Bautzen (Sorbian Budyšin) is a thousand-year-old city in Upper
Lusatia and is considered the capital of the Sorbs. It has a very
well-preserved or restored old town including a pub scene. In
addition, Bautzen is known nationwide for its mustard and as the
location of the "Stasi prison" Bautzen II.
Bautzen,
originally a Slavic settlement of Budissin, appears as a fortified
city as early as 1004, when it was conquered by King Heinrich II.
The reputation of a relic, an arm of St. Peter, contributed to its
elevation. Here the peace between the Polish Duke Boleslaw and
Emperor Heinrich II was concluded in 1018 and the contract between
Charles IV and Ludwig von Brandenburg in 1350, whereby Ludwig
renounced his claims to Lower Lusatia, but Brandenburg was
guaranteed. Bautzen suffered a lot in the Hussite War, but in 1431
repelled a storm. During the Thirty Years' War, Elector Georg took
it in 1620 after a four-week siege; In 1633 it was conquered by
Wallenstein, and on May 4, 1634, the imperial Colonel v. Goltz down
before he surrendered. In 1813 Bautzen became famous through the
battle of May 20th and 21st, in which Napoleon's armies fought
against the allies Russia and Prussia.
By plane
The nearest commercial airport is Dresden-Klotzsche
Airport internet wikipediacommons (IATA: DRS). After arrival, you can
either drive about 50 km via the A 4 in the direction of Görlitz, or
take the S-Bahn or bus 80 to Dresden-Klotzsche station and then take the
train (RE 1 or RB 60) to Bautzen.
The former Litten military
airport in the immediate vicinity of the city of Bautzen is used by
sports aircraft and for events such as the “VW Whitsun Meeting” or the
“Bautzen Flight Days” (“Litten Flight Days”).
By train
With
the regional express from Dresden main station or Görlitz to Bautzen
station. The train station is one and a half kilometers south of the
center; Accordingly, it is then a 10 to 15 minute walk to the old town.
By bus
Due to its location on the east-west highway A 4, Bautzen
is a stop for numerous bus lines from different parts of Germany on the
way to the Czech Republic. There are several long-distance bus stops.
This is on the one hand a stop at the train station, on the other hand a
stop on the arterial road towards the motorway (Flixbus stop)
In
the street
Bautzen is on the federal autobahn A4 E40 and thus on a
major east-west axis. The city can therefore be reached quickly and
easily from Dresden in the west and from Görlitz in the east. The best
way to get here from the north is via the federal roads B96 or B156.
The sights of the old town of Bautzen are close together and can be easily reached on foot. Bautzen now also has a well-developed network of cycle paths. There are also several city bus lines.
Protestants predominate among the faithful inhabitants of the city. A
third of the population is non-denominational.
The largest
evangelical community in Saxony, the parish of St. Petri, is located in
the city. The Bautzen-Gesundbrunnen community emerged from it, which
became an independent Protestant parish in Bautzen in 1994. The Catholic
parish of St. Petri is one of the largest in the diocese of
Dresden-Meissen. Both communities share the Petridom, the oldest and one
of the largest simultaneous churches in Germany.
Of the seven
churches in the historic city area, five are still used for worship
(Cathedral, Michaeliskirche, Maria-und-Martha-Kirche, Taucherkirche,
Liebfrauenkirche), two are ruins (Monk's Church and St. Nicholas'
Church).
There is also the small monastery church of St. Clara of
the Poor Clares with an interior designed in a modern way by Friedrich
Press, an institutional church in Bautzen I, a community center with a
bell tower in Gesundbrunnen that is also used as a church, two chapels
and smaller church buildings in some districts, for example in
Kleinwelka.
Bautzen Museum
The Sorbian Museum (Serbski muzej) is based in the
former salt house on the Ortenburg. The museum's exhibitions provide
information about the origin, language, history, art and literature, way
of life and customs of the Sorbs.
The cathedral treasury of St. Petri
is located in the cathedral chapter of St. Petri directly behind the
cathedral. It shows works of religious art that were mainly collected in
the vicinity of the cathedral and for its liturgy or by the canons.
