 Gößnitz received its town charter in 1718.It is known for the railroad junction of the Leipzig-Hof railway connection and the Central-Germany connection (Dresden - Chemnitz - Gößnitz - Gera - Erfurt) and its station prides itself having Europe's longest platform, as well as the "Gößnitz Open-Air".The town's greatest prosperity was at the time of industrialization; Hence Viktor Grimm's representative malt factory from 1889 still characterizes the cityscape.