The lost villages in the Gohrischheide
Please note: This page was machine-translated. If anything is unclear, the German version is authoritative.
Where is it? Lost villages in the Gohrischheide
Culturally and historically, the Gohrischheide has always been a border forest. In the 11th and 12th centuries, it separated the two Slavic tribes of Daleminze in the north and Nicici in the south. Today, it separates the federal states of Saxony and Brandenburg.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the natural forest, which in 1600 was still around 3,500 hectares in size and over 40% covered with oak trees, had become an unproductive area for forestry due to settlement, agricultural use, heath sheep farming with large herds, and the removal of fertilizing forest litter from the naturally nutrient-poor sandy soils. Local drought, insect infestations, and fires originating from the crossing railway line increasingly worsened forestry yields.
The area became more and more interesting for military purposes. The first trial took place as early as 1730 at a court camp of the Saxon Electoral Army in the “Zeithainer Lustlager.” In the following century, heavy field artillery was already being practiced on approximately 300 hectares. In 1898, the imperial military training area covered 3,773 hectares. Even after it was decommissioned at the end of World War I, it remained state property and was used again by the Wehrmacht for exercises from 1936 onwards.
In 1993, the Gohrischheide and Elbniederterasse Zeithain nature reserve was established in the Gohrischheide area. The total size of the protected area is 2,860 hectares. Only a fraction of the munitions dating back to over 100 years of shooting practice has been recovered so far. For cost reasons, most of the area will therefore remain uncleared and thus largely inaccessible to the public. The Königsbrücker Heide/Gohrischheide Zeithain nature reserve administration is setting up various showcases in the nature reserve, e.g., a heathland trail. The cemeteries of the former Zeithain prisoner-of-war camp are also open to the public.
Gohrisch (deserted village)
The deserted village of Gohrisch is located in the Gohrischheide on the old Mühlberger Straße between Lichtensee and Mühlberg. The deserted village belongs to the municipality of Zeithain.
It was first mentioned in 1474 as “Gorisch.” In 1501, there was a farmstead with a sheep farm in the village, which was under the jurisdiction of the Strehla manorial system. In 1702, the Tiefenau manor exercised manorial rights. In 1707, Gohrisch belonged to the parish of Lichtensee, and from 1752 onwards to that of Fichtenberg. In 1791, it was given its final name, “Gohrisch.”
Around 1840, Gohrisch consisted of a forester's lodge, the farmstead, and two other houses. As a hamlet with communal land, the village was an independent community with 38 inhabitants. It was located on a 19-hectare area and was surrounded by forest. The children attended school in Lichtensee. The head forester of the forestry operation had his official residence in Gohrisch.
In 1873, a military training area (TÜP) covering approximately 300 hectares was established in the Gohrischheide. In the course of the expansion of the Zeithain military training area, the village of Gohrisch was purchased in 1892. The inhabitants were compensated and resettled in Lichtensee and other surrounding villages. The forestry office was moved to Heidehäuser. In 1895, the village of Gohrisch was finally dissolved.
After 1945, there were plans to repopulate the village with new farmers. However, this was not realized because the military training area continued to be used.
Kleintrebnitz (abandoned village)
Kleintrebnitz has not existed since the early 1970s.
The Kleintrebnitz farmstead was first mentioned around 1600 as Klein Trebsen. The settlement was popularly known as “Sorge.” In 1875, it was given the name “Kleintrebnitz,” which remained in use until recently.
Between 1730 and 1970, the small village had between 4 and 24 inhabitants. Kleintrebnitz included a forest ranger station, the “Hähner” inn, two farms, and a family house on the railway line at the signalman's house. In 1957, Kleintrebnitz was incorporated into Jacobsthal. At the beginning of the 1970s, the village was devastated to make room for military use.
Rustel (deserted village)
The deserted village of Rustel is a former village near the drinking water well facility of the “Wasserversorgung Riesa-Großenhain” drinking water association southeast of Fichtenberg. The village was first mentioned in documents in 1575 as “Ruedestall” and was probably originally called “Rudolfstal.” In 2012, in the run-up to the laying of pipes by Wasserversorgung Riesa-Großenhain GmbH and Sächsisches Immobilien- und Baumanagement Dresden I, remains of houses from the High to Late Middle Ages, including two pit houses, were discovered in the deserted village.
Sources: Klaus Herrmann, Kreinitz; Landesamt für Archäologie, Dresden; Digitales Ortsverzeichnis von Sachsen
