Chemnitz localities
There are various references to the founding of the village of Mittelbach in old chronicles and traditions. The most likely variant was explained by Prof. Dr Hengst - a well-known name researcher - at an event organised by the Mittelbach local history association in 2005 on the question "Where does the name Mittelbach actually come from ...?"
| Inhabitants (as of December 2021) | 2.131 |
| Surface area | 6.97 km² |
| First documented mention | 1331 |
| Year of incorporation | 1999 |
For many centuries, our entire region has been dominated by the seemingly impenetrable Miriquidi Forest (dark wood, black forest).
However, there were already connecting paths through this forest around 700 years ago, which were used by the Slavs. These Slavs named individual places and specific locations as early as 800 to 900 AD, but without settling them. So they, and later the actual settlers, knew exactly where these places in the Black Forest were located. The hunters of the time used their names for orientation.
The name of the village thus arose from the fact that the "prominent place" was located on the middle stream of the three streams that later rose in the Mittelbach meadows.
The first documentary mention dates back to 1331 and there are also different spellings in various documents, such as "Mittibach", "Mittebach", but also "zur Mittelbach" or "zum Mittelbach". It can be assumed that the place name Mittelbach was not determined by the actual settlers, i.e. the founders of our village, but was used by neighbours and passing hunters and thus established.
Prof Dr Hengst completely rules out a close manorial connection with the village of Mittelbach, which is located in the Lausitz district. Other manorial histories that could be linked to the place name cannot be traced either.
It is therefore assumed that it was settled by the Franks around 1180-1190. Farming was in its infancy, but mainly chicken and beekeeping were practised.
The Chemnitz chronicler Richter wrote in 1734: "that in earlier times the farmers of the local area lived more from fishing and cattle breeding than from farming".
Town hall and citizen service centre
Address:
Hofer Str. 27
09224 Chemnitz OT Mittelbach
Opening hours:
Thurs. 08.00 to 12.00 and 14.00 to 18.00
E-mail contact:
meldebehoerde(at)stadt-chemnitz.de