The village is best known as the birthplace, in 1844, of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, whose father was the pastor here. The house where he was born still stands today. Nietzsche is also buried in the town.
In 2006 the Mitteldeutsche Braunkohlengesellschaft mining company disclosed plans to demolish the village to mine for coal, but their plan met with opposition from the "Coalition for Action" with the motto "future instead of lignite". In a public hearing, 64% of the residents voted against drilling on community-owned land. In April 2008, the plans were officially dropped.
Monument in the garden of Nietzsche's childhood home