ZITTAU

city, Saxony Land (state), eastern Germany, on the Lausitzer Neisse River, near the frontiers of Poland and the Czech Republic. Originating as the Slav settlement of Sitowir, it was mentioned in 1230 and chartered in 1255, when it belonged to Bohemia. Zittau joined the federation of Lusatian towns in 1346 and fell to Saxony in 1635. Four 13th- and 15th-century churches still remain. There are training schools for the building trade, electric-power management, and agriculture. A railway and road junction, Zittau is a centre of the textile industry. Lignite (brown coal) is mined nearby, and machinery, chemicals, and vehicles are manufactured. Pop. (1991 est.) 34,465.