1Around the market place of Bischofswerda- a look into the history
The market place of Bischofswerda is the heart of the city. Not only the many businesses often rich in tradition invite to the dawdling and staying. Also the numerous historical buildings or small remains from the city history are very worth seeing. The centre is embossed particularly by these from Bischofswerda with the market place unmistakeable.
The history of the city begins already with the settlement of the inhospitable swamp field through Sorben around 600. However the field was enlarged by Bishop Benno Graf. From that time on the place was called "River island of the bishop" -shortly Bischofswerda. The great influence of the bishops on the city in the former time can still be recognized by the "Bishop's Seat" (Picture 1).
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Presumably a rest place existed here for bishops and high clerical dignitaries, that was searched by them at rides to Stolpen, Goeda and Bautzen. Possible is, however, too, that the place as a residence for divine services, court boards and than entry place found use for deliveries. The Bishop's Seat was later extended by G.F. Thormeyer in the classicistic style.
Bishop Benno gave an episcopal staff to the city Bischofswerda to the seal coat of arms. This coat of arms of the city of Bischofswerda can detect one in his contemporary form at many places about around the market place, so for example as art forging process at the head office of the savings bank (Picture 2), in a lead glass window of the stairs rise in the town hall, in the Goethepark and as a relief at the Hermannstift.
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The first documentary mention Bischofswerdas occurred happend in 1227, however only in the year 1361 one received the city right . The statute labour celebrations(Picture 3), the oldest, still preserved buildings of the city, already 1286 arose and was used then as a city tower and prison (to 1852).
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In the same year Bischofswerda was surrounded by a city wall. The only preserved rest can be seen in one garden of Kirchgasse 1 (Picture 4).
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In addition the city gates and the old town hall in the middle of the market place were constructed. Around 1400 the city found out an important economical upswing and developed to one Craftsman- and trading town, market and pilgrimage place. The guilds of the shoemakers, furriers and cloth makers were confirmed for the first time in 1406. Market days on which for example cloths, leash wall and cattle were traded occured in the same year. In 1443 also the guilds of the locksmiths, forges, wheel and setting-makers appeared. Further guilds follow into the next years: Linen weaver (in 1491), butcher (1500), forge (in 1522), bricklayer and Nadler (in 1541). In 1486 there was introduced a sheep market. A brewery became set up in 1503.
Of course the development of the city did not always go smoothly and continuously taked place. So the plague raged in Bischofswerda repeatedly (in 1496, in 1577, in 1581, in 1582, in 1583, in 1586, in 1613, in 1632) and often great fires raged (In 1429, in 1469, in 1528, in 1583, in 1596, in 1641, in 1671, in 1813) when the city was destroyed mainly. The last one and probably heaviest fire happened in 1813, that presumable of plundering Napoleonic Soldiers at the new market in the large Potter Lane (Picture5).
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Only three houses and a part of the front celebrations were maintained. A further memorial preserved after the great fire is the kursaechsische post-mile column. It was already set up in 1725 at the external Bautzner Gate and changed its place in 1934 to be at the Mill Pond (Picture 6).
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The coats of arms of the column and the alphabetic characters A and R (Augustus Rex) show on Friedrich August to the strong one, to elector of Sachsen and to king of Pole (1694/97-1733 that let measure the country in this time) there.