The history of Cottbus

The city of Cottbus was founded on the crossroads between two important trade routes: the 'Lower salt way' connecting Central Germany to Silesia (Magdeburg to Breslau), and the other way, connecting Frankfort on Oder to Dresden.

Cottbus was first mentioned in a written document in the year 1156. However, the first settlements can be traced back up to 3,000 years ago. Germanic peoples began to settle in the town in the 3rd and 4th centuries. During the 8th century, the Lusici began to settle in the region. The Lusici were a West Slavonic tribe and came from the same group of people as the Sorbs. It is believed that the Sorbs/Wends built a Slavonic castle dam on a sand island on the river Spree's west bank during the 10th century. The Schloss hill or Court hill can now to be found at this location. Protected by the Slavonic 'Burg', the Wends built a pre-castle settlement, which developed into an early town-like suburb during the 11th and 12th century. In the course of the Germans' East expansion and colonisation the Burg was taken and occupied by an imperial earl. In the 13th century, the town expanded following a plan, and more and more Germans came to live in it. Wends and Germans have lived together in this town ever since.

The 'Herren von Cottbus', Franconian gentries, reigned from 1199 to 1445. Their arms carried the symbol of the crayfish, and this became part of the early town seal and subsequently, the coat of arms. In 1405 and 1406, Johann III gave privileges to the clothmakers and linen-weavers guilds.

The combination of the wool markets, which were well established by 1501, and the advantageous location on two trade highways brought about more economic activity in the town. The Cottbus cloth materials soon entered the markets of Bohemia, Saxonia and Brandenburg. Since 1445, with the exception of the period from 1807 to 1815, Cottbus has been under the reign of Brandenburg. The importance of Cottbus at these times could be illustrated by the in 1501 received privileges of holding the 'Biermeile' and the twice annual wool markets.

The many plagues of crop pests and disastrous town fires as well as a lengthy occupation during the 30-years war caused devastation, calamity and poverty for the town.

Cottbus' economy received a fresh impetus at the beginning of the 18th century when French Huguenots began to settle in the town. They introduced new trades to the town like silks, tobacco planting and stocking-weavery all of which did a lot to stimulate trade and commerce. Cottbus' cloth products were now well-known in Denmark, Sweden, Alsatia and America. After the 1815 Vienna Congress, Cottbus and the former Saxon region of Niederlausitz were integrated into Prussia.

In the 19th century, Cottbus received a further impetus by increasing industrial development (textile manufacturing and brown coal mining). In the 20th century, Cottbus became the centre of the Niederlausitz region, an industrial town with a good infrastructure, cultural and social facilities but it also became a greener town.

Becoming a district centre during the GDR period, Cottbus became a vital supplier of coal and energy from 1957 onwards. Civil engineering, textile and furniture manufacturing and food production industries had a large say in forming the town's economic character. Thanks to them, Cottbus became a city in 1976.

The extensive privatisation of the economy following German reunification in October 1990 initiated a deep structural change in the city and region. Cottbus is now central to southern Brandenburg due to the concentration of services, sciences and administration in the city.

Safeguarding the city's customs was a task for the 'Freunde des Heimattreffs'. They wanted people from Cottbus as well as friends of the city from around the world to be able to keep up to date with all the latest developments, to discuss domestic themes and maybe even exchange photographs. Visit the society's homepage.

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