map →

Grünhain is situated at an altitude of 650 m in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) region of Saxony. Since 2005 Grünhain is part of the municipality Beierfeld-Grünhain.

The area was first mentioned as a settlement area around 1150. The earliest document mentioning Gruninhain dates from 1233 and refers to the Cistercian monastery founded here by the burgrave of Meißen. The village itself was first mentioned as a little town in 1267 and in 1285 received further privileges. For three centuries, until its closure in 1536, the monastery was one of the richest in the area. Since the early 19th century Grünhain became known as a spa place. Due to a financial crisis of the town, Grünhain was incorporated into the neighbouring municipality of Beierfeld, which thus assumed the sttaus of a town and changed its name to Beierfeld-Grünhain.

The Genesungsheim (convalescent home) [left] was founded in 1897 by the Medical Insurance Company of Chemnitz.

The composer and cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig, Johann Hermann SCHEIN (1586–1630), was born in Grünhain.