Wilthen

Wilthen is a town in the district of Bautzen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is near the border with Bohemia, 9km south of Bautzen and 50km east of Dresden.GeographyNearby communities are Obergurig, Großpostwitz, Kirschau, Schirgiswalde, Steinigtwolmsdorf. Wilthen today consists out of a central settlement and some smaller villages. The parts of the community are named Sora, Ingersdorf and Tautewalde. The place is well known in Germany because of his biggest employer, an alcohol-producing company.HistoryWilthen arose out of an old Sorbian village that was mentioned first in 1222. In 1669 the village received the status of a town and marketplace. But it still has been regarded as village because there were only a few markets a year. Three hundred years later, it became a town again. Since 1972 Wilthen is an official place of recovery (Erholungsort).MayorsHorst Hönig: 1974–1987Gabriele Parakeninks: 1988–1990Bernd Wucke: May 1990–January 1991Manfred Melior (CDU): Januar 1991–August 1991Knut Vetter (FDP): 1991–2008Michael Herfort (CDU): since August 2008Culture, sights and tourismThe town is situated in the "Lausitzer Bergland", a hillregion between Saxon Switzerland and the Zittauer Gebirge in the Lusatian Mountains. Wilthen offers many possibilities of touring like many look outs upon the hilltops and nearby restaurants. Another touring-route leads through the small pond-district. Some remains of the old rural culture and weaving tradition of the region can be found in a small camber of home "Heimatstube". With a group of more than ten people it is also possible to get into the "Wilthener Weinbrennerei". Few of the old houses of the town has been preserved like some old craftsmen-houses.