Old water art
Bautzen Memorial
Historical mustard exhibits are
shown in the mustard museum and the history of Bautzen mustard
production is traced.
The largest public library is the Bautzen City Library on Schloßstraße with 250,000 media. The children's and youth library is located in the former public school at Buttermarkt. In addition to the city library, the Bautzen city archive and the state branch archive are housed. With the Sorbian Central Library (Serbska centralna biblioteka) in the Sorbian Institute on Bahnhofstrasse with 110,000 media, the largest Sorbian library is also based in Bautzen. The Sorbian Cultural Archive (Serbski kulturny archiw) is located in the same building.
The old town of Bautzen impresses with its closed stock of historical
buildings. The city-independent Kommunalentwicklung Sachsen GmbH (KES),
regional office in Leipzig, describes Bautzen in its elaboration on the
Integrated Urban Development Concept Bautzen (InSEK) from February 2002
as a city that has an above-average potential for city tourism due to
the interplay of binational culture and "impressive city silhouette".
and "significant architectural monuments".
The Ortenburg Castle,
now used by the Saxon Higher Administrative Court, towers over the city
and its white Renaissance gables are particularly striking. The Sorbian
Museum and the puppet theater with the Rietschel gable set up there are
located in various outbuildings in the courtyard of the Ortenburg. The
court judge's house on the northern city wall, which has a filigree
chimney from the Renaissance, is also particularly emphasized by
architecture connoisseurs.
The most striking ensemble of the
city, consisting of Alter Wasserkunst and Michaeliskirche, is located in
the south-west corner of the old town and is clearly visible from the
Friedensbrücke. However, the most important ecclesiastical building in
the city is St. Peter's Cathedral, which has been used as a simultaneous
church by both Catholics and Lutherans since the Reformation. In the
church, the two denominations are separated by a grid.
The
Bautzner Domstift is located north of the cathedral. It acquired the
basic features of its current form around 1500. At the end of the
17th/beginning of the 18th century, the previously one- and two-storey
building was extended and expanded in a regular U-shape. The southern
closure and the magnificent baroque portal were created in the mid-18th
century. The portal shows the coat of arms of the cathedral chapter and
below it the cathedral dean who reigned at the time, Jakob Wosky von
Bärenstamm, surmounted by the depiction of the Trinity (Father, Son,
Holy Spirit). Next to it are angels and figures of saints. Today the
building houses the cathedral treasury of St. Petri as well as the
diocesan archive and library of the Dresden-Meissen diocese.
South of the cathedral is the city's baroque town hall; from the main
market you can see the different clocks of the town hall tower. The most
important baroque ensemble of the city with various well-preserved town
houses in the style of Dresden baroque is located on the main market.
Whole streets with richly designed façade decorations have survived
here, for example on the main market, in the inner Lauenstraße and the
Reichenstraße. The town houses on the western side of Lauenstrasse
between the Lauen Tower and the town hall are in the Saxon High Baroque
style, as in Dresden's old town until it was destroyed on February 13,
1945. The building at number 6 Inner Lauenstrasse (façade with four
allegorical figures) is after 1720 the creative influence of Balthasar
Permoser. The Gewandhaus is also located on the main market. The late
Gothic Ratskeller has been preserved under the historicizing new
building from 1882; the star vault rests on a single granite central
pillar. This is where the Inner Lauenstrasse begins, once a trade route
to Prague via Rumburk, Česká Lípa and Mělník.
The new water art
is located south of the city center. Due to its castle complex and the
striking city panorama, Bautzen has been referred to as "Saxon
Nuremberg" since the 19th century.
Bautzen is also known as the
"city of towers". One of the most famous towers is the Reichenturm, also
known as the "Leaning Tower of Bautzen". The Electoral Saxon post
distance columns in front of the city gates are no longer preserved, but
the rest of an Electoral Saxon whole mile column from 1725 from the post
road on the Via Regia from the Schmole district is now on the Kornmarkt.
