Weisswasser in der Oberlausitz: Glass Industry Town in Sachsen's East
Weisswasser lies in the Landkreis Goerlitz of Sachsen, near the Polish border. About 22,100 people live here. The town owes its development to the glass industry: from the late 19th century, several glassworks established here exploited local sand deposits and rail connections to become a centre of German glass production. The Glasmuseum Weisswasser documents this heritage, displaying pieces from the Lausitzer Glas brand that was once a household name in East Germany.
Cottbus is about 55 kilometres west. The Muskauer Park, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape garden straddling the German-Polish border, lies just north of town near Bad Muskau. The Muskauer Heide, sandy heathland and pine forest, stretches to the east. Open-cast lignite mining has reshaped large areas south of the town, and post-mining lakes are being developed for recreation.
Weisswasser experienced severe population decline after reunification, losing roughly half its residents as the glass and mining industries contracted. The town is adapting its infrastructure to this smaller population while maintaining its industrial heritage sites.
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Weisswasser lies in the Landkreis Goerlitz of Sachsen, near the Polish border. About 22,100 people live here. The town owes its development to the glass industry: from the late 19th century, several glassworks established here exploited local sand deposits and rail connections to become a centre of German glass production. The Glasmuseum Weisswasser documents this heritage, displaying pieces from the Lausitzer Glas brand that was once a household name in East Germany.
Cottbus is about 55 kilometres west. The Muskauer Park, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape garden straddling the German-Polish border, lies just north of town near Bad Muskau. The Muskauer Heide, sandy heathland and pine forest, stretches to the east. Open-cast lignite mining has reshaped large areas south of the town, and post-mining lakes are being developed for recreation.
Weisswasser experienced severe population decline after reunification, losing roughly half its residents as the glass and mining industries contracted. The town is adapting its infrastructure to this smaller population while maintaining its industrial heritage sites.
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