A compilation of old
postcards from Markranstaedt in Saxony.
A small preface for those who are not familiar with German history
of the past 60 years.
When Germany lost WW2 the country was divided in Russian, French,
British and American occupied
zones.
Eastern parts of the country, beyond the River "Oder" were turned into
Polish territory.
In 1949 the "Federal Republic of Germany" (FRG) was formed, uniting the
French, British and
American zones. The Russians declared their zone the "German Democratic
Republic"(GDR) and established
a communist party system. Markranstaedt (near Leipzig) was part of the
GDR. My parents and I left Markranstaedt in the late 1950´s but
we always returned for the summer holidays to meet with family
and friends.
In 1961 the Berlin wall, as well as the "iron curtain", divided the
country even more.
People risked their lives trying to cross the border from East to West.
After the peaceful revolution of 1989, the two Germanies were reunited
on October 3, 1990 (which since has become our national holiday). As a
former Markranstaedt citizen I now return to my native town three to
four times a year, preferably in the summer months.
Here´s some historical information on Markranstaedt:
Markranstaedt belongs to the federal state of Saxony, appr. 12 kms
southwest of Leipzig city center.
The town´s coat of arms shows St. Bartholomaeus.
The city of Markranstaedt is first documented in 1285.
The region gained economical prosperity in the middle of the last
century when the first
railway line from Leipzig passed through the city of Markranstaedt.
In those days Markranstaedt was famous for its fur-trades. There were
also a small car-factory (MAF), an engineering company, a brewery and a
sugar factory.
None of these companies survived. Today the city has small and
medium-sized businesses, as well as small service industries.
Through integration of neighboring communities the population has risen
considerably over the
past few years. New residential areas have been developed at
Muehlenweg, near lake Kulkwitz, on the grounds of the demolished
brewery and across town hall (market-arcades).
A ring road was planned to ease the traffic loads passing through
Markranstaedt every day, but shortage of money caused several delays.
The city center is dominated by St. Laurentius church, a late Gothic
building, which in part has already been repaired. The town hall and
the former "Ratsgut" have been "polished" in recent years. Now, the
"Ratsgut" hosts the local heritage museum which is open to everyone
Saturdays from 9.30 to 11.30 a.m. The two honorary museum employees
published two richly illustrated books titled "Markranstaedt in
pictures of days long gone" and "Markranstaedt - die Stadt am See -
Geschichte und Geschichten". Both books contain numerous historical
photos.
Lake Kulkwitz provides a lot of recreation, particularly during the
summer months. You can do
swimming, diving, sailing, canoeing, surfing, fishing etc.
Cultural highlights in Markranstaedt are the annual "Kinderfest" and
"Carnival".
The KINDERFEST
was established in 1846 and has a long tradition. Interrupted by two
world wars and a complete cancellation in the 80´s of the past
century
(because of political reasons), the "Kinderfest" was revived again in
1992 by committed
Markranstaedt citizens. Nowadays thousands of people from near and far
enjoy the annual
festivity again, which is traditionally being held one week before the
start of the summer holidays.
Local news from in and around Markranstaedt is spread by Markranstaedter Nachtschichten
since 2013.
Also the city of MARKRANSTAEDT
is offering information on the world wide web. Former Markranstaedt
citizens
can now visit their native city via computer from everywhere in the
world. Thus far these
pages are presented in German language only.
Another web page highlights St.Laurentius
Church.
MARKRANSTAEDT 2000/2001
presents some photos showing Markranstaedt 10 years after German
unification.
Many years ago I started purchasing old Markranstaedt postcards. I now
have a considerable
collection which I´d like to present on the following pages.
Clicking on the icon below will switch you to the different pages
of postcards.
You can email me at Klaus
Spillmann
