Was it a fired spot? That’s the translated meaning of Sporbitz. We’re standing in Sporbitz. It is a district in the southeast of Dresden. Sporbitz lies on the edge of the city.
Let’s step back in time. Sporbitz was first mentioned in 1350 as Sperwicz. Over time, the name evolved. It went from Sporewicz to Sporrewitz. Finally, in 1551, the name Sporbitz appeared.
Sporbitz began as a Rundling village. It featured a Gewannflur. This means it had a specific field system. Brand clearing likely created Sporbitz. The old Sorbian word for a fired spot is “spar”.
The village’s location hurt it. It was near the end of the Kulmer Steig. In 1639, Swedish troops burned it down during the Thirty Years’ War. An inscription at Altsporbitz 9 remembers this event. Another fire on May 22, 1763, is marked at house number 5.
Sporbitz was mainly agricultural. The Aulehm soils were perfect for farming. People also worked in twine making. They did straw plaiting at home for extra money. Four listed farmsteads remain from the 18th century. These include three and four-sided farms in Altsporbitz.
Initially, Sporbitz belonged to Dohna for church matters. From 1897, residents formed the Zschachwitz Stephanus parish. This included Klein- and Großzschachwitz plus Meußlitz and Zschieren. Sporbitz children attended the Kleinzschachwitz school. A school was completed in 1900.
Industrial firms settled in Sporbitz in the late 19th century. This was near the Dresden-Bodenbach railway line. New homes were built. This reduced farmland. The most important company was Gebrüder Seck. Christian and Carl Seck founded it in 1873. It was a mill construction and machine factory. Luther-Werke took it over in 1897. They moved it here in 1918.
The new building was erected from 1916 to 1918. It had a floor space of 45,000 m². It was designed for 1,800 workers. In 1925, the company merged into MIAG.
Sporbitz merged with Großzschachwitz in 1921. The new municipality was named Zschachwitz. Meußlitz was added a year later. During World War II, a subcamp of KZ Flossenbürg existed at MIAG. This was in the Zschachwitz industrial area belonging to Sporbitz. Sporbitz became part of Dresden on July 1, 1950. This happened as part of Zschachwitz.
During the DDR era, Dresden’s largest concrete plant was in southern Sporbitz. It stood where the new industrial park is now. Raw materials came from the Sporbitzer Kiesgrube. The plant mainly produced precast concrete parts. These were used for Plattenbauten in Prohlis and Gorbitz.
Today, the Sporbitzer Sportplatz is home to FV Blau-Weiß Zschachwitz. It’s located on Pirnaer Landstraße. Since 1997, the former Kiessandtagebau Dresden-Sporbitz has been transformed. It is now a near-natural body of water. Swimming, water sports, boating, and ice sports are prohibited.
So, as we stand here in Sporbitz, remember its history. From a fired spot to an industrial hub, it has a unique story. It is a story of change and resilience. A story of people.