Lauter, Saxony

Lauter
Ortsteil of Lauter-Bernsbach
Coat of arms of Lauter Coat of arms
Lauter
Coordinates:
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Erzgebirgskreis
Town	Lauter-Bernsbach
Area
• Total	21.55 km2 (8.32 sq mi)
Population (2011-12-31)
• Total	4,707
• Density	220/km2 (570/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	08312
Dialling codes	03771
Vehicle registration	ERZ

The town of Lauter lies in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, between the two towns of Aue and Schwarzenberg. It lies in the Ore Mountains, 4 km southeast of Aue, and 4 km northwest of Schwarzenberg, has 4,927 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2006) in an area of 21.55 km² and belongs to the Town League of Silberberg (Städtebund Silberberg). Since 1 January 2013, it is part of the town Lauter-Bernsbach.

Through the town runs the Silver Road, the B 101. Lauter has a station on the Zwickau–Schwarzenberg railway and is served by Regionalbahn trains, operated by Erzgebirgsbahn (a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn) between Zwickau and Johanngeorgenstadt.

History

The town arose from a forest village (Waldhufendorf) established in the late 12th century on the western ridge of the Schwarzwasser Valley. The name is recorded over the centuries as Lawther (1460), Lawte (1501) and Lauttera (1590). The town draws this name from a brook called die Lauter, although this name is now no longer used for any waterway.

Besides agriculture and log driving, mining and basket making afforded the population livelihoods. When industrialization began in the 19th century, many machine factories, and metal- and woodworking businesses as well as an enamel factory set up shop in town. Town rights were conferred in 1962.

In the early 1950s, the BSG Empor Lauter football club played successfully in the DDR-Oberliga, until it was delegated to Rostock in 1954. Its successor club Hansa Rostock played in the First Fußball-Bundesliga.

Population development

The following figures refer to 31 December in each given year.

1982 to 1988 1982 − 6778 1983 − 6659 1984 − 6567 1985 − 6457 1986 − 6299 1987 − 6200 1988 − 6107

1989 to 1995 1989 − 5880 1990 − 5589 1991 − 5442 1992 − 5399 1993 − 5328 1994 − 5499 1995 − 5401

1996 to 2002 1996 − 5303 1997 − 5283 1998 − 5255 1999 − 5185 2000 − 5199 2001 − 5135 2002 − 5103

2003 to 2006 2003 − 5066 2004 − 5007 2005 − 4968 2006 − 4927

Source: Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen

Famous people

• Edwin Bauersachs (1893–1948), Ore Mountain “homeland poet” (Heimatdichter), was active in Lauter from 1919 to 1945
• Steffi Martin (b. 1962), two-time Olympic medallist in luge, lived here

Sons and daughters of the town

• Johann Georg Rachalß (1630–1671), Saxony’s chief forester
• Walter Weidauer (1899–1986), from 1946 to 1958 Mayor of Dresden
• Werner Krusche (1917–2009), Evangelical German theologian and Bishop of the Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony

External links

• Town’s website