“Zschachwitz,” a name that echoes through Dresden’s history. That name once designated a village. It nestled in the southeastern part of the Elbe valley. This village is now known as Großzschachwitz.
To truly understand Zschachwitz, we must journey back. It is a journey through time. The late 18th century saw the addition of “Groß” to the village’s name. This addition became necessary. A neighboring village across the Lockwitzbach, formerly called Zscheisewitz, adopted the name Kleinzschachwitz.
The 19th century witnessed the coexistence of Großzschachwitz and Kleinzschachwitz. The name Zschachwitz temporarily fell out of official use. This changed in the early 20th century. A planned union of the two rural communities failed. Kleinzschachwitz was incorporated into Dresden on April 1, 1921. Großzschachwitz sought new partner communities.
On January 1, 1921, Sporbitz, located to the south, was incorporated into Großzschachwitz. The resulting community, headquartered in Großzschachwitz, adopted the name Zschachwitz. This choice reflected a desire to avoid confusion with Dresden-Kleinzschachwitz. It also paid homage to its own history. A year later, Meuflitz, to the east, joined as well.
During this era, Zschachwitz, like neighboring Niedersedlitz, was a flourishing village. It sat just outside the Saxon capital. Zschachwitz gained a railway connection. It connected to the Dresden–Bodenbach line. The local S-Bahn stop is still named Dresden-Zschachwitz. It is not named Dresden-Großzschachwitz. Nor is it named Dresden-Sporbitz, despite its actual location.
The precursor to the sports club FV Blau-Weiß Zschachwitz also has roots in this time. It played its home games in the Zschachwitz district of Sporbitz. The club was founded when the municipality of Zschachwitz existed. This legacy continues to be reflected in the club’s name. Today, the football team plays in the Landesklasse Sachsen Ost, the 7th league.
From mid-October 1944 to the end of April 1945, a subcamp of the Flossenbürg concentration camp existed here. Its 1,000 prisoners were forced to work for Mühlenbau und Industrie AG (MIAG).
On July 1, 1950, the municipality of Zschachwitz, with its three districts, was incorporated into Dresden. Today, the term Zschachwitz typically refers to Großzschachwitz. It means the original Zschachwitz. It means the former municipal area of Zschachwitz. Sometimes, it is used to distinguish from Kleinzschachwitz. Less frequently, it encompasses both Groß- and Kleinzschachwitz. Even now, Klein- and Großzschachwitz are distinct statistical districts. Großzschachwitz and Sporbitz form a unit again. Meuflitz belongs to the statistical district of Kleinzschachwitz.
So, as you stand here in Dresden-Zschachwitz remember its journey. It evolved from a village to a municipality. It is now a part of Dresden. Its identity remains woven into the fabric of this city.