Gohlis

Gohlis is a place in the north of the city of Leipzig in Germany. It started as a small village a long time ago. In 1838, it became a small community. During a busy time of growth in the 1800s called the Gründerzeit, Gohlis grew bigger. In 1890, it became a part of Leipzig.

Today, Gohlis has three areas: Gohlis-Süd, Gohlis-Mitte, and Gohlis-Nord. All of these areas are in the northern part of Leipzig. Many homes there were built a long time ago. In 2020, more than 45,000 people lived in Gohlis.

One special thing about Gohlis is that the famous writer Friedrich Schiller wrote the first version of his famous poem, the Ode to Joy, there in 1785. This makes Gohlis an important place in history.

Geography

The original settlement of Gohlis was near the floodplain of the White Elster and Luppe rivers, close to the Rosental landscape park. It was north of where the Nördliche Rietzschke meets the Parthe river and south of the old road called Schkeuditzer Landstraße, now known as Georg-Schumann-Straße, which leads to Schkeuditz.

Today, Gohlis is a larger urban area. It stretches about 3.3 kilometres from north to south and 2.5 kilometres from west to east, covering 5.32 square kilometres. It shares borders with the Nordvorstadt to the southeast, Eutritzsch to the east, Möckern to the west, and Wiederitzsch to the north.

Population

History

See also: History of Leipzig

Village

The village of Gohlis was likely started by Slavic Sorbs people around the 700s. Early names for the place were Golitz, Goliz, or Golis. The old Sorbian word gol means "bare" or "barren," perhaps describing the land around the village. The ending -its/-itz is common in Slavic village names.

As German people moved eastward, Flemish settlers came to the area. The first written record of Gohlis is from 1317, mentioning land given to a monastery.

Gohlis was ruled by different leaders over time, including the Margraves of Meissen, Landsberg, and later the Electors of Saxony. In 1659, a professor named Michael Heinrich Horn bought the area. Later, a lawyer named Lüder Mencke updated the local laws. In the mid-1700s, a woman named Christiana Regina Hetzer and her husband built a beautiful summer home called the Gohliser Schlösschen, which is now used for events and dining.

A man named Johann Hieronymus Hetzer, Christiana's brother, owned Gohlis later. He loved art and invited famous writer Friedrich Schiller to stay there in 1785. Schiller wrote parts of his plays and poems while living in Gohlis. The old farmhouse where he stayed is still standing today.

In 1793, the city of Leipzig took control of Gohlis. In 1838, Gohlis became its own small town with its own leaders. During the Industrial Revolution, Gohlis grew quickly. By 1871, it had over 5,000 people and became a suburb of Leipzig. New schools and churches were built, and factories opened.

Part of Leipzig

Gohlis officially joined the city of Leipzig in 1890. By that time, it had more than 19,000 residents. New neighborhoods with homes were built over the next years. In the 1930s, plans were made for a large modern housing area, but only part of it was finished.

After World War II, more homes were built, and many old buildings were repaired. Today, Gohlis is a popular place to live in Leipzig, with shops, services, and many homes. The population grew from about 32,500 in 2000 to over 45,000 by 2020.

Traffic

Gohlis has two train stations, Gohlis and Coppiplatz. Trains on lines S1, S3, and S10 stop there. These trains are part of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland system. There are also tram lines 4 and 12 in Gohlis. Trams on lines 10 and 11 cross them at Georg-Schumann-Strasse. All these trains and trams help people travel to Leipzig city center. Bus lines 80 and 90 run through Gohlis too, connecting it to other parts of the city. Some busy roads for cars in Gohlis include Max-Liebermann-Strasse (part of the Bundesstraße 6), Georg-Schumann-Strasse, Platnerstrasse, Lindenthaler/Landsberger Strasse, and Lützow-/Virchowstrasse.

Points of interest

One special place in Gohlis is the Budde-Haus.

Budde-Haus

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the place

• Karl Wittgenstein (1847–1913), an entrepreneur
• Rudi Opitz (1908–1939), a photographer and chemist

Personalities associated with Gohlis

• Johann Gottlob Böhme (1717–1780), a historian and owner of Gohlis Castle
• Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805), a famous poet who visited what is now called Schiller House in 1785
• Adolf Bleichert (1845–1901), an engineer and leader in industry
• Nathan Söderblom (1866–1931), a Protestant theologian who lived in Gohlis
• Hans Kroch (1887–1970), a banker who helped create the Kroch settlement in Gohlis
• Max Schwimmer (1895–1960), a painter and artist who lived in Gohlis
• Georg Maurer (1907–1971), a writer who lived in Gohlis
• Helmut Schreiber (1925–1995), an actor who lived in Gohlis
• Erich Loest (1926–2013), a writer who lived in Gohlis
• Werner Tübke (1929–2004), a painter and artist who lived in Gohlis