Cottbus, the green city on the Spree River, has long been well-known for its parks and has more recently established itself as a University City.

Cottbus is also a centre for trade fairs and congresses in Lower Lusatia. This bilingual town's history has been shaped by both Germans and Sorbs.

Situated between Berlin and Dresden, close to the Spreewald (River Spree forest), Cottbus is an easy destination to reach for tourists. Its culture, art and nature offer many opportunities for adventure, sightseeing and recreation.

Cottbus – a city of culture and arts and a centre of health

  • Fürst-Pückler Park and Castle Branitz
  • StaatstheaterCottbus (State Theatre)
  • Centre of top class sports
  • Excellent and plentiful leisure-time activities
  • Carl-Thiem-Klinikum (Clinical Centre)
  • Sana-Herzzentrum (Cardiac Centre)

Short review

  • Federal state: Brandenburg
  • Situated between the metropolitan areas of Berlin and Dresden
  • 51 degrees North latitude, 14 degrees East longitude, 75 metres above sea level
  • Population: approx. 100.000 inhabitants
  • Total area: 164 km²

Travel connection

  • By car:
    BAB 13 Berlin - Dresden
    BAB 15 Berlin - Cottbus - Forst - Breslau

  • Railway connections:
    Cottbus - Görlitz Cottbus - Leipzig Cottbus - Dresden
    Cottbus - Hannover
    Cottbus - Berlin
    Cottbus - Forst (Lausitz)
    Cottbus - Emden Cottbus - Frankfurt/Oder

  • Airports:
    Berlin - Schönefeld,
    Berlin - Tegel,
    Dresden

Cottbus' history in brief:

  • 12th century: First documented reference to the city
  • 13th century: First planned settlement
  • 16th century: Development of the town's textiles industry
  • 18th century: Foundation of a French town colony
  • 19th century: First wool spinning factory
  • 19th and 20th century: Industrialisation and brown coal mining made Cottbus into an industrial town.
  • Following the establishment of the GDR (German Democratic Republic), Cottbus becomes district capital and plays a vital role in providing the country's energy.
  • 1976: Cottbus reaches the magic number of 100,000 inhabitants and becomes the status of a city.
  • In 1990, the fall of Communism prompted a deep structural change.

Cottbus today:

  • Cottbus is developing into the centre for services, science and administration in southern Brandenburg.
  • Cottbus is now the second biggest city in Brandenburg, the so-called high level centre of southern Brandenburg and the region's centre of development.
  • The only Technical University in Brandenburg is located in Cottbus.
  • Cottbus has become a financial centre for Brandenburg.
  • Cottbus has also become the trade fair and congress centre of the region.
  • Cottbus is now a member of "Euroregion Spree-Neiße-Bober".
  • In 1995, Cottbus was the first city to organise the Federal Gardening Exhibition in the new federal states. That led to the realisation of city development "Cottbus 2000".
  • Cottbus is a centre for top-class sports.