Doesn’t the name Erfenschlag sound like a character from a fairy tale? In fact, Erfenschlag is a district in Chemnitz. Welcome to our story about this special place. Erfenschlag may be small but it has a fascinating past.
Erfenschlag is Chemnitz’s smallest district. Just 962 people live here. It is about eight kilometers away from Chemnitz city center. Erfenschlag borders Reichenhain Adelsberg Einsiedel Harthau and Altchemnitz.
Back in time Erfenschlag was founded during German Ostexpansion. This was a time when German settlers moved eastward. The first mention of Erfenschlag was in 1402. It was connected to the “Erfenslegere street”. In 1439 it was “Erfferslag”. Later in 1486 it became “Erfferslagk”. The name means a person named Erphari’s cleared settlement. Imagine those early settlers working hard to create their homes.
From the 13th century Erfenschlag had to pay feudal duties to Einsiedel. In 1446 it was under the care of Schellenberg. About 40 years later it went to Amt Wolkenstein. Since 1539 Erfenschlag has belonged to the Einsiedel parish. Think of the villagers walking to Einsiedel for church services.
In 1832 Erfenschlag switched to Amt Chemnitz. In 1856 it went to the Chemnitz court office. By 1874 the village belonged to Amtshauptmannschaft Chemnitz. On July 1 1950 Erfenschlag became part of Chemnitz. This merger changed the village’s future.
One of Saxony’s first spinning mills was built here in 1808. Schnabel and Co. from Chemnitz started it. During World War II the spinning mill was badly damaged. It was torn down in 1959. A piece of Chemnitz’s industrial history disappeared.
Erfenschlag never had its own church. It has been part of the Einsiedel parish since 1539. In 2000 the sister parish “Einsiedel Reichenhain with Erfenschlag and Berbisdorf” was formed. It connected the communities.
The Staatsstrasse 232 runs through Erfenschlag. Also the Chemnitz Adorf railway line passes through it. The City-Bahn Chemnitz runs on this line. There are two stops in the district. One replaced the old Chemnitz Erfenschlag station. Buses also connect Erfenschlag to the public transport network.
Today Erfenschlag is a quiet district. It has a rich history. It is a reminder of Saxony’s past. As you leave Erfenschlag consider the changes it has seen. From a small settlement to part of Chemnitz it has a resilient spirit.