Schöneck, Saxony
Schöneck (also: Schöneck/Vogtl.) is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated southeast of Plauen, and north of Cheb. Schöneck is known as the biggest ski resort in the eastern part of Germany. With more than 700 m (church) it is the highest-located town in the Vogtland district. It is in the 'music corner', a region so-called because of its history of production of musical instruments. Town structure. The districts of Schöneck are Arnoldsgrün, Eschenbach, Gunzen, Korna, Kottenheide, Schilbach and Zwotental. History. Schöneck became a town in  1370, but was first mentioned a century before this, when the castle "castrum Schoennecke" was mentioned as a mediaeval manor. After some devastating major fires (1632, 1680, 1761 and 1856), Schöneck took part in the industrialization of the 19th century. The town's main business became the cigar manufactory. In 1875, the railroad to Falkenstein and Klingenthal was built. The population grew significantly until World War II, but later the population contracted again. Historical population. Historical population growth and decline "(from 1998, as of 31 December)":