Was Welschhufe always called that? Let’s unravel the story of this part of Bannewitz. Welschhufe is a district within the Saxon municipality of Bannewitz. It resides in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district.
The village sits south of Bannewitz. You will find it along Staatsstrasse 36. Welschhufe is positioned overlooking the Dresden Elbe Valley.
Welschhufe’s documented history began in 1350. Back then, it was known as Holbrode et Welkuz. By 1547, it was called “im wüsten Weltzschübel”. This translates to “in the deserted Weltzschübel.” The Vorwerk Welschhufe, or Welschhufe Farm, belonged to the Bärenklause Manor. Besides the manor in 1785, there was a smithy and 11 houses here.
Around 1860, Neu-Welschhufe started expanding. A school was constructed and dedicated on August 19, 1904. Many homes were built along the Bundesstrasse 170 leading into the Poisental valley.
In 1785, Welschhufe consisted of 11 cottagers. The population grew to 91 by 1834. By 1871, it had jumped to 547 residents. The village continued to expand reaching 999 in 1890 and 1,063 by 1910.
Historically, Welschhufe was connected to different administrative areas. In 1816, it fell under Amt Pirna. By 1843, it was part of Amt Dresden. From 1856, the Gerichtsamt Dresden had jurisdiction. In 1875, it was administered by Amtshauptmannschaft Dresden. After 1952, it belonged to Landkreis Freital. Then in 1994, it became part of Landkreis Weißeritzkreis. Since 2008, Welschhufe has been within the Landkreis Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge.
Welschhufe was connected to Rittergut Bärenklause in 1696 and 1791. In 1555, Welschhufe was a part of Leubnitz. From 1837 to 2001, it was associated with the Bannewitz parish.
The name “Welschhufe” has taken on several forms through the years. In 1350, it was Welkuż. By 1486, it was Wellisch. 1501 saw it called Wolkisch. By 1538, it was die halbe Weltzsch huffe. In 1549, locals knew it as in der Welzsche. Documents from 1560 mention den brun vff meinen Welch huffen. Around 1600, it was Ein viehof uff Wölcsch Hufen. Finally, in 1791, it became Welschhufe, Weltsch Hufe.
Karl Otto Uhlig was born here. He became the Saxon Minister of the Interior. Today, Rudolf Drabek serves as the local mayor. From its early mention as Welkuż to its current form, Welschhufe carries centuries of local history.