Geithain

<h2 id="geography">Geography</h2>
<p>Geithain is 30 km (19 mi) northwest of <a href="/facts/Chemnitz/C1z9UDBq">Chemnitz</a> and 40 km (25 mi) southeast of <a href="/facts/Leipzig/KIqgMgLN">Leipzig</a>. It lies in hilly country by the wooded area Wickershain and the <a href="/facts/River_Eula/UmJHc41U">river Eula</a>.
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<h2 id="history">History</h2>
<p>The first documented mention of the town was in the year 1186 in a document, which described the donation of earnings from the Wickershainer Marion Church to the <a href="/facts/Bishop_of_Merseburg/r3D6Bw8f">Bishop of Merseburg</a> through the Duke Dedo III (Lausitz).
</p><p>The name of the town has its origins in the Old Sorbian word "Chytan" (Chyten) and describes the place of Chyten, where "Chyt" (Chit) is a Sorbian first name.
</p><p>In 1209 there was another documented mention of Geithain and the already established Nicolai Church. In this year the establishment of a hospital and a chapel (of St. James) was ordered by Duke Dedo III (1190–1210), the Margrave of Lausitz. Also, although Geithain is described as a town in this document, a charter with the first mayor (Hermanus Hongil<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a>) is first evident for the year 1335. From 1346 cisterns and wooden water conduits were constructed in Geithain, which were used until 1904.
</p><p>Geithain was administered in the Middle Ages by a <a href="/facts/Vogt/EWVEhHtJ">Vogt</a>, who had his seat in the Freihof, first mentioned in 1349. The Geithain powder-tower, today one of the sights of the town, was part of the Freihof and was inserted with this into the town's fortifications.
</p><p>1936 was the 750th anniversary of Geithain. They had a celebration for 3 days around 1 September.
</p><p>In World War II the town had 219 dead. On 13 April 1945 alone 13 people were killed in a single air raid on the town. The target of the low-flying aircraft was the railway station. On 14 April the Second World War ended for Geithain with the arrival of American troops.
</p><p>As of 1 July 2017 <a href="/facts/Narsdorf/KwrQumvg">Narsdorf</a> has been incorporated into Geithain together with its parts Bruchheim, Dölitzsch, Kolka, Narsdorf, Niederpickenhain, Oberpickenhain, Ossa, Rathendorf, and Wenigossa<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
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<h2 id="transport">Transport</h2>
<p>Geithain is located on <a href="/facts/Neukieritzsch%25E2%2580%2593Chemnitz_railway/Nl8oXLw2">Neukieritzsch–Chemnitz</a> and <a href="/facts/Leipzig%25E2%2580%2593Geithain_railway/u3evAjhA">Leipzig–Geithain</a> railway lines, which connect at <a href="/facts/Geithain_railway_station/Y7FYcl6S">Geithain station</a>.
</p><p>In 2013 another section of federal motorway <a href="/facts/Bundesautobahn_72/HV4kDNLa">A 72</a> was opened, also connecting Geithain with exit no 23 and via <a href="/facts/Bundesstra%25C3%259Fe_7/dLcCNf9a">B 7</a>.
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<h2 id="notable-people">Notable people</h2>
<ul><li>Paul Guenther, (1860-1932), German-born American industrialist, emigrated to the US in 1890, in 1910 he was the largest stocking producer in the US</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Henning_Frenzel/YYcqYX4E">Henning Frenzel</a>, (born 1942), former football national player in the GDR</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Benjamin_Hedericus/99tmUfK6">Benjamin Hedericus</a> (1675-1748), lexicographer</li>
<li>Walter Risse, (1892-1965), officer, most recently general lieutenant in the Second World War</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>https://ul.qucosa.de/api/qucosa%3A12858/attachment/ATT-0/ [bare URL] <a href="https://ul.qucosa.de/api/qucosa%3A12858/attachment/ATT-0/" target="_blank">https://ul.qucosa.de/api/qucosa%3A12858/attachment/ATT-0/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"Eingemeindung Narsdorf". Stadt Geithein. Retrieved 24 July 2017. <a href="http://www.geithain.net/index.php/unsere-stadt/ortsteile/narsdorf-vg/1085-eingemeindung-narsdorf" target="_blank">http://www.geithain.net/index.php/unsere-stadt/ortsteile/narsdorf-vg/1085-eingemeindung-narsdorf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Geithain open-in-new

Geithain