Riesa

Riesa is a town in the district of Meißen in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is located on the Elbe River, approximately 40km northwest of Dresden.HistoryThe name Riesa is derived from Slavic Riezowe. This name, romanised as "Rezoa", appears first in October 1119 in a document from Pope Callixtus II.The world's first 110 kV power line was installed between Riesa and Lauchhammer in 1912. Between 1952 and 1994, Riesa was the seat of a district.During the 1980s, Riesa was the headquarters of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany's 9th Tank Division.Population historyThe city grew from the start of the 20th century due to industrialisation. The population declined after German Reunification in 1989. The local steel works shut and the population fell from 52,000 to 32,000.Sons and daughters of the city Adolph von Carlowitz (1858-1928), Saxon officer, general of the infantry and war minister Dieter Noll (1927-2008), writer Jürgen Schmieder (born 1952), politician Monika Zehrt (born 1952), athlete Heiko Peschke (born 1963), footballer Ulf Kirsten (born 1965), footballer Rüdiger Heinze (born 1971), film producer and screenwriter Rolf Moebius (1915-2004), actor