The large district town of Hohenstein-Ernstthal is the birthplace of the writer Karl May, creator of Winnetou, Old Shatterhand and Kara ben Nemsi. The birthplace is now home to the Karl May House, a museum, research facility and cultural center. However, the history of Hohenstein-Ernstthal goes back further than May's childhood home. Hohenstein was founded in 1510 when silver ore was discovered in the area. The hat house of the St. Lampertus shaft is a reminder of this to this day. Ernstthal was founded at the end of the 17th century when Hohenstein's inhabitants settled in the neighboring forest due to the rampant plague. The two towns merged in 1898. Various textile trades were established in the 16th century.
The Textile and Racing Museum commemorates this textile tradition with a show workshop with mechanical weaving, stocking knitting and knitting - as well as Hohenstein-Ernstthal as a racing location. Motorcycle races were held here before 1900, and in 1927 for the first time on the “Sachsenring”, a city and road circuit of international standing. This was replaced in 1995 by the “Sachsenring” road safety center, which can be used on up to ten days a year for racing events, including rounds of the Motorcycle World Championship - on other days it is available for driver safety training, among other things. Those who prefer things a little less fast-paced are also well catered for in the city, which currently has around 14,000 inhabitants: A large part of the urban area is located in the Rabensteiner Wald/Pfaffenberg nature reserve, which invites you to experience nature.
Caroline Mesquita: Motorbike, Medusa Motorbike
Art and sculpture trail PURPLE PATH
The works Motorbike and Medusa Motorbike by artist Caroline Mesquita are sculptures made from sheet steel and pipes. They are reminiscent of futuristic vehicle designs and thus refer to the legendary motorbike racing circuit “Sachsenring”. But they also inspire the imagination, much like the fantastic stories of the writer Karl May, who grew up in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. Caroline Mesquita was born in Brest, France, in 1989. She now lives and works in Brest and Marseille.
