Zwickau: Germany

Zwickau: Germany
Zwickau is a city of Germany, in the Bundesland Saxony (Sachsen), situated in a valley at the foot of the Erzgebirge, on the left bank of the Zwickauer Mulde, 130 km (82 miles) southwest of Dresden, south of Leipzig and south west of Chemnitz. (Population: slightly above 100,000). It is accessed by nearest autobahnen, the A72 and A4 along with a train station.
Highlights
Among the nine churches, the fine Gothic church of St Mary (1451-1536 and restored 1885-1891), with a spire 285 ft. high and a bell weighing 51 tons, is remarkable. The church contains an altar with wood-carving and eight pictures by Michael Wohlgemuth and a remarkable Pieta in carved and painted wood, by Peter Breuer. The late Gothic church of St Catharine (restored 1893-94) has an altarpiece ascribed to Lucas Cranach the elder, and is memorable for the pastorate (1520-22) of Thomas Muenzer. Of the secular buildings the most noteworthy are the town-hall of 1581, with the municipal archives, including documents dating back to the 13th century and an autograph MS. of the works of Hans Sachs, and the late Gothic Gewandhaus (cloth merchants’ hall), built 1522-24 and now in part converted into a theatre.
It is also the birthplace of Robert Schumann and there is a museum dedicated to him.