Freital history

The documented history begins with the popular Dresdner document from 1206 in which noblemen are mentioned to be named after Potschappel, Döhlen and Wurgwitz. The fact that these are mentioned for the first time in the document is pure coincidence because Potschappel and Wurgwitz had probably existed for several centuries. Freital probably existed since the 9th Century. There is no historical information about the nobility of Potschappel until the year 1309. Although there is information about the Döhlener nobility in 1228 with the appearance of Arnold "de Zukerade" (first naming of Zauckerode). It is most likely that "the Potschappler" could have mixed with the lords of Sürßen and then partially moved to Oberlausitz.

It is possible that this was a race of vassals of the burgrave of Dohna, who was significantly involved in the process of colonialisation in the area of Rabenau and Dippoldiswalde. The lords of Wurgwitz, who belonged to the trustees of Bishop Meißner colonised at the same time at the order of the bishop. According to the Dresdner Urkunde further noblemen have met each other until the 15th Century. Most of the districts of Freital are mentioned for the first time in the 14th or even in the 15th Century.

The history of early modern times of Freital, as it is today, is closely linked with the history of Coal mining in the Döhlen basin, which belongs today to the area of Freital. This was mentioned for the first time in 1549.

The electoral bailiff Hans Biener Moritz received the privilege for coal mining by the Duke of Saxony. It is historically reported that coal had been discovered earlier. Only a few farmers were able to work just below the Earth's surface in order to gather fuel for their own needs. In 1571 coal had been mined for the first time in Burgk and then three years later in Potschappel. When the upper layers of coal declined the shafts were not used anymore.

In 1743 the so-called coal mandate had been passed on which gave landowners the right to mine the coal on their properties. About 30 small businesses were founded until the mid of the 18th Century. Due to small size  and insufficient experience they were not able to compete.

The situation of small businesses improved with the beginning of the Industrialisation. The Kingdom of Saxony wanted to make a good bargain out of this and bought all companies that were placed on the left side of the Weißeritz by the year 1822. Furthermore the Kingdom bought the Leopold-Erbstolln in 1799, the manors Zauckerode and Döhlen in 1806 as well as all privileges to mine in the Potschappler coal fields. Out of the many small businesses a large one had now been created which is the "Royal Saxon coal plant Zauckerode".

On the other side of the Weißeritz businesses merged together in 1819, when Carl Friedrich August Krebß (later baron of Burgk Dathe) became new lord of the manor Burgk. He inherited five mine shafts and bought nearby coal fields. Afterwards he founded the "Baron of Burgker coal and iron works" company.

As a result there was a development in technology and the industry. The upswing was economically so significant that coal-mining around the area of Plauen was technically and organizationally ranked among the best of Germany for several decades roughly until the 1870s. This led to many technical innovations, such as the "wet sieving Set" in 1810 and the first steam engines in 1820.

In 1823 people began to coke the untapped coal in Burgk. In 1828 the first gas was being produced. In 1842 the first Saxon smelting furnace was put into service. It was located in the area of Burgker iron works. Due to technical matters large quantities of water from the pits out, water had to be Structures, said the Tiefe-Weißeritz-Stolln (1800-1838) and the depth Elbstolln (1817-1836).

On 2 August 1869 occurred in Neuhoffnungschacht the Burgker coal plants a firedamp explosion in which 276 miners died. At the blessing of God shaft near the mountain wind recalled a monument.

Foundation of Freital

On October 1st in 1921 the places Deuben, Döhlen and Potschappel joined together and became a town. There had been first thoughts about joining the townships together at the end of the 19th Century. Because of the fact that no name for the new town had been accepted there was a competition for the best name. There were suggestions of names like "Deupodö-Stadt" (by Deuben, Potschappel and Döhlen), or "Dreistadt". The suggestion of the town representative Herman Henker to name the new town "Freital", which means free valley, had in the end been accepted.

1924 was by then the official capital of Dresden-old city belonging Freital.

Since the imperial period, the city developed into the Weimar period into a hotbed of social democracy. In the Weimar Republic was Freital the only city in Saxony with a Socialist mayor, because the Communists are not as strong as in the rest of Saxony were represented. The first mayor Clear Valley was Dr. Carl Wedderkopf. His term of office ran from 1921 until 1927. After he had Gustav Klimpel, also a Social Democrat, this office until 1933. Almost one in ten citizens was a member of the SPD, for a wide range of clubs and leisure activities and Freital caused to a "welfare island", as it is nowhere else in the country was made. From 1933 to 1945, there were numerous resistance nests in Freital and surroundings. By the end of the Nazi era were back almost 3000 people in the SPD, and the SED achieved a clear majority in the first elections. The SED Regime has, however, the memory of that time completely overlaid, it was the SPD 1990 only 10% of the votes. Even by the Work Clubs shaped leisure culture is today in this form nothing more left.

Famous Freital people