Lauterbach (Cista) - Slavkovsky Les, CZ
Posted by: 
haggaeus
N 50° 05.983 E 012° 43.804
33U E 337664 N 5552185
Once a rich tin mining town in hills of Slavkovsky Les, now there are just hogweed bushes and a memorial plaque.
Waymark Code: WM96JZ
Location: Karlovarský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 07/06/2010
Views: 102
The village of Lauterbach is first being mentioned in 1350. The tin mining industry was flourishing in 15th and 16th century, in 1551 Lauterbach received the town privileges. After Thirty Years War the tin mining was declining and the town economy focused on agriculture.
After WW II the German inhabitants of the town have been deported and the area became a military range. The town was used as a practice target and totally destroyed during a military training - the destruction was documented in an army instructional film which can be seen
here.
The former town is now overgrown by hogweed, the memorial has a form of "a grave of the town" - a headstone of Bergstadt Lauterbach (1551-1948).
More information in Czech and German and photos can be found at zanikleobce.cz - see the related webpage link.