Nothaft: In the 13th century, the new village was established and took the name of the localEgerland nobility: Albertus Nothaft de Wildstein, who was occupying the area and moving in families from Bayern and Oberpfalz. In a deed from a century later, 1378, it was referred to as Nuwenkirchen dictum Nothaft. Around 1274 the name was first recorded as Neukirchen. The new church building was mentioned in a deed from Klosters Waldsassen, as Chunradus de Newenkirchen. In 1357 and 1360 the place gained a market with the same rights as the neighbouring towns of Adorf und Oelsnitz. The market was founded by Vögte von Plauen, who used it to establish a higher place in the pecking order, in their struggle with the Wettiner dynasty. The town's instrument-making history stems from the 17th century arrival of a group of Protestants fleeing religious persecution across the border in Bohemia. Among them were some who already practised the instrument trade. By the 1900s, 80 percent of the world's musical instruments were made in this small town. The present spelling Markneukirchen, that is Mark without a t, was fixed in 1858 by royal decree from Dresden, so it would not be confused with other Neukirchens. Under communist rule, the businesses in the town were reorganised collectively. The state managed trade with the outside world, and decided a production schedule for the instrument makers at the start of each year, rendering it a useful foreign-exchange income.
The Musical Instrument Museum of Markneukirchen was founded in 1883 by Paul Otto Apian-Bennewitz a teacher and organist. At that time the manufacture of orchestral instruments was expanding due to increased trade with many European countries and with the United States. He envisaged a teaching collection of European and ethnic instruments. The collection now comprises more than 3,100 items from Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia. The core collection consists of instruments from the immediate area that document the development of instruments from the 17th century to the present day. In the last 60 years, three million people have visited the museum in the Paulus-Schlösschen, a late baroque town house.
Public transport
Markneukirchen's first railway station was on the Chemnitz-Aue-Adorf Line near Siebenbrunn. In 1909 the Stichbahn railway from Siebenbrunn to Erlbach opened with a station near the post office and in the town centre. This closed in 1975 and Siebenbrunn on the Vogtlandbahn became the nearest station again.
Education
The Villa Merz offers a Studiengang Musikinstrumentenbau Markneukirchen validated through the Westsächsischen Hochschule Zwickau .
The Gymnasium Markneukirchen has a strong musical tradition.
The Musikschule Reinhold Glier offers music course to all- and provides training that leads to membership of the towns numerous ensembles, orchestra and choirs such as the Symphonie, Blasorchester der Stadt, the Handwerkerorchester Migma, the Jugendblas- and Symphonieorchester.
Notable people
Hermann Bauer, painter and graphic artist, bookplate designer
Erhard Fietz, musician, composer, teacher
Friedrich Glier, teacher, organist, composer and collector of folk melodies, honoured with a street name.
Hans Peter Wilfer. Founder and owner Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment
Literature
Crasselt, Friedrich August: Versuch einer Chronik von Markneukirchen im K. Sächs. Voigtlande. Entworfen von Friedrich August Crasselt, d.Z. Diaconus daselbst, Schneeberg 1821.
Eichler, Heidrun/Stadtlander, Gert : Musikinstrumenten-Museum Markneukirchen. Hg. von der Sächsischen Landesstelle für Museumswesen, Berlin/München 2000.
Hellriegel, Franz Wilhelm Rudolf: Chronik von Markneukirchen, Zwickau 1913.
Erich Wild: Geschichte von Markneukirchen. Stadt und Kirchspiel, Plauen 1925.
Ernst Heinrich Roth, Geigenbauer. Seine Geigern von 1920 bis 1930 sind besonders weltweit gesucht.
