121-418: The Dresden–Werdau railway is an electrified, double-track main line in the German state of Saxony . It runs from Dresden via Freiberg , Chemnitz and Zwickau to Werdau wye , where it joins the Leipzig-Hof railway . The line was opened in several sections and its first section from Werdau to Zwickau was opened 1845, making it one of the oldest railways in Germany . The Dresden–Tharandt section
242-550: A bell had to walk in front of the train at Dresdner Platz. Therefore, from January 1903 the Chemnitz–Altchemnitz section was lowered and the section between Altchemnitz and Chemnitz coal yard was raised above street level. In addition, the line was rebuilt with four tracks in these sections. The reconstruction was completed at the end of 1909. Since the Chemnitz–Adorf railway was upgraded to two tracks as far as Einsiedel at
363-831: A coalition of Austria, France and Russia against Prussia. Frederick II of Prussia chose to attack preemptively and invaded Saxony in August 1756, precipitating the Third Silesian War (part of the Seven Years' War ). The Prussians quickly defeated Saxony and incorporated the Saxon army into the Prussian Army . At the end of the Seven Years' War, Saxony recovered its independence in the 1763 Treaty of Hubertusburg . In 1806, French Emperor Napoleon abolished
484-635: A constitution for the Kingdom of Saxony that served as the basis for its government until 1918. During the 1848–49 constitutionalist revolutions in Germany , Saxony became a hotbed of revolutionaries, with anarchists such as Mikhail Bakunin and democrats including Richard Wagner and Gottfried Semper taking part in the May Uprising in Dresden in 1849. (Scenes of Richard Wagner's participation in
605-636: A federalistic and pro-Austrian policy throughout the early 1860s until the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War . During that war, Prussian troops overran Saxony without resistance and then invaded Austrian Bohemia . After the war, Saxony was forced to pay an indemnity and to join the North German Confederation in 1867. Under the terms of the North German Confederation, Prussia took over control of
726-666: A long history as a duchy , an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire (the Electorate of Saxony ), and finally as a kingdom (the Kingdom of Saxony ). In 1918, after Germany's defeat in World War I , its monarchy was overthrown and a republican form of government was established under the current name. The state was broken up into smaller units during communist rule (1949–1989), but was re-established on 3 October 1990 on
847-617: A major change. In addition to the creation of the Dresden-Friedrichstadt station , the construction of a main station ( Hauptbahnhof ) was one of the central elements. The new station located on the site of the Bohemian station was opened in 1898. The trains coming from the Werdau direction now terminated on the low level terminal tracks. Plans for additional new construction elsewhere were not implemented either before or after
968-676: A military train and a passenger train collided at Oederan . Ten people died and six were also injured. In the 1880s, the Chemnitz railway node was no longer able to cope with the increase in traffic, especially freight. In spite of major upgrades at various locations (including the expansion of the Altchemnitz station and the construction of the Kappel freight yard), the construction of a marshalling yard became unavoidable. Finally, various projects were selected, which included construction to
1089-670: A minority of 3.8%. About 0.9% of the Saxons belonged to an Evangelical free church ( Evangelische Freikirche , i.e. various Protestants outside the EKD), 0.3% to Orthodox churches and 1% to other religious communities, while 72.6% did not belong to any public-law religious society. The Moravian Church (see above) still maintains its religious centre in Herrnhut and it is there where 'The Daily Watchwords ' (Losungen) are selected each year which are in use in many churches worldwide. In particular in
1210-699: A rise of 228 metres in 11.6 kilometres. This station was once the starting point of the 750 mm gauge railways of the Wilsdruff Network to Frauenstein and Oberdittmannsdorf . Now begins a section with a number of viaducts. The first viaduct spans the Colmnitzbach in Colmnitz. In Niederbobritzsch, a town in the district of Bobritzsch , the line crosses the Bobritzsch river on a 26-metre-high (85 ft) viaduct. After Muldenhütten station,
1331-722: A separate station was built in Altchemnitz. A link line was built for freight transport, but passengers had to walk about 2 km to Chemnitz station on foot. It was only after the nationalisation of the CAAE in the summer of 1876 that passenger trains were able to run to Chemnitz station. The Stollberg–Chemnitz section of the Zwönitz–Chemnitz Süd railway (also called the Würschnitztalbahn —Würschnitz Valley Railway), which opened on 1 October 1895, also connected with
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#17327754270221452-502: A slope of 1 in 40, sometimes even 1 in 39. In the age of steam, which lasted until the electrification of the line in the mid 1960s, this ramp could only be climbed by the use of locomotives in multiple. This gradient was necessary to climb the Ore Mountain Foreland ( Erzgebirgsvorland ). After Edle Krone station, the line runs through a 122-metre-long tunnel. In Klingenberg Colmnitz, the line reaches 435 m above sea level,
1573-419: A total of 55 minutes between Karl-Marx-Stadt Hbf and Freiberg. After the electrification, the running time was reduced to only 35 minutes. Even more significant reductions in travel time for freight trains resulted from the discontinuation of bank engine operations between Flöha and Oederan. The 1300 tonne Dg 7301 locomotives took 61 minutes on the same section compared with 122 minutes before electrification. In
1694-700: A transhipment station between the standard and narrow-gauge railways. In addition to the locomotive depot and the former freight transport infrastructure, there are several sidings. The station was opened on 28 June 1855 and was raised to the status of a station on 1 October 1874. The station has had four different names in its history: In Freital-Hainsberg is served by services of the S-Bahn line S3 and Regionalbahn line RB30 between Dresden and Zwickau. Freital-Hainsberg West ( 50°58′52″N 13°37′22″E / 50.9810°N 13.6227°E / 50.9810; 13.6227 ) Saxony Saxony , officially
1815-586: A triangular junction (where lines branch off to Dresden-Neustadt ) and turns south past the rail museum in the former Dresden-Altstadt depot. From Dresden-Plauen station it runs to Freital through the narrow valley of the Weißeritz (known as the Plauenscher Grund ) and crosses Autobahn 17 . The standard gauge Windberg Railway ( Windbergbahn ) formerly branched off between Dresden-Plauen and Freital-Potschappel. Just south of Freital-Hainsberg, where
