Lübben (Spreewald) ( dsb, Lubin (Błota)) is a town of 14,000 people, capital of the

Dahme-Spreewald Dahme-Spreewald ( dsb, Wokrejs Damna-Błota) is a district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise) the districts of Oder-Spree, Spree-Neiße, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Elbe-Elster and Teltow-Fläming, and by the city ...

district in the

Lower Lusatia Lower Lusatia (; ; ; szl, Dolnŏ Łużyca; ; ) is a historical region in Central Europe, stretching from the southeast of the German state of Brandenburg to the southwest of Lubusz Voivodeship in Poland. Like adjacent Upper Lusatia in the sou ...

region of

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Administrative structure

Districts of the town are: * Lübben Stadt (Lower Sorbian: ''Lubin město'') * Hartmannsdorf (''Hartmanojce'') * Lubolz (''Lubolc'') ** Groß Lubolz (''Wjelike Lubolce'') ** Klein Lubolz (''Małe Lubolce'') * Neuendorf (''Nowa Wjas'') * Radensdorf (''Radom''; ''Radowašojce'') * Steinkirchen (''Kamjena'') * Treppendorf (''Ranchow'')

History

The castle of ''Lubin'' in the

March of Lusatia The March or Margraviate of Lusatia (german: Mark(grafschaft) Lausitz) was as an eastern border march of the Holy Roman Empire in the lands settled by Polabian Slavs. It arose in 965 in the course of the partition of the vast ''Marca Geronis''. R ...

was first mentioned in an 1150 register of

Nienburg Abbey Nienburg Abbey (german: Kloster Nienburg) was a Benedictine monastery in Nienburg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. History Abbey Nienburg was for centuries on the extreme eastern edge of the settled territory of Germany. With the aim of converting ...

and had received

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

according to

Magdeburg law Magdeburg rights (german: Magdeburger Recht; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within c ...

by 1220. From 1301 the town in the centre of the

Spreewald The Spree Forest (German: ''Spreewald'', ; Lower Sorbian: ''Błota'', i.e. 'the Swamps') is a large inland delta of the river Spree, and a historical cultural landscape located in the region of (Lower) Lusatia, in the state of Brandenburg, Ger ...

floodplain was in the possession of the monks of

Dobrilugk Abbey Dobrilugk Abbey (Kloster Dobrilugk) was a Cistercian monastery in Lower Lusatia in the territory of the present town of Doberlug-Kirchhain, Brandenburg, Germany. History The abbey was legally founded on 1 May 1165 by charter of Margrave Dietri ...

, who sold it to Duke Rudolph I of

Saxe-Wittenberg The Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg () was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. The Ascanian dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity until th ...

in 1329. After several conflicts with the

Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate o ...

margraves of

the March of Lusatia was finally acquired by Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1367 who incorporated Lübben into the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...

. In the 15th century Lübben became the seat of the Bohemian ''

Vogt During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...

'' administrator and the provincial diet ''(

Landtag A Landtag (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence in non- ...

)'' of

. In 1526 the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

inherited the Bohemian kingdom including Lusatia, which in 1623 Ferdinand II of Habsburg had to give in pawn to Elector

John George I of Saxony John George I (5 March 1585 – 8 October 1656) was Elector of Saxony from 1611 to 1656. He led Saxony through the Thirty Years' War, which dominated his 45 year reign. Biography Born in Dresden, John George was the second son of the Elector Chr ...

. The Saxon Electorate finally acquired Lübben by signing the 1635 Peace of Prague. After the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

it again fell to the

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

province of Brandenburg The Province of Brandenburg (german: Provinz Brandenburg) was a province of Prussia from 1815 to 1945. Brandenburg was established in 1815 from the Kingdom of Prussia's core territory, comprised the bulk of the historic Margraviate of Brandenburg ...

by the final act of the 1815

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, a prisoner of war camp, Oflag III-C, was located in Lubben and hosted French officers. Lübben was taken by Soviet troops of the 3rd Guards Army on 27 April 1945.

Demography

File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung Lübben.pdf, Development of Population since 1875 within the Current Boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population Development of Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of Nazi rule; Red Background: Time of Communist rule) File:Bevölkerungsprognosen Lübben.pdf, Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the

Census in Germany A national census in Germany (german: Volkszählung) was held every five years from 1875 to 1910. After the World Wars, only a few full population censuses have been held, the last in 1987. The most recent census, though not a national census, wa ...

in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005-2030 (yellow line); for 2020-2030 (green line); for 2017-2030 (scarlet line)

Politics

Seats in the municipal assembly ''(Stadtverordnetenversammlung)'' as of 2008 elections: * Christian Democratic Union: 7 *

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...

: 5 * The Left: 5 * PRO Lübben (Independent): 4 * Free Democratic Party: 1 Lübben is twinned with

Wolsztyn Wolsztyn (german: Wollstein) is a town in western Poland, on the western edge of Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seat of Wolsztyn County, and of the smaller administrative district of Gmina Wolsztyn. Geography The town is situated within ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

and

Neunkirchen, Saarland Neunkirchen (; pfl, Neinkeije) is a town and a municipality in Saarland, Germany. It is the largest town in, and the seat of the Neunkirchen (German district), district of Neunkirchen. It is situated on the river Blies, approx. 20 km northea ...

in Germany. Luebben Gut Neuhaus

Places of interest

biosphere reserve * Lübben Castle, on medieval foundations, rebuilt in the 17th century under the rule of Duke Christian I of Saxe-Merseburg * Neuhaus Manor in Steinkirchen, built in 1801, former residence of author Christoph Ernst von Houwald from 1822 on * Romanesque St Pancras

fieldstone church A fieldstone church (german: Feldsteinkirche) is a type of church, built using fieldstone of glacial erratics and glacial rubble. Such cathedrals and monasteries occur mostly in areas where the ice ages have deposited such rock material on the on ...

