Hainichen, Saxony
Hainichen is a market town in the German Free State of Saxony. It is located on the river small Striegis and about north-east of Chemnitz. "Hainichen" has been shaped by its industrial past. History. From the foundation until industrial revolution. A first settlement had been mentioned in 1276 as "villa forensis Heynichen". Hainichen used to be a place of considerable industry. Its primary manufacture was once that of flannels, baize, and similar fabrics; at the time it may have been called the centre of this industry in Germany. On April 23, 1800, a deadly F5/TORRO10 tornado  hit this town. The Gellert institution for the poor was established in 1815. In 1933, a production plant for small delivery vans and minibuses called Framo moved from nearby Frankenberg to Hainichen. Since then, the automotive industry has been the most important employer. Nazi era. An early concentration camp, Hainichen concentration camp, was established in April 1933 and dissolute in June 1933. During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp was located here, housing female prisoners working for the Framo enterprise. GDR. The former plant of the Framo company was nationalized. The 1960s saw a reingeneering of delivery  vans and minibuses under the Barkas B1000 brand. Hainichen became a major producer of parts for these cars. After reunification. Production of the B1000 delivery vans and minibuses ceased in 1991. Population statistics. Typical for a market town in the east of Germany, Hainichen faces the demographic problem of a steadily declining population. Leisure and tourism. Sites and buildings of interest. Hainichen is home of a camera obscura. Other important sights are the Gellert museum (literature museum), Tuchmacherhaus (clothier museum) and a communal park. Hainichen is surrounded by the beautiful valleys of the river Striegis. Sports. Hainichen has a communal  sports centre with a small indoor pool, a communal outdoor swimming pool and a bowling centre. Also, there is a cycling track nearby. Industry. Hainichen is characterised by small and medium-sized businesses. The largest employer is the car parts maker Metalsa Automotive Hainichen GmbH (formerly ISE Industries Hainichen GmbH) (429 employees in 2005). Districts. Areas of the city include International relations. Hainichen is twinned with: