My last name is Mörbitz (see
qualifyer), and in addition to a small river and an even smaller forrest, there are two villages in Germany bearing that name,
Altmörbitz (meaning Old Mörbitz) and Neuenmörbitz (meaning New Mörbitz).
The story started in Old Mörbitz which was first mentioned in a church register in 1280 as Dominus de Merenbiz and then again in 1353 as Meruvicze. Both names have Slavic roots as the first settlers in the area were Slavic peoples.
In the 1500s, the name changed to the more German sounding Mörbitz. In 1525, during the German Peasants War the village was ransacked and plundered by revolting peasants which lead to the foundation of a new settlement a couple of miles away. The new village was first mentioned in a 1528 church register and from now on, the two settlements were called Old and New Mörbitz.
After the Peasants War, things still weren't easy. The Plague in 1584 killed 56 of the 200 inhabitants, during the 30-Years War in 1632, the village was burned down and only four houses and the church remained and then the plague returned again in 1633, this time killing 84 people.
Today, both settlements are peacefull villages, most of the houses are restored nicely. During war and peace times, borders of German Principalities changed frequently which lead to the rather ironic fact that today, the two villages belong to different federal states and during our hike from Altmörbitz to Neuenmörbitz, we had to cross the border from Saxony to Thuringia.
 The older
Mörbitz-brother
in Old Mörbitz |
 The younger
Mörbitz-brother
in New Mörbitz |
 Old Mörbitz |
 New Mörbitz |
The coordinates refer to Altmörbitz. Neuenmörbitz is located at N50°58.831' E 12°36.066'
Visit Instructions:Any new pictures whould be great. Have fun with your log.
Especially let us know if you share a name with the sign as well. In that case, it would be great if you posted a pic of yourself with the sign!