Beierfeld The area around Beierfeld was settled in the 12th century. As with most other places in the
Ore Mountains, Beierfeld was laid out as a forest village (
Waldhufendorf). The town's name hints at
Bavarian colonists (the first two syllables, “Beier” are pronounced the same way as the German word
Bayer, which means “Bavarian”). In 1233, Beierfeld became a monastic domain with Meinhard II of Wirbene's endowment of the Grünhain
Monastery. The abbot at Grünhain thereby held jurisdiction over the community until the
Reformation and he received rent and
socage from it. When
mining came, however, the transition from a purely
agricultural community to an
industrially based one began. The cutlery makers’ rising fortunes in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the plating industry's in the 19th century, established the town's main fields of business. From beginnings in producing handmade house and kitchen machines grew factory production in large enterprises by the beginning of the 20th century.
Grünhain Grünhain had its first documentary mention in 1150. The location on the salt road from
Halle (Saale) to the Preßnitzer Pass and on to
Bohemia convinced
Cistercian monks to come and found a monastery here. In 1276, Grünhain was granted town rights. Until the 15th century, the monastery extended its sphere of influence, mainly through donations. At the onset of the Reformation, the monastery held sway over more than 56 villages and three towns. The Reformation and the
Thirty Years' War were the monastery's downfall.
Waschleithe Waschleithe had its first documentary mention in 1531. Already by the 13th century, mining had begun in the Oswald Valley, where Waschleithe lies. Besides
silver,
tin and
iron,
marble was also later quarried. Mining continued until 1920. Mining also yielded the place's name, which refers to an ore washing operation on a ridge.
Amalgamations On 1 January 1999 came Waschleithe's amalgamation with Beierfeld. On 1 January 2005 came Grünhain's and Beierfeld's amalgamation, along with a name change to Grünhain-Beierfeld. == Culture and sightseeing ==