Situated in the heart of Saxony between the cities of Leipzig and Dresden, Wurzen is one of Germany’s oldest towns. The course of the river Mulde shapes the landscape through sweeping meadows and gentle hills. The town has a population of around 17,500 inhabitants.  
 
The modern day town’s oldest cells of settlement, like the name of the town, are of Slavonic origin. The first recorded mention of Wurzen is in the year 961 as Civitas Vurcine.  
 
The town’s development hits a peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, as Bishops from Meißen reside here occasionally and initiate noteworthy building activity.  
 
With the construction of the railway bridge over the Mulde, the first railway bridge in Germany, Wurzen is connected to the German railway network on 31 July 1838. Subsequently, Wurzen develops rapidly as an industrial town with food and textile industries, and a metalwork industry, which continued until the 1970s. With German reunification, a severe economic and demographic recession set in, the population fell significantly and the average age of the inhabitants rose.  
 
The castle, which was built between 1491 and 1497 in a late Gothic style, is worth seeing. It is the oldest castle in the German-speaking region. Furthermore, Wurzen has souvenirs of the medieval Way of St James like no other German town, with the Jakobsplatz (James Square), Jakobsgasse and Jakobskirche (James Church) with its churchyard and hospital. In 2003, the ecumenical Way of St James was initiated and organised by the Saxon youth ministry. 
 
Despite the population decline and the loss of important industrial firms – including, among others, Wurzener Teppichfabrik (Wurzen carpet factory) - Wurzen is an important location today economically with a large number of medium-sized businesses, which are mostly active on the global market with specialist products. Unemployment is currently the lowest in this employment office district. The production of biscuits and confectionery is an economic centre of gravity. Moreover, a large number of high-capacity, medium-sized machine construction firms and specialist firms (handling plants, lighting unit construction, felt production) are based in the town. 
 
Source: www.wurzen.de; www.wikipedia.de