1936-527: Is a significant Buddhist community, which mainly caters to the population of Vietnamese origin, with one Buddhist temple built in 2008 and another one currently under construction. The Sikh faith also maintains a presence in Saxony's three largest cities with three (though small) Gurdwara . The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the state was 124.6 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 3.7% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power
2057-512: Is a station in the city of Chemnitz in the German state of Saxony . The station used to have a greater significance in freight transport in particular. It is located at the Dresden–Werdau railway as a halt and at the Chemnitz–Adorf railway as a railway station where the Zwönitz–Chemnitz Süd railway branches off. The station had three different names during its existence: The station
2178-507: Is being refurbished and refilled. The federal government and Deutsche Bahn AG have set aside a total of around €95 million for these measures. The new construction and the reconstruction are to be carried out with rail operations continuing on a single track. The planning approval procedure was initiated in September 2015. If this can be completed by 2018, construction may start by 2019. The route leaves Dresden Hauptbahnhof and runs to
2299-558: Is exercised through the Domowina . Former Minister President Stanislaw Tillich is of Sorbian ancestry and has been the first leader of a German state from a national minority. As of 2011, 72.6% of people are not affiliated with any religion. The Protestant Church in Germany represents the largest Christian denomination in the state, adhered to by 21.4% of the population. Members of the Roman Catholic Church formed
2420-435: Is located just across the border of Saxony-Anhalt . Leipzig shares, for instance, an S-train system (known as S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland ) and an airport with Halle. Saxony is a parliamentary democracy. A Minister President heads the government of Saxony. Michael Kretschmer has been Minister President since 13 December 2017. Gisela Reetz Ines Fröhlich Gesine Märtens Conrad Clemens Authorized representative of
2541-508: Is now closed. After connecting with two lines from the north, the line from Riesa and the line from Leipzig , the Dresden–Werdau line reaches Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof. After the station, the railway line runs along a wide curve south of the city centre as a direct route through the centre was not possible at the time of the construction. At Chemnitz Süd (south), a line branches off to Aue and to Stollberg . The Dresden–Werdau line turns to
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#17327754270222662-526: Is planning to rebuild three rail overpasses in Plauen from 2016 to 2018 and to rebuild Dresden-Plauen station in a different location. The new station will be barrier-free and have a lift. Concrete plans have not yet been completed. Deutsche Bahn AG is also planning to modernise the Chemnitzer Bahnbogen ("Chemnitz railway arc"), a 2.8 kilometre-long section of the Dresden–Werdau railway in
2783-519: Is the lowest with 1.49. Dresden's fertility rate of 1.58 is the highest of all German cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants. Saxony is home to the Sorbs . There are currently between 45,000 and 60,000 Sorbs living in Saxony (Upper Lusatia region). Today's Sorb minority is the remainder of the Slavic population that settled throughout Saxony in the early Middle Ages and over time slowly assimilated into
2904-597: Is the modern ethnic group of Sorbs in Saxony. Eastern and western parts of present Saxony were ruled by Bohemia at various times between 1075 and 1635 (with some intermissions), and Schirgiswalde (Upper Sorbian: Šěrachów ; Czech : Šerachov ) remained a Bohemian exclave until 1809. Eastern parts were also ruled by Poland between 1002 and 1032, by the Duchy of Jawor , the southwesternmost duchy of fragmented Piast -ruled Poland, from 1319 to 1346, and by Hungary from 1469 to 1490, and Pechern (Upper Sorbian: Pěchč )
3025-704: Is thought to have begun in the first century BC. Parts of Saxony were possibly under the control of the Germanic King Marobod during the Roman era. By the late Roman period, several tribes known as the Saxons emerged, from which the subsequent state(s) draw their name. The territory of modern day Saxony and partly of Thuringia since the late 6th century became populated by Polabian Slavs (most prominently tribe of Sorbs ), being conquered by Francia which organized Sorbian March . A legacy of this period
3146-663: The Landesdirektion Sachsen [ de ] . Saxony is a densely populated state if compared with more rural German states such as Bavaria or Lower Saxony . However, the population has declined over time. The population of Saxony began declining in the 1950s due to emigration, a process which accelerated after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. After bottoming out in 2013, the population has stabilized due to increased immigration and higher fertility rates. The cities of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, and
3267-711: The 750 mm gauge Weisseritz Valley Railway begins, the line passes the confluence of the Weißeritz 's tributaries: the Red Weißeritz and the Wild Weißeritz . The line follows the Wild Weißeritz through Tharandt to Edle Krone. To the west lies the Tharandt Forest . The line is used by S-Bahn line S3 as far as Tharandt. Starting in Tharandt the line is extremely steep for a main line, with
3388-468: The Bundestag . Saxony is divided into 10 districts: 1. Bautzen (BZ) 2. Erzgebirgskreis (ERZ) 3. Görlitz (GR) 4. Leipzig (L) 5. Meissen (MEI) (Meissen) 6. Mittelsachsen (FG) 7. Nordsachsen (TDO) 8. Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge (PIR) 9. Vogtlandkreis (V) 10. Zwickau (Z) In addition, three cities have
3509-540: The Cottbus Bezirk . The Free State of Saxony was reconstituted with slightly altered borders in 1990, following German reunification . Besides the formerly Silesian area of Saxony, which was mostly included in the territory of the new Saxony, the free state gained further areas north of Leipzig that had belonged to Saxony-Anhalt until 1952. The highest mountain in Saxony is the Fichtelberg (1,215 m) in
3630-582: The Duchy of Magdeburg , the Altmark and some smaller territories to become the Prussian Province of Saxony , a predecessor of the modern state of Saxony-Anhalt . Lower Lusatia and part of the former Saxe-Wittenberg territory became part of the Province of Brandenburg and the northeastern part of Upper Lusatia became part of the Province of Silesia . The rump Kingdom of Saxony had roughly
