The Chair of Silviculture in Tharandt in its roots traces back to the founder of the Tharandter Forstlichen Hochschule (Forest Academy Tharandt), Heinrich COTTA (1763-1844). Apart from serving as Director of Forest Surveying and Regulation, he also held the position of the Director of Academy and the first Professor of Forestry, and thus gave the first lectures in silviculture. His book 'Anweisung zum Waldbau' (Guidelines of Silviculture) published in 1817 featured 6 editions and is today considered to be basis of silviculture as a separate forest subject. His entity of lectures and theories was continuously expanded by his successors. From 1860 onward, silvicultural theory and practice was largely dominated by the Saxonian stand management. With expanding knowledge about ecological background and the complexity of forest ecosystems, a trend towards site-adapted and near-natural silviculture was initiated that developed from the principle of yield management (HEGER, BLANCKMEISTER) to the modern ecological silviculture (THOMASIUS).