Meerane

Meerane (German pronunciation: [meˈʁaːnə] ^ⓘ) is a town in the Zwickau district of Saxony, Germany. It lies midway between the towns of Altenburg and Zwickau, west of Chemnitz.

Meerane
Town
Saint Martins Church
Coat of arms
Location of Meerane within Zwickau district
Meerane Show map of Germany Meerane Show map of Saxony
Coordinates: 50°51′7″N 12°27′49″E
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Zwickau
Municipal assoc.	Meerane-Schönberg
Subdivisions	Kernstadt, 4 Ortsteile
Government
• Mayor (2022–29)	Jörg Schmeißer[1] (CDU)
Area
• Total	19.81 km2 (7.65 sq mi)
Elevation	253 m (830 ft)
Population  (2023-12-31)[2]
• Total	13,756
• Density	690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	08393
Dialling codes	03764
Vehicle registration	Z
Website	www.meerane.de

As of 31 December 2015, there were 14,851 inhabitants.^[3] The population has declined from a peak of over 26,000 in the 1940s.

Meerane was once important for the manufacture of woollen and mixed cloths; associated industries such as dyeworks, tanneries and machine factories were also located there.

History

The first documented mention of the settlement was in reference to the death of Vladislav II, who died in 1174 after a stay of four months at 'Burg Mare'.

The Sorbian word "Mer" means "border", and the placename most likely refers to the borderlands between Slavic and Germanic speaking peoples at that time. The place also bordered the section of the Via Imperii between Altenburg and Zwickau.

Population Development

In 1546 there were 193 inhabitants, in 1583 120 property holders and in 1750 100 houses in the town and 159 houses in the vicinity.^[4]

Historical population (from 1960 on 31 December):

Historical population

1834 to 1946 1834 – 4,172 1875 – 21,277 1880 – 22,293 1885 – 22,013 1890 – 22,446 1910 – 25,470 1933 – 24,855 1939 – 24,447 1946 – 26,804

1950 to 2002 1950 – 26,519 1960 – 24,520 1981 – 22,194 1984 – 21,260 1995 – 19,606 1997 – 19,390 1999 – 19,001 2001 – 18,439 2002 – 18,173

2003 to 2012 2003 – 17,745 2004 – 17,513 2005 – 17,244 2006 – 16,937 2007 – 16,752 2008 – 16,517 2009 – 16,287 2010 – 16,115 2011 – 15,942 2012 – 15,226

from 2013 2013 – 15,003 2014 – 14,850 2015 – 14,851 2016 – 14,659 2017 – 14,481 2018 – 14,208 2019 – 14,001 2020 – 13,934

Data source from 1998: Statistics Bureau of Saxony

Transportation

Meerane station is the train station of the parish.

Religion

Since the time of the Reformation, the population is principally Evangelical-Lutheran. In 1925, 22,576 inhabitants identified as Evangelisch, 14 as Reformed Church, 260 als Roman Catholic, 17 Jews and 1,227 as "other".^[4]

Attractions

• There are several parks: Wilhelm-Wunderlich Park, Annapark, Schillerpark
• The city hall was built in 1727, and has been completely restored
• The Lutheran church of St. Martinskirche was first documented in 1314

Twin town

• Loerrach, Loerrach International Germany

People

• Friedrich Eduard Bilz
• Christian Ernst Friederici, instrument builder
• Ingo Hertzsch, footballer
• Richard Hofmann, footballer, German international (25 matches with 24 goals)
• Claudia Mahnke, operatic mezzo-soprano