Around 1223 the first documented mention of Naunhof appeared. Naunhof wasn’t always a town. It began as a small settlement. This settlement grew around a water castle. The castle was built by the Wettin dynasty. It served as an administrative center. This was along trade routes between Leipzig and Meißen. The castle was called nova curia meaning New Court. Sadly the Thirty Years’ War largely destroyed the castle. Naunhof’s strategic location along these routes proved vital. The area was already settled by the mid-12th century. It grew into a larger settlement over time. A church was built during this period. By the late 14th century the castle declined in importance. By 1555 the castle building had become overgrown.
Despite a few references to it as a townlet Naunhof mostly remained a village. The village had a notable market. It also had the right to brew beer. In 1550 the Saxon Elector Moritz established a horse-riding post. This post ran through Naunhof. This increased the importance of Naunhof. Naunhof’s right to collect road tolls further boosted its significance. In 1557 Elector August sold Naunhof to Hans von Ponickau. Ponickau was the councilor and magistrate of Grimma and Leipzig. The serfdom of Naunhof’s inhabitants and the jurisdiction went to the Amt of Pomßen. New houses and streets then appeared along the main street.
In 1679 Leipzig granted Naunhof market rights. Naunhof could hold two markets annually. This later increased to three by 1832. A devastating fire in 1734 destroyed the town hall a smithy and 23 houses. A new two-story town hall was constructed in 1738-39. The arrival of Christoph Gottfried Ungibauer in 1734 was a pivotal moment. He introduced potato cultivation to the region.
Naunhof’s growth continued. In the 1840s the first associations were formed. In 1866 Naunhof gained a railway connection to Leipzig and Grimma. This led to the construction of two waterworks in 1887 and 1895. The waterworks supplied Leipzig with groundwater. Factories such as the Wagner & Söhne spinning mill in 1887 also appeared. Naunhof gained popularity as a summer resort. Many city dwellers began to settle there. The town expanded considerably and this is the Naunhof you know today.