3751-522: The Free State of Saxony , is a landlocked state of Germany , bordering the states of Brandenburg , Saxony-Anhalt , Thuringia , and Bavaria , as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic . Its capital is Dresden , and its largest city is Leipzig . Saxony is the tenth largest of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of 18,413 square kilometres (7,109 sq mi), and
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3872-864: The Guelph dynasty, descendants of Wulfhild Billung, eldest daughter of the last Billung duke, and the daughter of Lothar of Supplinburg. In 1180 large portions west of the Weser were ceded to the Bishops of Cologne , while some central parts between the Weser and the Elbe remained with the Guelphs, becoming later the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg . The remaining eastern lands, together with the title of Duke of Saxony, passed to an Ascanian dynasty (descended from Eilika Billung , Wulfhild's younger sister) and were divided in 1260 into
3993-462: The Holy Roman Empire and established the Electorate of Saxony as a kingdom in exchange for military support. The Elector Frederick Augustus III accordingly became King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony . Frederick Augustus remained loyal to Napoleon during the wars that swept Europe in the following years; he was taken prisoner and his territories were declared forfeit by the allies in 1813, after
4114-641: The Holy Roman Empire by the 10th century, when the dukes of Saxony were also kings (or emperors) of the Holy Roman Empire, comprising the Ottonian , or Saxon, dynasty. The Margravate of Meissen was founded in 985 as a frontier march , that soon extended to the Kwisa (Queis) river to the east and as far as the Ore Mountains. In the process of Ostsiedlung , settlement of German farmers in
4235-605: The Leipzig–Hof railway , that is both to Leipzig via Werdau and to Hof and Nuremberg via Reichenbach. The line ends here, 135.96 km from Dresden. Dresden Albertbahnhof ( 51°02′55″N 13°42′55″E / 51.0486°N 13.7152°E / 51.0486; 13.7152 ) The line originally started at the Albertbahnhof (Albert station) of the Albertsbahn AG (company). After its nationalisation,
4356-528: The Nossen–Moldava (Moldau) line , which was restored to operation on 5 November 2005. That line branches off to the west of Freiberg station and runs north to Nossen . At this junction, the Dresden–Werdau line passes under federal highway 173 for the first time. About 1.5 km east of Frankenstein station, in Wegefahrt, the line runs across one of the most impressive railway viaducts of the 19th century,
4477-596: The Oder-Neisse line was annexed by Poland and the Soviet Union, and, unlike in the aftermath of World War I , the annexing powers were allowed to expel the inhabitants. During the following three years, Poland and Czechoslovakia expelled German-speaking people from their territories, and some of these expellees came to Saxony. Only a small area of Saxony lying east of the Neisse River and centred around
4598-587: The Schiefe Ebene and the Geislinger Steige . The line was opened to Freiberg on 11 August 1862. The route of the missing section between Freiberg and Chemnitz was more controversial. A connection through Hainichen had long been favoured. Ultimately, it was decided to build the shorter but more expensive route through Oederan, which had a steep ramp section and required the construction of several large viaducts. Between Flöha and Chemnitz,
4719-628: The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). The new minister-president Rudolf Friedrichs (SED), had been a member of the SPD until April 1946. He met his Bavarian counterparts in the U.S. zone of occupation in October 1946 and May 1947, but died suddenly in mysterious circumstances the following month. He was succeeded by Max Seydewitz , a loyal follower of Joseph Stalin . The German Democratic Republic (East Germany), including Saxony,
4840-609: The Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SVAG) merged this territory into Saxony. This former Silesian territory broadly corresponded with the Upper Lusatian territory annexed by Prussia in 1815. On 20 October 1946, SVAG organised elections for the Saxon state parliament ( Landtag ), but many people were arbitrarily excluded from candidacy and suffrage, and the Soviet Union openly supported
4961-553: The Soviet Union . All the rail operations now took place on track 1, which had originally been built as a separate link to Freital-Potschappel station. The Höllenmaul was filled in 1984 and completely demolished during the upgrade of this section of the Dresden–Werdau railway in 2003. The points at Freital-Ost junction were abolished in 2003. Freital-Potschappel ( 51°00′48″N 13°39′41″E / 51.0133°N 13.6615°E / 51.0133; 13.6615 ) Of
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5082-468: The Wehrmacht . However, in 1946, the line was completely dismantled down to one track and numerous platform tracks were dismantled as war reparations . As the ability of the important line to handle traffic was considerably reduced, the second track was restored on some sections in Dresden and Chemnitz by the early 1950s. The second track was restored on the bulk of the route in the 1960s and 1970s, but it
5203-477: The Weißeritz and more than 15 km of the line was completely destroyed. The section had previously been extensively renovated and was due to be returned to service on 13 August 2002. Between Klingenberg-Colmnitz and Dresden, rail replacement bus services were established and long-distance traffic on the Chemnitz–Dresden section was only served by replacement buses. From the autumn of 2003, Tharandt station
5324-419: The Western Ore Mountains . There are numerous rivers in Saxony. The Elbe is the most dominant one. The Neisse defines the border between Saxony and Poland. Other rivers include the Mulde and the White Elster . The largest cities and towns in Saxony according to the 31 July 2022 estimate are listed below. Leipzig forms a conurbation with Halle , known as Ballungsraum Leipzig/Halle . The latter city
5445-412: The sixth most populous , with more than 4 million inhabitants. The term Saxony has been in use for more than a millennium. It was used for the medieval Duchy of Saxony , the Electorate of Saxony of the Holy Roman Empire , the Kingdom of Saxony , and twice for a republic. The first Free State of Saxony was established in 1918 as a constituent state of the Weimar Republic . After World War II , it