in Steinkirchen built in the early 13th century, one of the oldest preserved churches in Lower Lusatia * Paul Gerhardt Church from the 16th century, where

Paul Gerhardt Paul Gerhardt (12 March 1607 – 27 May 1676) was a German theologian, Lutheran minister and hymnodist. Biography Gerhardt was born into a middle-class family at Gräfenhainichen, a small town between Halle and Wittenberg. His father died in ...

preached from 1669 on * Roman Catholic Trinity Church, built in 1862

Notable people

Born in Lübben

* Hans Peter Bull (born 1936), German constitutional lawyer and jurist * Karin Büttner-Janz (born 1952 in Hartmannsdorf), German Olympic medal winner in artistic gymnastics and habilitated doctor * Henry Eugene Fritz (1875–1956), American painter * Hans Walter Gruhle (1880–1958), German psychiatrist *

Louis Klopsch Louis Klopsch (March 7, 1852 – March 6, 1910) was a German-American journalist, publisher, and fundraiser for charitable causes. He originated red letter editions of the Bible. Early life Louis Klopsch was born in Lübben, Prussia on March 7 ...

(1852–1910), American author and editor of the ''

Christian Herald The ''Christian Herald'' was an American weekly newspaper reporting on topics relevant to Evangelical Christianity, with an emphasis on engaging with humanitarian causes at home and abroad. It was inspired by the London-based newspaper which cease ...

'' * Sylvio Kroll (born 1965), German Olympic medal winner in artistic gymnastics * Kornelia Kunisch (born 1959), German handball player, 1980 olympic bronze medal with the East German team *

Christian Lillinger Christian Lillinger (born 21 April 1984) is a German drummer, composer and percussionist. He was born in Lübben, grew up in the German village of Kuschkow, and has been living in Berlin since 2003 working as a musician and composer. Christian ha ...

(born 1984), German musician and composer * Karl Otto von Manteuffel (1806-1879), German politician, prussian agriculture minister *

Otto Theodor von Manteuffel Otto Theodor von Manteuffel (3 February 1805 – 26 November 1882) was a conservative Prussian statesman, serving nearly a decade as prime minister. Biography Born into an aristocratic family in Lübben (Spreewald), Manteuffel attended the Lande ...

(1805–1882), German politician, Minister-President of Prussia *

Rudolf Marloth Hermann Wilhelm Rudolf Marloth (28 December 1855 Lübben, Germany – 15 May 1931 Caledon, Cape Province) was a German-born South African botanist, pharmacist and analytical chemist, best known for his ''Flora of South Africa'' which appeared i ...

(1855–1931), South African botanist, pharmacist and analytical chemist * Ella Mensch (1859–1935), German writer, journalist, teacher, feminist and editor * Richard Constantin Noschke (1867–1945), diary of his World War I Alexandra Palace internment sufferings in Imperial War Museum, London. *

Thorsten Rund Thorsten Rund (born 25 February 1976 in Lübben) is a German former professional road and track cyclist. He competed in the points race at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also rode in the 2003 Vuelta a España, finishing 142nd overall. Major resul ...

(born 1976), German cyclist * Carl Siegemund Schönebeck (1758–1806), German composer and cellist * Lavinia Schulz (1896–1924), German dancer and actress *

Ingo Spelly Ingo Spelly (born 6 November 1966 in Lübben, Brandenburg) is an East German-German sprint canoer who competed from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Competing in two Summer Olympics, he won three medals with one gold (C-2 1000 m ...

(born 1966), East German-German sprint canoer, Olympic champion

Related to Lübben

(1607–1676), German hymn writer, 1668 till his death archdeacon of Lübben *

Renate Holm Renate Holm (10 August 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a German-Austrian film actress and operatic soprano. She worked as a dentists' assistant and took private singing lessons, resulting in performances in musical films and schlager. She made her ...

(1931–2022), German-Austrian film actress and operatic soprano, school in Lübben * Christoph Ernst von Houwald (1778–1845), German dramatist and author, died at Neuhaus * Götz von Houwald (1913–2001), German diplomat, historian and ethnographer, completed his secondary education in Lübben * Albert Naumann (1875–1952), German fencer, died in Lübben *

Jens Riewa Jens Riewa (born 2 July 1963) is a German television presenter and broadcast news analyst for the ''Tagesschau'', a programme produced by the German broadcaster ARD. Childhood and youth Jens Riewa grew up in Lübben. He did his Abitur in L ...

(born 1963), German television presenter and broadcast news analyst for the Tagesschau, grew up in Lübben *

Immanuel Johann Gerhard Scheller Immanuel Johann Gerhard Scheller (22 March 1735, in Ihlow – 5 July 1803, in Brieg) was a German classical philologist and lexicographer. From 1757 he studied theology and classical philology at the University of Leipzig, and following graduat ...

(1735–1803), German classical philologist and lexicographer, teacher in Lübben * Daniel Ziebig (born 1983), German footballer, used to live in Lübben *

We Butter the Bread with Butter We Butter the Bread with Butter (also known as WBTBWB) is a German deathcore band noted for their heavy use of electronic music characteristics. The group was founded in 2007 by guitarist Marcel Neumann and vocalist Tobias Schultka, was signed to ...

, German deathcore band formed in 2007

References

External links

Lübben (Spreewald)
– official website
Old postcards of Lübben
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lubben Spreewald Localities in Dahme-Spreewald