by
Robert J. Paulson

Schwanenbrückl

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Schwanenbrückl is located six kilometers from Muttersdorf and nestled in the valley where the Radbusa has its source. Schwanenbrückl is thought to surely owe its place-name to the noble von Schwanenberg family [Lords of Swan mountain]. Its roots also lie in the establishment of a glassworks.

Originally it belonged to the von Schwanenbergs who were then occupants/owners of the Gut [farming estate] ofÞ Pfraumberg. The wooden bridge with the coat of arms bearing a swan was the boundary of their estate. Kaiser Rudolf II sold it [Schwanenbrückl] in 1596 to a master glassmaker from northern Bohemia, Paul Schürer, who built a glassworks there. In 1609 this new glassworks was known as "Neue Hütte" in the local dialect to differentiate it from the already longstanding older glassworks "Althütten." At that time all the property and buildings were purchased by the von Wiederspergs of Muttersdorf. As a consequence Schwanenbrückl became the seat of its own manor which included the villages of Pfaffenberg, Grossgorschin, Kleingorschin and Putzbühl. Althütten, Johanneshütte, Friedrichshof, Schnaggenmühle, Franzbrunnhütte, Schwarzach, Oberhütten and Unterhütten also were linked to Schwanenbrückl.

In 1789 Schwanenbrückl had 30 house numbers with two glassworks. In 1839 there were already 25 houses with 195 inhabitants, the glassworks, a distillery, a pottash works, a forest range‹rs house, a Meierhof [large farm opperated for the noble lord] with an old manor house, two mills and a sawmill [plank saw]. In 1913 Schwanenbrückl was one of the places known for a nice cool climate in summertime and there were then 36 houses wit 205 inhabitants. In 1945 there were 52 houses there.

In 1939 the total population of Schwanebrückle was 711 people which included Johanneshütte's eight houses and the 60 houses of Althütten with their 450 inhabitants. In 1937 the total landholding of the community was 477 hectares. In 1797 the schoolhouse in Schwanebrückl finally was finally expanded to two rooms [became "zwei-klassig"]. After the children of Neubäu who had been going to school in Schwanenbrückl got their own schoolhouse and after an "Expositur" [branch] school was built in Althütten, the children of Johanneshütte, Kleingorschin and of the hamlets Platten and Engelhaus continued to come to school in Schwanenbrückl.

Schwanenbrückl had the church in Muttersdorf for its parish. The last Bürgermeister of Muttersdorf was Johann Richter, under whose administration the place became a very popular destination for its cool summers as long as the events of the Second World War did not interfere with visits to the place. Four men of the 33 who served in the First War failed to return home. Eighteen men of Schwanenbrückl fell as casualties of the Second World War.