Lauenburg | |
|---|---|
 View from the Elbe | |
 Flag _COA.svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Lauenburg within Lauenburg district  | |
  Lauenburg  Lauenburg | |
| Coordinates:53°23′N10°34′E / 53.383°N 10.567°E /53.383; 10.567 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Schleswig-Holstein |
| District | Lauenburg |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andreas Thiede |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.54 km2 (3.68 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 49 m (161 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[1] | |
• Total | 11,855 |
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 21481 |
| Dialling codes | 04153 |
| Vehicle registration | RZ |
| Website | www |
Lauenburg (German pronunciation:[ˈlaʊənbʊʁk]ⓘ), orLauenburg an der Elbe (English:"Lauenburg on the Elbe";Danish:Lauenborg), is a town in the state ofSchleswig-Holstein,Germany. It is situated on the northern bank of the riverElbe, east ofHamburg. It is overall the southernmost town of Schleswig-Holstein and belongs to the district (German:Kreis) ofHerzogtum Lauenburg.
The town was founded in 1182 byBernard ofAscania, the ancestor of theDukes of Lauenburg. It took its name from that of the castle ofLowenborch (erected here between 1181 and 1182), deriving fromLave, thePolabian-language name of the Elbe (compare modernCzechLabe).
Saxe-Lauenburg was aduchy until 1 July 1876, when it was incorporated into theRoyal PrussianProvince of Schleswig-Holstein. Lauenburg served as the ducal capital until 1616, when the castle burnt down. In 1619 the capital was moved toRatzeburg. The area of the duchy was roughly identical with that of today's district. In medieval times Lauenburg was a waypoint on theOld Salt Route, while today it is the southern terminus of theElbe-Lübeck Canal.
Following the Napoleonic Wars, Lauenburg was ceded by Prussia toDenmark in exchange for the region of Pomerania.
Between 1945 and 1982, Lauenburg served as West Germaninner German border crossing for cars travelling alongBundesstraße 5 between theSoviet Zone of occupation in Germany (till 1949), thereafter the EastGerman Democratic Republic, orWest Berlin and the British zone of occupation (till 1949) and thereafter the West GermanFederal Republic of Germany. The traffic was subject to theInterzonal traffic regulations that between West Germany and West Berlin followed the special regulations of theTransit Agreement (1972).
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Lauenburg has many historic buildings from the 17th century and earlier. These include houses, which were mostly the homes of sailors, and the Maria-Magdalenen Church, which was built in the 13th century.
The town is nestled at the bottom of 50 meter high bluffs. Narrow streets up the hill lead to the "upper town" where Lauenburg Castle is located. Lauenburg Castle, the former residence of the Dukes of Lauenburg and the political centre of their Dukedom, the majority of which has since been destroyed, with only the old castle tower remaining. Currently, the castle serves as city and municipal administration. To the south of the city lies the Elbe and Lower-Saxony, which used to belong to the duchy until it was ceded to the then neighbouringKingdom of Hanover in 1814.
Lauenburg also has the "Palmschleuse", a historicriver lock, originally built in 1398 and renewed in the 17th century. It is the oldest of its kind in Europe.[citation needed]
Lauenburg istwinned with:
Boizenburg (Germany)
Dudelange (Luxembourg)
Lębork (Poland) (formerlyLauenburg in Pommern)
Manom (France)
(in German)| International | |
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