5566-452: The 19th century. In 1876 it was absorbed into Prussia as the Duchy of Lauenburg district of the Province of Schleswig-Holstein ). Saxe-Wittenberg, mostly in modern Saxony-Anhalt , became subject to the margravate of Meissen , ruled by the Wettin dynasty in 1423. This established a new and powerful state, occupying large portions of the present Free State of Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Bavaria (Coburg and its environs). Although
5687-445: The 348.5-metre-long (1,143 ft) and 39-metre-high (128 ft) Frankenstein viaduct, which crosses the valley of the Striegis. Shortly before Oederan the line passes under highway 173 again. Before Flöha the line connects with the branch line from Marienberg and Olbernhau . Until 1991, the line crossed the Flöha river on the old Hetzdorf Viaduct ; it now runs along a new section with two prestressed concrete viaducts. After passing
5808-408: The Dresden–Freital section was similar to that in Chemnitz; the growing road and rail traffic caused more and more problems. Therefore, from 1901 to 1905, the railway was also raised higher, in order to eliminate the level crossings. Around 1910, the tracks on the Dresden Hbf – Dresden-Plauen section and from 1909 to 1912 on the Freital Ost junction– Tharandt section were quadrupled. At the same time,
5929-468: The Dresden–Werdau, Leipzig–Dresden and Leipzig–Zwickau lines) was one of the most important investment projects of Deutsche Reichsbahn . In addition to significant cost savings in railway operations, this also promised a significant reduction in travel times, particularly as the use of bank engines on the steep slopes on the Tharandt-Klingenberg–Colmnitz and Flöha–Oederan sections would no longer be necessary with electric traction. Construction work for
6050-436: The Free State of Saxony under a new constitution enacted on 1 November 1920. In October 1923, when the Communist Party of Germany entered the Social Democratic -led government in Dresden with hidden revolutionary intentions , the Reich government under Chancellor Gustav Stresemann used a Reichsexekution to send troops into Saxony to remove the Communists from the government. The state retained its name and borders during
6171-476: The German speaking society. Many geographic names in Saxony are of Sorbic origin (including the three largest cities Chemnitz , Dresden and Leipzig ). The Sorbic language and culture are protected by special laws and cities and villages in eastern Saxony that are inhabited by a significant number of Sorbian inhabitants have bilingual street signs and administrative offices provide service in both, German and Sorbian. The Sorbs enjoy cultural self-administration which
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#17327754270226292-399: The May 1849 uprising in Dresden are depicted in the 1983 movie Wagner starring Richard Burton as Richard Wagner.) The May uprising in Dresden forced King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to concede further reforms to the Saxon government. In 1854 Frederick Augustus II's brother, King John of Saxony , succeeded to the throne. A scholar, King John translated Dante . King John followed
6413-497: The Nazi era as a Gau ( Gau Saxony ), but lost its quasi-autonomous status and its parliamentary democracy. During World War II , under the secret Nazi programme Aktion T4 , an estimated 15,000 people suffering from mental and physical disabilities, as well as a number of concentration camp inmates, were murdered at Sonnenstein killing centre near Pirna . Numerous subcamps of the Buchenwald , Flossenburg and Gross-Rosen concentration camps were operated in Saxony. As
6534-411: The Saxon coat of arms, in many towns of Thuringia, the coat of arms can still be found in historical buildings. The remaining Saxon state became still more powerful, receiving Upper and Lower Lusatia in the Peace of Prague (1635) . It also became known in the 18th century for its cultural achievements, although it was politically weaker than Prussia and Austria , states which oppressed Saxony from
6655-449: The Saxon electoral line of the Ascanians became extinct, the Ascanian Eric V of Saxe-Lauenburg tried to reunite the Saxon duchies. However, Sigismund , King of the Romans , had already granted Margrave Frederick IV the Warlike of Meissen ( House of Wettin ) an expectancy of the Saxon electorate in order to remunerate his military support. On 1 August 1425 Sigismund enfeoffed the Wettinian Frederick as Prince-Elector of Saxony, despite
6776-402: The Saxon postal system, railroads, military and foreign affairs. In the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Saxon troops fought together with Prussian and other German troops against France. In 1871, Saxony joined the newly formed German Empire . After King Frederick Augustus III of Saxony abdicated on 13 November 1918, Saxony, remaining a constituent state of Germany ( Weimar Republic ), became
6897-413: The Second World War. Dresden-Plauen ( 51°01′47″N 13°42′12″E / 51.0296°N 13.7032°E / 51.0296; 13.7032 ) Plauen bei Dresden ("Plauen near Dresden") halt was opened on 18 June 1855 together with the Albertsbahn (Albert Railway) and was located to the left (south-east) of the railway. In 1897, the so-called Alte Bahnhof ("old station") Plauen was opened with
7018-519: The centre of this state was far to the southeast of the former Saxony, it came to be referred to as Upper Saxony and then simply Saxony , while the former Saxon territories in the north were now known as Lower Saxony (the modern term Niedersachsen deriving from this). In 1485, Saxony was split in the Treaty of Leipzig . A collateral line of the Wettin princes received what later became Thuringia and founded several small states there (see Ernestine duchies ). Since these princes were allowed to use
7139-527: The city of Chemnitz, probably from 2019 to 2022. The planned measures include, among other things, the reconstruction of Chemnitz Süd station , the relocation of Chemnitz Mitte station to a new station at Stollberger Strasse and the reconstruction of tracks, overhead lines, retaining walls and five railway overbridges. In addition to the Chemnitz Viaduct , the bridges included are the crossings of Augustusburger Straße, Bernsdorfer Straße, Reichenhainer Straße and Stollberger Straße. The railway viaduct in Reichsstraße
7260-436: The close political and cultural relationship persisted well into the 19th century, with Saxony being the place of preparations for the Polish Kościuszko Uprising against the partitioning powers, and one of the chief destinations for Polish refugees from partitioned Poland, including the artistic and political elite, such as composer Frédéric Chopin , war hero Józef Bem and writer Adam Mickiewicz . In 1756, Saxony joined
7381-437: The defeat of Napoleon. Prussia intended the annexation of Saxony but the opposition of Austria , France, and the United Kingdom to this plan resulted in the restoration of Frederick Augustus to his throne at the Congress of Vienna although he was forced to cede the northern part of the kingdom to Prussia, which led to the loss of nearly 60% of the Saxon territory, and 40% of its population. Most of these lands were merged with
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#17327754270227502-424: The electric catenary started in the early 1960s. The construction of the facilities between Freiberg and Werdau was relatively unproblematic. However, the electrification between Dresden and Freiberg, especially around Edle Krone, was more difficult because restricted clearances hindered the construction of the catenary. The most important building project in this section was the widening of the Edle Krone tunnel, since
7623-647: The elevation of the line and its quadruplication after 1900. In 1913, a narrow-gauge connecting track was established, which was used for freight transport and the exchange of rolling stock with the Weißeritz Valley Railway ( Weißeritztalbahn ). The narrow-gauge line towards Wilsdruff was shut down in 1972, since which the maintenance of Weißeritz Valley Railway rolling stock has only been carried out in Freital-Potschappel. Freital-Deuben ( 50°59′57″N 13°38′47″E / 50.9993°N 13.6465°E / 50.9993; 13.6465 The halt has had three different names during its period of operations: The halt
7744-420: The end of the 1930s. Further construction began during the Second World War, but it could not be finished due to personnel and material shortages. While large sections of the railway largely survived World War II, numerous railway installations were severely damaged or completely destroyed, especially in the Dresden, Chemnitz and Zwickau areas. In contrast to other lines, however, no major bridges were blown up by
7865-400: The existing main Dresden–Werdau line were not pursued. Instead of a proposal that had gained favour that included a complicated southern detour with three tunnels that were each about 1 km-long, an upgrade of the existing marshalling yard was carried out. Despite this reconstruction, which was completed in 1930, Chemnitz station remained an intractable bottleneck. In 1900, the situation on
7986-418: The former Block post of Freital-Ost junction on the Dresden–Werdau railway. From 1912, the line branched off the main line to the right and ran parallel with the freight line to Tharandt and then crossed it at the so-called Höllenmaul ("hell's mouth"). A further railway connection to Freital Ost station only served freight traffic. In 1946, Deutsche Reichsbahn dismantled both branches as war reparations to
8107-403: The free state Saxony to the federal government of Germany In the 2024 European Parliament election , AfD received the highest percentage of votes in Saxony, winning 31.8% of the ballots. The other states where AfD has become the strongest party are Thuringia , Saxony-Anhalt , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , and Brandenburg . These four states were part of East Germany like Saxony. Compared to
8228-427: The goods sheds and the old entrance building. The new entrance building and the platforms were only slightly damaged. After 40 years of operation, the two services were recombined in Karl-Marx-Stadt Süd station on 1 June 1960. Due to the economic impact of Die Wende and the associated decline in traffic, the significance of the station decreased. Thus no rolling stock maintenance has been carried out since 1995 and
8349-424: The junction with the Marienberg branch line and another line from Annaberg-Buchholz, the line reaches the town of Flöha and then crosses the Zschopau river . Niederwiesa, the second last stop before Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof for regional trains, is the beginning of a branch line to Hainichen. Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf station used to be the site of an important rail depot and one of the largest marshalling yards in Saxony; it
8470-428: The larger cities, there are numerous smaller religious communities. The international Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a presence in the Freiberg Germany Temple which was the first of its kind in Germany, opened in 1985 even before its counterpart in Western Germany. It now also serves as a religious center for the church members in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia , and Hungary . In Leipzig, there
8591-458: The last election, AfD increased their votes in Saxony which was 25.3% in the 2019 European Parliament election . CDU/CSU received 21.8% of the votes in Saxony and became the second strongest party in the 2024 EP election. BSW was in the third place by receiving 12.6% of the votes. The Left lost a significant proportion of their votes compared to the 2019 election. Their votes regressed from 11.7% to 4.9%. Saxony has 16 constituencies for
8712-526: The line crosses the 196 metres-long and 42.8 metres high viaduct over the Freiberger Mulde . At the 40.0 km mark the line reaches Freiberg station. It was formerly a major rail hub, but it is now only the end point for Dresden S-Bahn line S30 peak-hour services and the starting point of the branch line to Holzhau. The line to Holzhau together with the Zellwaldbahn (Zellwald Railway) form
8833-533: The line passes under highway B 180 to reach St. Egidien station, where another line to Stollberg starts. At Glauchau, the Glauchau–Wurzen railway ( Mulde Valley Railway) used to branch off, but almost all of it is now closed. At the next station, Glauchau-Schönbörnchen, the line to Gößnitz branches off. The line now turns south and follows the course of the Zwickauer Mulde . The line passes through
8954-686: The line used the route of the Chemnitz–Annaberg railway , which had opened in 1866, and only the installation of a second track was necessary. On 1 April 1869 the Freiberg–Chemnitz section was opened, so that for the first time a connection existed between the eastern and the Western Royal Saxon State Railways in Saxony. As a result, the now completed Dresden–Werdau railway became an important rail link between Silesia and Southern Germany . On 19 September 1895,
9075-580: The line was integrated into the Dresdner Böhmischen Bahnhof (Dresden Bohemian station, the current main station ). Since the spring of 1869, all passenger trains have run from the Bohemian station. From then on, the Albertbahnhof served as a so-called Kohlenbahnhof (coal station) for freight transport only, so that, for example, approximately 500,000 tonnes of coal were handled there annually in around 1900. Gradually, however,
