Otterwisch

Otterwisch
Coat of arms
Otterwisch
Location of Otterwisch within Leipzig district
Coordinates: 51°12′N 12°37′E / 51.200°N 12.617°ECoordinates: 51°12′N 12°37′E / 51.200°N 12.617°E
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Leipzig
Municipal assoc.	Bad Lausick
Government
• Mayor	Matthias Kauerauf
Area
• Total	22.74 km^2 (8.78 sq mi)
Population (2014-12-31)[1]
• Total	1,403
• Density	62/km^2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	04668
Dialling codes	034345
Vehicle registration	L
Website	www.gemeinde-otterwisch.de

Otterwisch is a municipality in the Leipzig district in Saxony, Germany.

Geography and transport

The town is situated about 12 km southwest of Grimma and 10 km northeast of Borna. The Leipzig–Geithain railroad passes through the town and the national road B 176 transverses the south of the parish.

History

The first documented mention of Otterwisch was in 1269. The meaning of the place name is not known for certain but may be derived from Otter Wiese (otter meadow). Großbuch is a part of Otterwisch since 1970. Its foundation dates back to the year 1104 and Wiprecht of Groitzsch. Its central point is the church in whose massive tower three valuable bronze bells from pre-Reformation times still function.

Großbuch was the scene of witch trials in the period 1488–1489.^[2]

Otterwisch House, from the park side

Sights of interest

Otterwisch House is in private ownership and is being renovated. It was built between 1727 and 1730 by Duchess Rahel Charlotte Vitzthum von Eckstädt in the Baroque style. It belonged to the von Arnim family from 1904 to 1945.^[3]

References

1. "Aktuelle Einwohnerzahlen nach Gemeinden 2014] (Einwohnerzahlen auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011)" (PDF). Statistisches Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen (in German). 7 September 2015.
2. Manfred Wilde: Die Zauberei- und Hexenprozesse in Kursachsen, Köln, Weimar, Wien 2003, S. 476.
3. Geschichte von Schloß Otterwisch