Zeisigwald, Forest and recreation area in Hilbersdorf and Euba, Germany

Zeisigwald is a large forest area in Hilbersdorf and Euba, spanning roughly 600 hectares and forming the biggest connected forest within Chemnitz municipality. The highest point sits at Beutenberg, which rises to about 421 meters.

The forest received its first recorded mention in 1331 as 'des Keisers Forste' when it belonged to the Benedictine monastery of Chemnitz. Ownership changed hands several times over the centuries, each shift sometimes reflected in different names the local people used.

The name Zeisigwald was first recorded in 1493 as Zceißigwalt, after the bird trapping once practised here, especially the catching of siskins (Zeisige). The forest also appears in records as Rathswald, Communewald, Churfürstlicher Zeisigwald, Königsforst, Staatsforst and Bürgerwald, names that followed changes in ownership.

The forest lies between Gablenz, Sonnenberg, Yorckgebiet and Hilbersdorf, with the Beutenberg at 420.9 metres on the watershed between the Chemnitz and Zschopau rivers. Paths follow the wings and clearings laid out in the 1847/48 survey by Menges. The lower edges of the Beutenberg are partly waterlogged, and small streams cross the woods.

Porphyry tuff has been extracted from quarries here since the 15th century and used for many construction projects across Chemnitz and surrounding areas. This stone resource played an important role in how the city and region developed and built their structures.