GROSSENHAIN

grossenhain, a town in the kingdom of saxony, 20 m. n. from dresden, on the main line of railway (via elsterwerda) to berlin and at the junction of lines to priestewitz and frankfort-on-oder. pop. (1905) 12,015. it has an evangelical church, a modern and a commercial school, a library and an extensive public park. the industries are very important, and embrace manufactures of woollen and cotton stuffs, buckskin, leather, glass and machinery. grossenhain was originally a sorb settlement. it was for a time occupied by the bohemians, by whom it was strongly fortified. it afterwards came into the possession of the margraves of meissen, from whom it was taken in 1312 by the margraves of brandenburg. it suffered considerably in all the great german wars, and in 1744 was nearly destroyed by fire. on the 16th of may 1813, a battle took place here between the french and the russians. see g. w. schuberth, _chronik der stadt grossenhain_ (grossenhain, 1887-1892).