Editing Zwickau (section)

===Economic history===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R85422, Zwickau, Schacht Brückenberg I.jpg|thumb|The ''Brückenberg I'' [[anthracite|anthracite coal]] mine, later named Karl-Marx, here in 1948]]
[[File:Zwickau Georgenplatz Trabantdenkmal.jpg|thumb|Monument to the ''[[Trabant]]'' on the Georgenplatz; the last were produced in 1991]]
====Coal mining====
Coal mining is mentioned as early as 1348.<ref name="EB1911"/> However, mining on an industrial scale first started in the early 19th century. The coal mines of Zwickau and the neighbouring Oelsnitz-Lugau coalfield contributed significantly to the industrialisation of the region and the city.

In 1885 Carl Wolf invented an improved gas-detecting safety mining-lamp. He held the first world patent for it. Together with his business partner Friemann he founded the "Friemann & Wolf" factory. Coal mining ceased in 1978. About 230 million tonnes had been mined to a depth of over 1,000 metres. In 1992 Zwickau's last coke oven plant was closed.

Many industrial branches developed in the city in the wake of the coal mining industry: mining equipment, iron and steel works, textile, machinery in addition to chemical, porcelain, paper, glass, dyestuffs, wire goods, tinware, stockings, and curtains. There were also steam saw-mills, diamond and glass polishing works, iron-foundries, and breweries.

====Automotive industry====
In 1904 the [[Horch]] [[automobile]] plant was founded, followed by the [[Audi]] factory in 1909. In 1932 both brands were incorporated into [[Auto Union]] but retained their independent trademarks. [[Auto Union racing cars]], developed by [[Ferdinand Porsche]] and [[Robert Eberan von Eberhorst]], driven by [[Bernd Rosemeyer]], [[Hans Stuck]], [[Tazio Nuvolari]], [[Ernst von Delius]], became well known nationally and internationally. During World War II, the Nazi government operated a satellite camp of the [[Flossenbürg concentration camp]] in Zwickau which was sited near the Horch Auto Union plant. The Nazi administration built a hard labour prison camp at [[Osterstein Castle]]. Both camps were liberated by the US Army in 1945. On 1 August 1945 military administration was handed over to the Soviet Army. The Auto Union factories of Horch and Audi were dismantled by the Soviets; Auto Union relocated to [[Ingolstadt]], Bavaria, evolving into the present day Audi company. In 1948 all large companies were seized by the East German government.

With the founding of the [[German Democratic Republic]] in 1949 in East Germany, post-war reconstruction began. In 1958 the Horch and Audi factories were merged into the [[Sachsenring]] plant. At the Sachsenring automotive plant the compact ''[[Trabant]]'' cars were manufactured. These small cars had a two-cylinder, two-stroke engine. The car was the first vehicle in the world to be industrially manufactured with a plastic car body. The production of the Trabant was discontinued after German reunification, but [[Volkswagen]] built a new factory in the nearby [[Mosel (Zwickau)|Mosel]] area to the north of the city and Sachsenring is now a supplier for the automobile industry. The former VEB Sachsenring manufacturing site was acquired by Volkswagen in 1990 and has since been redeveloped as an engine and transmission manufacturing facility. Nowadays the headquarters of Volkswagen-Saxony Ltd. (a VW subsidiary) is in the northern part of Zwickau.

Audi together with the city of Zwickau operates the [[August Horch Museum Zwickau|August Horch Museum]] in the former Audi works.  In 2021, production of the [[Audi Q4 e-tron]] began at the Zwickau-Mosel plant, marking the return of the manufacture of Audi badged cars in Zwickau for the first time in over 80 years.

====Uranium mining====
Two major industrial facilities of the Soviet [[Wismut (mining company)|SDAG Wismut]] were situated in the city: the uranium mill in Zwickau-Crossen, producing [[Yellowcake|uranium concentrate]] from ores mined in the Erzgebirge and Thuringia, and the machine building plant in Zwickau-Cainsdorf producing equipment for the uranium mines and mills of East Germany. Uranium milling ended in 1989, and after the unification the Wismut machine building plant was sold to a private investor.