Hainichen, Saxony

Hainichen is a market town in the German Free State of Saxony. It is located on the river small Striegis and about 15mi north-east of Chemnitz. Hainichen has been shaped by its industrial past.HistoryFrom the foundation until industrial revolutionA first settlement had been mentioned in 1276 as villa forensis Heynichen.Hainichen used to be a place of considerable industry. Its primary manufacture was once that of flannels, baize, and similar fabrics; at the time it may have been called the centre of this industry in Germany.The Gellert institution for the poor was established in 1815.In 1933, a production plant for small delivery vans and minibuses called Framo moved from nearby Frankenberg to Hainchen. Since then, the automotive industry has been the most import employer.Nazi eraAn early concentration camp, Hainichen concentration camp, was established in April 1933 and dissolute in June 1933. During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp was located here, housing female prisoners working for the Framo enterprise.GDRThe former plant of the Framo company was nationalized. The 1960s saw a reingeneering of delivery vans and minibuses under the Barkas B1000 brand. Hainichen became a major producer of parts for these cars.After reunificationProduction of the B1000 delivery vans and minibuses ceased in 1991.