Zwickau City Archives

900 Years of Zwickau’s City History in Old Parchments, Documents, and Newspapers, on Sketches and Maps, Posters, Photos, and Postcards

The history of a city archive is always closely linked to the founding and development of the city whose historically significant records it preserves.

The earliest documented reference to Zwickau dates back to the year 1118. In the document issued by Bishop Dietrich of Naumburg at Bosau Abbey on May 1 regarding the consecration of a Church of St. Mary in the Zwickau district, donated by Countess Bertha of Groitzsch, the name is mentioned for the first time as “territorio zcwickaw.” The city of Zwickau began to take shape in the second half of the 12th century. The Zwickau Council, documented since the end of the 13th century, conducted legal affairs on behalf of the city, resulting in the gradual emergence of a written record in the form of charters, contracts, letters, and other documents. The oldest document in the Zwickau Archives dates from 1273. The archives themselves can be traced back to 1487, making them one of the oldest municipal archives in Saxony. Their particular significance stems primarily from the complexity and completeness of their holdings, as well as their extensive collection of archival materials on the history of the Reformation. Among other things, it preserves the city’s correspondence with Martin Luther and other Reformers such as Philipp Melanchthon. In addition, the City Archives hold the majority of the handwritten estate of the master singer Hans Sachs. The Zwickau City Law Book from 1348 and a copy of the Sachsenspiegel from 1472 are considered particularly valuable archival materials. The archive preserves the official records of the council’s activities dating back to 1375, the city council minutes from 1830 to 1990, numerous archival records on the history of crafts and trade, and much more. It is responsible for safeguarding and evaluating all types of written records from the Zwickau city administration as well as from subordinate businesses and institutions. The resulting archival materials are preserved, cataloged, and made available for use.

In total, the Zwickau City Archives hold more than 2,500 linear meters of archival material and extensive archival collections, including 30,000 photographs and 3,000 postcards on the city’s history, 1,600 sketches and plans, 6,000 posters, and Zwickau newspapers from 1802 to the present.
The archival holdings are available to users in their original form or as microfilm copies.

The archive facilitates research into genealogy, state and regional history, as well as local history. Copies of graduation and vocational certificates, as well as personal medical records from the patient file archives of the polyclinics prior to 1990, are provided. Information is available regarding inheritance matters, pension matters, and estate issues. Use of the archives is subject to the City of Zwickau’s Archive and Fee Regulations.

Since 2003, an issue of the City Archives’ “Cygnea” series has been published annually. The archives participate in the nationwide Days of the Archives, are represented annually in September at the Historical Market in Zwickau, and engage with the public through exhibitions and lectures.