9196-415: The lowering of the tracks was impossible because of bridges connecting directly to the tunnel. Many catenary masts had to be constructed as special constructions with catenary supports over both tracks. The overhead was opened between 1963 and 1966 in sections starting from Werdau: The possible travel time reductions were put into full effect in the winter 1966/67 timetable. Steam-driven express trains needed
9317-524: The mid-1980s, the Hetzdorf Viaduct over the Flöha valley in the distinct of Mittelsachsen , which dated from the opening of that section of the line, had reached the end of its service life. In the final years, crossing the viaduct was only possible at a top speed of 20 km/h, which greatly restricted the section's capacity. Deutsche Reichsbahn eventually designed a straightened route bypassing
9438-486: The modern German states of Bremen , Hamburg , Lower Saxony , North Rhine-Westphalia , Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt . Saxons converted to Christianity during this period, with Charlemagne outlawing pagan practices. This geographical region is unrelated to present-day Saxony but the name moved southwards due to certain historical events (see below). The territory of the Free State of Saxony became part of
9559-472: The modern German states of Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and the Westphalian portion of North Rhine-Westphalia . Historically the region of Saxony has sometimes been referred to as Upper Saxony or Obersachsen in German to distinguish it from Lower Saxony. The state is also home to a minority of Sorbs , a West Slavic ethnic group native to the area, numbering an estimated 80,000 people. Saxony has
9680-472: The modern Werdau wye ( Werdau Bogendreieck ) junction to Zwickau . The start of planning for a long-distance railway from Dresden towards Bavaria was the request of mine owners in the Plauen Valley ( Plauenscher Grund ) of the Weißeritz river for a line to connect their coal mines with Dresden. The request was granted and, on 4 May 1853, the easternmost section of the line from Dresden to Tharandt
9801-511: The name with the old Saxon stem duchy for historical and dynastic reasons rather than any significant ethnic, linguistic or cultural connection. In the 18th and 19th centuries Saxe-Lauenburg was colloquially called the Duchy of Lauenburg , which was held in a personal union by the Electorate of Hanover from the 18th century to the Napoleonic wars, and in a personal union with Denmark (along with neighbouring Holstein and Schleswig ) for much
9922-565: The north and south, respectively. Between 1697 and 1763, two successive Electors of Saxony were also elected Kings of Poland in personal union . Many landmarks in Saxony date from this period and contain remnants of the former close Polish-Saxon relation, such as the coat of arms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on the facades and in the interiors of palaces, churches, edifices, etc. (e.g. Zwinger , Dresden Cathedral , Moritzburg Castle ), and on numerous mileposts, and
10043-546: The old viaduct. The new bridge consists of two prestressed concrete bridges, each 344 metres long, that cross the Hetzbach and Flöha valleys. The construction company VEB Autobahnbaukombinat (" Publicly Owned Operation for motorway construction combine") built the bridges from 1987 onwards using the incremental launch method, for the first time during the construction of a railway bridge in East Germany . The new line
10164-402: The original railway companies had built its own station in Dresden, there was originally no central station was for the transfer of passengers. Nevertheless, passenger trains running towards Werdau started to run from the Bohemian station in 1869, which became increasingly the city's busiest station. When the railway facilities became completely overloaded in the early 1890s, it was decided to make
10285-480: The protests of Eric V. Thus the Saxon territories remained permanently separated. The Electorate of Saxony was then merged with the much larger Wettinian Margraviate of Meissen ; however, it used the higher-ranking title Electorate of Saxony and even the Ascanian coat-of-arms for the entire monarchy. Thus Saxony came to include Dresden and Meissen . Hence, the territory of the modern Free State of Saxony shares
10406-406: The reunification of East and West Germany . In prehistoric times, the territory of present-day Saxony was the site of some of the largest of the ancient central European monumental temples , dating from the fifth century BC. Notable archaeological sites have been discovered in Dresden and the villages of Eythra and Zwenkau near Leipzig. The Germanic presence in the territory of today's Saxony
10527-642: The same extent as the present state, albeit slightly smaller. Meanwhile, in 1815, the Kingdom of Saxony joined the German Confederation . In the politics of the Confederation, Saxony was overshadowed by Prussia and Austria. King Anthony of Saxony came to the throne of Saxony in 1827. Shortly thereafter, liberal pressures in Saxony mounted and broke out in revolt during 1830—a year of revolution in Europe. The revolution in Saxony resulted in
10648-653: The same time, six tracks were now located next to each other on the section between Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof and Chemnitz Süd. Traffic continued to increase after the end of the First World War. Therefore, quadruplication of the Niederwiesa–Chemnitz–Hilbersdorf section was started in 1915 and finally completed in 1924. Since the Hilbersdorf marshalling yard was inadequate, possible solutions were sought. Proposals for another line south or north of
10769-636: The separation of the freight facility from the Chemnitz Süd station because the station's rail traffic had continued to increase. In 1924, the freight infrastructure was once again extensively expanded. This resulted in the creation of a new freight shed with eight slanted terminal tracks called "teeth". At the end of the Second World War, large sections of both the passenger and freight areas were destroyed in Allied air raids in 1945, including
10890-429: The six Freital stations, Freital-Potschappel station is the most important. The Niederhermsdorfer Kohlezweigbahn ("Niederhermsdorf coal branch railway") branched off here to two coal shafts from 1856 onwards. Its route was used in the construction of the 750 mm gauge Potschappel–Wilsdruff railway opened in 1886. Extensive goods and transhipment facilities were built In Potschappel, which were further expanded during
