The forest was first mentioned in a document in 1331 as the Emperor's Forest. From then on it was owned by the Benedictine monastery of Chemnitz. From 1331 to 1549 the Zeisigwald is said to have been a place for the city and monastery's feudal courts. According to a folk legend, a treasure was buried in the Zeisigwald by the citizens of the city during the Hussite War.[1] In 1402 the city bought parts of the monastery village of Gablenz from the monastery, and parts of the forest were also acquired.[2] In 1493 the forest was first mentioned as Zceißigwalt. The name comes from a bird-catching activity that was practiced at the time, in particular the catching of siskins. In addition to this name, the forest has also been mentioned again and again under other names: Rathswald, Communewald, Churfürstlicher Zeisigwald....
Since the 20th century, the forest has served, in addition to decades of economic and military use, primarily as a local recreation area for the city of Chemnitz.