General information

For our ancestors the existing deposits of raw material like brown coal, sand, gravel, clay, kaolin and basalt and the construction of the railway line Berlin – Görlitz – Zittau were an important base for their settlement and the economic development. The region around Weißwasser saw an economic revival in the end of the 19th century. Glassworks, brickyards, paper, wood and shoe factories, branches of building industry, a china works and a number of handicraft places particularly potteries were set up.

The production of the „black gold“ has been lending the landscape its character for several ten years. Up to today the production of brown coal and its power generation as well as the glass industry with its more than 100 year old tradition has been the most important economic factors in the region.

	The following lines of business characterize the today’s economy: glass production and refinement metal working and processing building industry plastics food industry electrical engineering automation engineering, drive and control technology production of components
The further economic development of the town depends on the ability of the handicraft and service sector to make their mark in small and medium-sized companies.