11011-578: The so-called Saxon-Franconian trunk line ( German : Sachsen-Franken-Magistrale ) from Dresden to Nuremberg . The modern Dresden–Werdau line developed from a series of originally independent sections that were built with the support of the Saxon government and eventually became part of the Royal Saxon State Railways . The first section opened on 6 September 1845, as a branch from the Saxon-Bavarian Railway at
11132-416: The south of the existing workshops. At the same time, the Dresden–Werdau railway was moved north of the workshops. Construction began in 1896, and the marshalling yard was opened in 1902. Around the turn of the century, road traffic in the city of Chemnitz was growing. As the rail traffic also increased, the numerous level crossings became more and more of a problem. A railway attendant with a warning flag and
11253-484: The sparsely populated area was promoted. Around this time, the Billungs , a Saxon noble family, received extensive lands in Saxony. The emperor eventually gave them the title of dukes of Saxony . After Duke Magnus died in 1106, causing the extinction of the male line of Billungs, oversight of the duchy was given to Lothar of Supplinburg , who also became emperor for a short time. In 1137, control of Saxony passed to
11374-518: The station and the station's traffic increased significantly. Since the numerous level crossings between the Chemnitz and Kappel stations were an ever-increasing obstacle to traffic, between 1903 and 1909 the route of the line was significantly changed and parts of the line was lowered or raised. In this context, the old passenger platforms near line-kilometre 2.47 of the Chemnitz-Adorf railway were removed and new passenger infrastructure
11495-614: The station building located near the right-hand side of the current tracks. Since the station was located quite poorly for the population of Dresden-Plauen, which had now grown to 12,000 people, a new station was opened about 800 m further north in January 1926 and the old station was closed. This halt, opened in 1926, is to be renovated by the middle of 2018. Freital-Ost (“Freital east”) junction ( 51°00′58″N 13°40′27″E / 51.016001°N 13.674150°E / 51.016001; 13.674150 ) The Windberg Railway starts at
11616-512: The station facilities were rebuilt. From then on the freight traffic could be separated from the passenger traffic. Because of the First World War, work on a 3 km-long section in between was not carried out beyond preparatory work. The elevation of the tracks took place between 1923 and 1926 on the section between the Dresden-Altstadt exit and Weißeritzbrücke in the vicinity of old Dresden-Plauen station. The old Dresden-Plauen station
11737-676: The station lost its importance, although in the 1960s, the construction and operation of the Nossenerbrücke cogeneration power station led to a stabilisation of transshipment volumes. After 1990, freight traffic collapsed completely, with the only major transport activity recorded during the construction of the Dresden World Trade Center. All the rail infrastructure has been demolished. Dresden Hbf ( 51°02′25″N 13°43′53″E / 51.0403°N 13.7313°E / 51.0403; 13.7313 ) As each of
11858-509: The station. When Interregio-Express services ran, they also stopped there. With the abandonment of the use of tilting , stopping at the station was abandoned in order to save time. Freital-Hainsberg ( 50°59′20″N 13°38′13″E / 50.9890°N 13.6370°E / 50.9890; 13.6370 ) Freital-Hainsberg station has been the terminus of the narrow-gauge Weißeritz Valley Railway since 1 November 1882. Its present appearance dates from its reconstruction in 1903 to 1912 as
11979-422: The status of an urban district ( German : kreisfreie Städte ): Between 1990 and 2008, Saxony was divided into the three regions ( Regierungsbezirke ) of Chemnitz , Dresden , and Leipzig . After the 2008 Saxony district reform , these regions – with some alterations of their respective areas – were called Direktionsbezirke . In 2012, the authorities of these regions were merged into one central authority,
12100-584: The steep slopes between Tharandt and Freiberg were insuperable. Ultimately, a route was selected along the Seerenbach Valley to Klingenberg with a maximum gradient of 1 in 40. Several large viaducts had to be built across the successive valleys of the Colmnitzbach , Bobritzsch and Freiberger Mulde rivers. By the time construction of this line started in 1859, rail engineers had acquired experience with steep haul operations on such inclines as
12221-471: The town of Reichenau (Bogatynia) was annexed by Poland. Traditional close relations of Saxony with neighbouring German-speaking Egerland were thus completely destroyed, making the border of Saxony along the Ore Mountains a linguistic border. Part of the former Prussian province of Lower Silesia lay west of the Oder-Neisse line and therefore was separated from the bulk of its former province;
12342-406: The town of Mosel, which is the location of a Volkswagen factory, and crosses the four-lane federal highway B 93 (and B 175). After 128 km the line finally reaches Zwickau Hauptbahnhof . The line continues past the disused Zwickau marshalling yard for about five km west to Werdau wye ( Werdau Bogendreieck ) junction, which enables trains leaving Zwickau to run forward in either direction on
12463-469: The towns of Radebeul and Markkleeberg in their vicinity, have seen their populations increase since 2000. The following tables illustrate the foreign resident populations and the population of Saxony from 1816 to 2022: The average number of children per woman in Saxony was 1.60 in 2018, the fourth-highest rate of all German states. Within Saxony, the highest is the Bautzen district with 1.77, while Leipzig
12584-491: The two small states of Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg . The former state was also named Lower Saxony , the latter Upper Saxony , thence the later names of the two Imperial Circles Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg. Both claimed the Saxon electoral privilege for themselves, but the Golden Bull of 1356 accepted only Wittenberg's claim, with Lauenburg nevertheless continuing to maintain its claim. In 1422, when
12705-785: The war drew to its end, U.S. troops under General George Patton occupied the western part of Saxony in April 1945, while Soviet troops occupied the eastern part. That summer, the entire state was handed over to Soviet forces as agreed in the London Protocol of September 1944 . Britain, the US, and the USSR then negotiated Germany's future at the Potsdam Conference . Under the Potsdam Agreement , all German territory East of
12826-493: The west, running through the suburbs of Chemnitz and then starts to leave the wide basin of the Chemnitz river . Before Chemnitz-Siegmar, the line passes under the A 72 . During the time of East Germany , the area west of Chemnitz was in the county of Hohenstein-Ernstthal, which was the most densely populated county in that country. Accordingly, the density of stations in the region is unusually high. After Hohenstein-Ernstthal ,
