Pirna

Pirna is a Große Kreisstadt in the rural district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.

Town
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Pirna within Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district
Coordinates: 50°57′44″N 13°56′25″E
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Municipal assoc.	Pirna
Subdivisions	16
Government
• Mayor	Klaus Peter Hanke (none)
Area
• Total	53.02 km2 (20.47 sq mi)
Highest elevation	340 m (1,120 ft)
Lowest elevation	109 m (358 ft)
Population  (2006-12-31)
• Total	37,645
• Density	710.02/km2 (1,838.93/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	01781–01796
Vehicle registration	PIR
Website	www.pirna.de

Geography

Pirna is located at the beginning of the Elbtalkessel, where the Wesenitz and the Gottleuba flow in the Elbe. In the south of Pirna is the Osterzgebirge. Pirna is named Tor zur Sächsischen Schweiz (door to the Sächsische Schweiz).

Nearby towns

Direct in the north of Pirna is the capital of Saxony, Dresden. Nearby towns are Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübel, Bahretal, Dohma, Dohna, Dürrröhrsdorf-Dittersbach, Heidenau, Lohmen, Stadt Wehlen and Struppen. All these towns are in the rural districts of Sächsische and Schweiz-Osterzgebirge.

Stone Age

The first relics of human settlers are from the last ice age. In the neolithic age, farmers lived in this region. In the 6th century the Sorbs settled in Pirna.

Middle Ages

Old market of Pirna

With the foundation of the Mark Meißen in the 10th century, it became possible to confirm when the Pirna area had been settled. The castle of Prina was built during the 12th century. Henry III, Margrave of Meissen established the rights of the town of Pirna officially. At this time, the river Elbe was important for trade. The town was first mentioned in writing in 1233. Wenceslaus II of Bohemia bought the town in 1293, so the town was Bohemian until 1405. In 1307, a convent, a complex where nuns lived, was founded in the district.

Population change

The table below lists the population change of Pirna since 1300. Since 1960 the population was counted on December 31 every year.

til 1899 1300 - 1,500 1550 - 3,538 1801 - 4,397 1834 - 5,556 1871 - 8,905 1875 - 10,581 1880 - 11,670 1890 - 13,852

1900 til 1989 1910 - 19,525 1925 - 30,460 1933 - 33,656 1939 - 36,325 1946 - 37,426 1 1950 - 38,676 2 1960 - 41,111 1981 - 48,387 1984 - 47,601

since 1990 1995 - 39,194 1998 - 42,728 2000 - 42,108 2002 - 40,853 2004 - 40,259 2005 - 40,110 2006 - 39,751 2007 - 39,438

Pirna Media

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  Bernardo Bellotto: View of Pirna from the right bank of the river Elba, near Posta.

• 

  The Human rights memorial Castle-Fortress Sonnenstein in Pirna's old-town.

• 

  PirnaSonnenstein

• 

  Aircraft engine manufactured in Pirna at the Leipzig trade fair, 1958

• 

  Production at the Saxon artificial silk factory „Siegfried Rädel“, 1970

• 

  View over the new development area Sonnenstein

• 

  Renovated buildings in the old town of Pirna: View from Frohngasse to the Canaletto House (left), the tower of St. Mary's Church and the late Gothic ornamental gable of the German-Czech boarding school

• 

  The Dohnaische Straße on August 14, 2002, destroyed by water masses from the Gottleuba

• 

  Districts of Pirna in 2015

Other websites

• Homepage of Pirna (german)
• The historical old town of Pirna (german)
• board of trustees (german)
• The history of the town (von Hugo Jensch) (german)