A town hall? Here in Altenhain? It stands as a testament to time. Altenhain was first mentioned in 1317 as Altenheyn. Ulrich von Ywan sold the forest of Altenhain to the Kloster Chemnitz. In 1331, they wrote the place name Aldenhayne. By 1548, it belonged to the office of Chemnitz. This came from the secularized possession of the monastery. In 1810, there were 17 farms. In 1902, there were still 16 farms. They covered about 485 hectares.
Altenhain has always been part of the Kleinolbersdorf parish since 1539. It does have a Methodist chapel. Agriculture dominated the economy. A stocking factory also worked here. The VEB Messtechnik existed in the GDR era. It had 30 employees. VEB Gestellbau was founded in 1972. It came from a furniture factory.
Before we dive deeper, let’s talk about the fascinating history of how Altenhain merged with Kleinolbersdorf. Both villages were once Reichsgut. Then they belonged to the monastery in Chemnitz. Kleinolbersdorf was first mentioned in 1309 as Olbersdorff. It was also called Albertsdorf. Until 1322, it was owned by the lords of Schellenberg. Silver ore was mined here in 1422 at the St. Georgenfundgrube. The church was also the parish church for Altenhain.
After the Reformation, both villages came under the Chemnitz office. Land and forestry were the main sources of income. Stocking factories were also important. Kleinolbersdorf and Altenhain merged in 1974. They were close together. They had been connected by the same lords for a long time.
Industrial development hardly shaped both places. Even in GDR times, small businesses remained the exception. These included VEB Messtechnik and VEB Gestellbau in Altenhain. Since 1997, Kleinolbersdorf-Altenhain belongs to Chemnitz. It has seen a significant increase in population. The Gartenstadt Kleinolbersdorf has grown again.
The Rathausplatz of Altenhain became a beautifully designed town center. A commercial area has been created on the B 174. The surrounding fields are farmed by the Kleinolbersdorf agricultural company. So you see, the Rathaus Altenhain stands at the heart of a place with a rich and diverse past.