To the east of the old town are the diving church, which is designed
in a purely Protestant style inside, and the diving cemetery with its
baroque tomb road, which is rarely found north of the Alps. The cemetery
is named after the diver, a forest near Uhyst on the diver. Further
south in a villa district is the Villa Weigang, built in 1902/03 by
Alwin Louis Christoph Anger from Kurort Hartha for the industrial
magnate Eduard Weigang, with Art Nouveau facades and interior decoration
in various historicist styles. Near the villa is the Art Nouveau
courthouse in Lessingstraße, which houses the district court, district
court and public prosecutor's office. The Bautzen memorial was set up in
the rear wing of the building to commemorate the Bautzen II prison that
used to be there.
The Bautzen school observatory "Johannes Franz" is one of the oldest and largest school observatories in Germany.
Along the former city wall, which separated the city center from the
eastern and southern parts of the city, there is an extensive park with
trees from different parts of the world. The Bautzen Nature Park is
located in the southeast of the city.
Five kilometers from the
historic city center is the Kleinwelka district with Germany's largest
maze, including an adventure and puzzle labyrinth, the dinosaur park and
dinosaur garden and the Kleinwelka miniature park with Klein-Ossi-Land.
The dinosaur park also contains a dinosaur cinema, an excavation
site and a planetary playground. The park was created by Franz Gruß from
Großwelka, who started modeling dinosaurs and apes in his own garden in
Großwelka in 1978. From 1981, Gruß also designed the community dinosaur
park, which Thomas Stern has expanded since 1994. Since it was founded,
the park has had around five million visitors.
Memorial to the fallen in the Battle of Bautzen on May 20/21, 1813 at
the diving cemetery, erected in 1853
King Albert monument by sculptor
Walter Hauschild on the south side of the Lauenturm, erected in 1913
Memorial and meeting place for all victims of political tyranny in the
Bautzen prisons Weigangstrasse 8a
Memorial from 1950 on the Muskauer
Strasse Jewish Cemetery for concentration camp inmates of the Groß-Rosen
subcamp
Memorial stone with information board in front of the
premises of the Bautzen Waggonbau on the Neuesche Promenade for 300
prisoners and forced laborers who did not live to see their liberation
Collective grave and memorial stone from 1961 in the area on the brick
wall at the corner of Muskauer Straße for 92 prisoners of war from the
Soviet Union and Poland who were victims of a mass murder in
Neuwuischke.
The sun gate erected on the Kornmarkt in 2014 replicates
the solstice on the Teufelsstein near Pliesskowitz.
Bautzen is the seat of numerous institutions of the Sorbian people.
The Foundation for the Sorbian People (Załožba za serbski lud), as a
joint instrument of the federal government and the states of Brandenburg
and Saxony, supports the preservation and development, promotion and
dissemination of the Sorbian language, culture and traditions as an
expression of the identity of the Sorbian people.
The Domowina
(Sorbian poetic for "home", actually Zwjazk Łužiskich Serbow, Bund
Lusatian Sorbs) based in the house of the Sorbs at Postplatz is the
umbrella organization of Sorbian clubs and associations.
Almost all
Sorbian books, newspapers and magazines are published by the Domowina
publishing house. These and other printed matter, sound carriers, etc.
on Sorbian and regional topics are available in the Smoler'sche
Verlagsbuchhandlung on Tuchmacherstrasse.
As "Sorbischer Rundfunk"
(Serbski rozhłós), Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) broadcasts a daily
five-hour program in Sorbian from the Bautzen studio on Postplatz.
The German-Sorbian People's Theater (Němsko-Serbske ludowe dźiwadło),
Seminarstraße 12, in the Schilleranlagen. Since 2003, the theater has
had a second venue for puppets and cabaret, the Burgtheater (Dźiwadło na
hrodźe) in the Ortenburg courtyard. The theater is a municipal operation
of the district of Bautzen and is funded proportionately by the
Foundation for the Sorbian People and the cultural area of Upper
Lusatia/Lower Silesia.
The Sorbian Institute (Serbski institut) at
Bahnhofstraße 6 focuses on Sorbian cultural research and practical
support for the Sorbian language and culture in Upper and Lower Lusatia.
The Sorbian Central Library (Serbska centralna biblioteka), which is
open to the public, is also located at the same location.
