Picture this a quaint Saxon village nestled near the Tharandt Forest. This is Großopitz. Its history stretches back centuries. It began as a Slavic settlement called Apacz. This was around 1215. The Margraves of Meißen played a key role in its development. Their representative Boriwo de Tarant oversaw the settlement’s Germanisation.
Großopitz’s layout is typical of a Waldhufendorf a type of village built along a forest. By 1349/50 it appeared in the Lehnbuch a feudal record of Friedrich the Severe. The village remained linked to the Castrum Tharandt castle. This was until about 1378. Later it was attached to the Tharandt-Grillenburg office. This was in 1550.
Life in Großopitz wasn’t easy. The population fluctuated. In 1550/51 there were just 15 landowners 19 inhabitants and 17 farms. By 1764 this had grown. There were 20 landowners 8 gardeners 5 cottagers and 16 1/2 farms. The 19th century brought further changes. The population rose to 249 in 1834. It climbed to 359 in 1871 then dipped to 328 in 1890. Finally it reached 376 in 1910.
In 1856 Großopitz fell under the Tharandt court. Nineteen years later it became part of the Dresden district administration. Before 1875 its church was in Döhlen now a part of Freital. Afterwards it belonged to Tharandt’s parish.
In 1923 Großopitz lost its independence. It was incorporated into Tharandt. This was a significant moment. The village became one of Tharandt’s oldest districts. Following a series of administrative changes Großopitz ended up in the Landkreis Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district. This happened in 2008.
The K 9080 runs through Großopitz’s centre. Public transport connects the village to the Oberelbe transport association. The nearest train station is Tharandt. It links to Dresden’s S-Bahn network and regional express trains.
So here you stand at the heart of Großopitz. A place with a story stretching from Slavic origins to its present day integration within Tharandt. It’s a story of growth adaptation and resilience a microcosm of Saxony’s rich history. A journey through time itself. A village in the heart of Saxon’s landscape.