Zwönitz
# Zwönitz

Zwönitz (German pronunciation: (listen)) is a town in the district Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated 9 km south of Stollberg, and 24 km southwest of Chemnitz.

## Parts of the town

Zwönitz consists of:

| Brünlos Dorfchemnitz Günsdorf Hormersdorf | Kühnhaide Lenkersdorf Niederzwönitz |
| - | - |

## Population

* 1542 – 570
* 1697 – 741
* 1780 – 863
* 1800 – 1,242
* 1840 – 1,883
* 1890 – 2,931
* 1926 – 3,760
* 1933 – 3,852
* 1946 – 7,500
* 1950 – 10,617
* 1960 – 8,307
* 1965 – 9,690
* 1981 – 11,362
* 1990 – 13,105
* 1995 – 12,318
* 2000 – 12,175
* 2005 – 11,696
* 2010 – 11,193
* 2012 – 12,519

## Local council

The elections in May 2014 showed the following results:

* CDU: 16 Seats
* The Left: 4 Seats
* Unabhängige Wählervereinigung Zwönitz (UWZ): 3 Seats
* Freie Wähler Gemeinschaft e. V. (FWG) (Free voters): 2 Seats
* SPD: 1 Seat

## Mayors

* Uwe Schneider (CDU), 1990–2008
* Wolfgang Triebert (CDU), since 2008

## History

The town was founded by Slavs. The monastery Grünhain owned the area since 1286. Zwönitz received its town charter around the turn of the 13th century. It was a customs and trading point with market rights since 1545. From 1952 to 1990, Zwönitz was part of the Bezirk Karl-Marx-Stadt of East Germany.

## Twin towns – sister cities

Zwönitz is twinned with:

* Heiligenhaus, Germany
* Kopřivnice, Czech Republic
* Magyarpolány, Hungary
* Myszków, Poland
* Obermichelbach, Germany
* Puschendorf, Germany

## Notable people

* Samuel von Pufendorf (1632–1694), natural law philosopher and historian (born in Dorfchemnitz)
* Joachim Meischner (born 1946), biathlete
* Sepp Wiegand (born 1991), rally driver

## Gallery

* St. Trinitatis Church
* Church in Hormersdorf
* Half-timbered house (Hotel Roß)