12947-562: Was 28,100 euros or 93% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 85% of the EU average. The GDP per capita was the highest of the states of the former GDR. Saxony has a "very high" Human Development Index value of 0.930 (2018), which is at the same level as Denmark. Within Germany Saxony is ranked 9th . Chemnitz S%C3%BCd station Chemnitz Süd (south) station
13068-493: Was built near line-kilometre 1.99 (from Chemnitz Hbf). Since then, passenger trains on the Dresden-Werdau railway have also stopped in Chemnitz Süd. As part of the reconstruction work, a new entrance building was also built as a Keilbahnhof ("wedge station", that is in the wedge between the branching tracks). Chemnitz South freight yard ( Chemnitz Süd Gbf ) was established as an operating point on 1 June 1920 with
13189-583: Was built with the Chemnitz–Adorf railway by the Chemnitz-Aue-Adorfer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (Chemnitz–Aue–Adorf Railway Company, CAAE) and opened in 1875. The station was not built during the building of the Chemnitz–Zwickau section of the Dresden–Werdau railway , which had been opened in 1858. Since the CAAE was not allowed to build its line to Chemnitz station — from 1 May 1904 called Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof —
13310-466: Was closed and replaced by a new building at its current site. In Zwickau, the railway network was also not longer able to cope with traffic by around 1910 as traffic had risen sharply since the 1880s, but the rail infrastructure had hardly changed. At that time, the largest railway freight yard in Saxony had to be fundamentally rebuilt. At the same time, the tracks were to be elevated, as in Chemnitz and Dresden, so as not to obstruct road traffic. This work
13431-408: Was completed and put into operation on 12 May 1992, shortening the connection between Dresden and Chemnitz by about one kilometre. The new section is 2,033.9 metres long, 966.1 m shorter than the old route. It has grades of up to 1.68%. The about 25 km-long Dresden–Klingenberg-Colmnitz section was heavily damaged by the 2002 floods on 12 August, especially by the Wild Weißeritz and
13552-426: Was completed in 1855, the Chemnitz–Zwickau section followed in 1858, the line was extended from Tharandt to Freiberg in 1862 and the section from Chemnitz to Flöha was opened as part of the line to Annaberg in 1866. The entire line was not open until 1869, when the missing section from Freiberg-Flöha was opened. From then on the railway line developed into an important connection. It continues to be an important part of
13673-487: Was delayed by the First World War and actual construction only began after the end of the war. However, this work went very slowly, so the elevation of the lines between Zwickau Pölbitz and Zwickau Hauptbahnhof took place between 1921 and 1925. 11 level crossings were replaced completely. For the most part, the reconstruction works, during which the Hauptbahnhof received a new entrance building, were not completed until
13794-591: Was established in 1949 out of the Soviet zone of Occupied Germany , becoming a constitutionally socialist state , part of COMECON and the Warsaw Pact , under the leadership of the SED . In 1952 the government abolished the Free State of Saxony, and divided its territory into three Bezirke : Leipzig , Dresden , and Karl-Marx-Stadt (formerly and currently Chemnitz ). Areas around Hoyerswerda were also part of
13915-500: Was not until the middle of the 1970s that the second track had been completely re-built. Nevertheless, the line did not achieve the same importance as it did before the Second World War, since the division of Germany after 1945 meant that most traffic now ran in the north–south direction. After the re-electrification of the network in Central Germany , the electrification of the so-called Sächsisches Dreieck (Saxon triangle:
14036-517: Was opened in 1855 and is located on the border between the two Freital districts of Deuben and Döhlen. The station had a great importance in commuter traffic until the turn of the century due to the founding of the steelworks in Döhlen, also in 1855, where up to 5,000 people were employed. Today services on line S 3 of the Dresden S-Bahn and Dresden–Zwickau Regionalbahn services stop at
14157-651: Was opened with branch lines to the mines. The line opened on 18 June 1855 as the Albertsbahn (Albert Railway), named after Prince Albert of Saxony . On 15 November 1858, the Chemnitz–Zwickau section was opened as part of the Riesa–Chemnitz–Zwickau route of the Niedererzgebirgische Staatsbahn (Lower Ore Mountains State Railway). However, the planned extension from Tharandt to Freiberg turned out to be problematic. At first,
14278-519: Was part of the Duchy of Żagań , one of the Lower Silesian duchies formed in the course of the medieval fragmentation of Poland, remaining under the Piast dynasty until 1472. The first medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages " Carolingian stem duchy ", which emerged around the start of the 8th century AD and grew to include the greater part of Northern Germany , what are now
14399-451: Was served again from Freiberg and services on the remainder of the line were restored on 14 December 2003. During the construction work, the need for protection from future floods was taken into account. Among other things, the bridge abutments were built at a right angle to the direction of flow. The seven kilometre section between Hohenstein-Ernstthal and St. Egidien was upgraded from mid-May 2010 to mid-December 2011. Around €38 million
14520-521: Was under Soviet occupation before it became part of communist East Germany and was abolished by the government in 1952. Following German reunification , the Free State of Saxony was reconstituted with enlarged borders in 1990 and became one of the five new states of the Federal Republic of Germany. The area of the modern state of Saxony should not be confused with Old Saxony , the area inhabited by Saxons . Old Saxony corresponds roughly to
14641-482: Was used from an economic stimulus package and from Deutsche Bahn 's own resources. From the beginning of 2010 to December 2013, the approximately 490 m-long underpass running under Dresdner Platz in Chemnitz that is used by the parallel tracks of the Dresden–Werdau and Chemnitz–Adorf railways, was replaced at a cost of €25 million. During the demolition of the old tracks and the new construction, both road and railways were kept open for traffic. Deutsche Bahn AG
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