district)}}

Category:Populated places in Saxon Switzerland