Have you ever wondered about a place that goes by many names? Wilschdorf has been called Ranis Maius. It was also known as Wilesdorf, Wilsdorf, and Wilczdorf.
Welcome to Wilschdorf. It is a district in Dresden. Wilschdorf is a part of the Klotzsche district. It forms the Hellerau/Wilschdorf statistical district with Hellerau. Wilschdorf is a core area of Silicon Saxony.
Let’s delve into the history. Wilschdorf likely began as a Slavic settlement. However, Germans also founded new villages in the Dresden area. The village probably came into being in the 12th century. Wilschdorf was first documented in 1242. It was called Ranis Maius. This means Great Rähnitz. It was sold as a fief to the St. Afra Monastery in Meißen. By 1330, documents used the name Wilesdorf. In 1350, it appeared as Wilsdorf. A year later, it was noted as Wilczdorf. In 1357, the place was written as Wylizdorf. By 1378, it had become Wiltzstorf. Later names included Wilschtorff in 1445 and Wilsztorff in 1495. Wilsztorff meant village at the Wolfsholz.
After the Reformation, Wilschdorf belonged to Christoph von Carlowitz from 1547. This is why the manor was then located at Hermsdorf Manor. Before, the St. Afra Monastery in Meißen had the manor. In 1551, there were 36 Hufner and 31 Inwohner. This number stayed steady until 1764.
The village name evolved. It went from Wölszdorff in 1563. Then, it was Wiliszdorff in 1578. Finally, it became Wülszdorff in 1598. In the 17th century, Swedish troops pillaged the village. They destroyed the alms box in today’s Christophoruskirche. In the 18th century, Prussian troops stayed in Wilschdorf for the winter. In 1759, Croatian soldiers looted the village. During the peasant unrest in Saxony in 1790, Wilsdorf residents joined the rebels. A fire in 1850 destroyed the Upper Village. It was rebuilt in later years.
During the bombing of Dresden in 1945, a historic baptismal font from the Wilsdorf Christophoruskirche was destroyed. It had been on display in the Antiquities Museum in the Großer Garten. Wilschdorf was incorporated into Dresden on July 1, 1950. However, Wilschdorf remained separated from Dresden geographically. Due to its isolation, it is still one of Dresden’s lesser-known districts. Its fields include land that once belonged to the deserted villages of Altes Dorf and Kummersdorf.
Many half-timbered houses and farmsteads remain in the village center. They are among the oldest buildings in northern Dresden. They still show the rural character of the district. Besides parts of the village fortifications, the Wilschdorf cultural monuments list includes the church and the parsonage. It also features a former vineyard from the 18th century, a three-sided farm, and a house with an extension.
From the 17th century, Wilschdorf had vineyards. A phylloxera infestation in 1887 ended winegrowing. Agriculture remains important today.
In 2004, the Wirtschaftswoche magazine began a country ranking report. It asked where Wilschdorf was. Since the mid-1990s, Wilschdorf’s obscurity as a district has changed. The American microelectronics company Advanced Micro Devices planned settlements in Dresden. It had them built.
Today, Globalfoundries operates two production plants in Wilschdorf. Also, the joint venture Advanced Mask Technology Center was established. It produces photolithographic masks for chip manufacturing.
So, as we conclude our visit to Wilschdorf, remember its journey. From a small Slavic settlement to a modern hub of technology, Wilschdorf’s story is one of resilience and transformation.