Along the Half-Timbered House Street: Village Route Mittelherwigsdorf

Mittelherwigsdorf extends about 3 km from Zittau in the valley of the Rietschebach and the Mandau like a half-moon or U-shaped, cut through centrally by the B 96. Originally, the village consisted of three parts: Oberherwigsdorf, Herwigsdorf, and Scheibe. Herwigsdorf was first mentioned in 1312.

As a result of the Reformation, the Cölestiner at Oybin gradually sold their possessions to the city of Zittau. This caused a change in village structures and the local image around 1700. Besides the original farming community, the class of smallholders emerged, whose main source of income was linen weaving. They filled the narrow, partly gorge-like river valley with half-timbered houses, which still constitute an architectural richness of the municipality in their existing form.

Although Mittelherwigsdorf had a rail connection since 1848, no significant industry developed. This also reflected in the structural constellation of the half-timbered and frame constructions, which, unlike the neighboring Mandau and Landwasser valleys, were only hesitantly, not at all, or in a peculiar form implemented from a joinery technology perspective.