The Sorbian
National Ensemble (Serbski ludowy ansambl) was founded in 1952 at the
suggestion of the Domowina. Funded by the Foundation for the Sorbian
People, the three professional divisions of ballet, choir and orchestra
maintain, preserve and develop the cultural tradition of the Sorbs.
Association for authentic Sorbian folk music. The aim of the association
is to develop and present folk music in the same way as it once sounded
throughout bilingual Lusatia. The “Wendish dances”, which have been
known and loved in Lusatia for centuries, form an important focus.
The Sorbian youth association "PAWK" (Eng. "The Spider") has been active
not only in Lusatia but also internationally since it was founded in
1995. He represents the Sorbs in the Organization of Youth of European
Nationalities (YEN) and is a recognized partner of the Federal Union of
European Nationalities (FUEN).
Almost 100 writers, composers, actors,
dancers, musicians and painters are united in the Sorbian Artists'
Association (Zwjazk serbskich wuměłcow). The federation founded in 1990
is one of the most active within the Domowina.
The city is home to the football club FSV Budissa Bautzen, which
played in the Regionalliga Nordost from 2014 to 2019 and will compete in
the sixth-rate Sachsenliga in 2019/20. Its home is the multifunctional
stadium Müllerwiese, which is also equipped for athletics events and is
located in the south of the city in the Spreetal.
Another locally
important club that is particularly active in youth work is SV Bautzen.
The venue is the artificial turf pitch on Thrombergstrasse, which was
used in 2004.
In GDR times, Bautzen was a stronghold of skittles,
especially bowling. Especially the BSGs Motor Bautzen and progress
Bautzen could refer to a large number of successes in the men's singles
and the men's team during this time. For example, from 1970 to 1990, a
team from Bautzen was among the top three at all East German bowling
championships, often both teams. In these 20 years, a team from Bautzen
was GDR champion seven times.
The volleyball department of MSV
Bautzen 04 already played in the regional league east. Home games always
take place in the Schützenplatzhalle.
The Bautzen toboggan run
has existed since 1989 and is run by the SG Bautzen Nord e. V.,
department for sledging. It serves as a training center.
Stone
house
The Steinhaus is a cultural center on Steinstrasse with a
concert hall, café, theater stage, cinema, studio, gallery and many
other offerings, run by Steinhaus e. V. is operated. Today's largest
socio-cultural center in East Saxony emerged from the FDJ youth center
"Willy Mirtschin", which was converted into an open youth center after
1990. The major annual events include the BEAT band competition and, in
the past, the Battle of the East breakdance competition and the Bautzen
Skate Contest. From 2012 to 2014 the house was completely renovated and
expanded.
In the spring, the street festival "Bautzener Frühling" takes place regularly. The traditional Easter egg-pushing event on the Protschenberg on the western outskirts of the city is also of national importance. It is the largest children's festival in the region and has since gained national appeal. Bautzen is one of the starting points for the Easter riding. The Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany. The open-air performances of the Bautzen Theater Summer by the German-Sorbian People's Theater, which mostly take place in the courtyard of the Ortenburg, are also very popular. Since 1993, the "International Bautzen City Run" has taken place every September, which is the largest running event in Upper Lusatia.
The Bautzner mustard is famous. In the Bautzener mustard shop there
is a large selection of different types of Bautz'ner mustard and other
products, such as Bautzener beers, which are intended as souvenirs.
You can try typical Sorbian dishes in various restaurants. At the
time of the bird wedding on January 25th, as in large parts of Lusatia,
there are various special baked goods, for example in the form of nests
and birds.
Dishes such as "Teichlmauke" are still regularly
prepared in many old Bautzen families, although this dish is more
typical of the southern district of Bautzen, for example in
Schirgiswalde.
1 Bautz'ner mustard shop, factory & museum, Fleischmarkt 5, 02625
Bautzen. Tel.: +49(0)3591 597118. The history of Bautz'ner mustard is
shown in several showcases and there is a mustard mill from the last
century. You can also try and buy mustard. Open: daily from 10 a.m. to 7
p.m., January to March until 5 p.m.
2 Kornmarkt Center, Kornmarkt 7,
02625 Bautzen. Open: Mon - Fri 9.30 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sat 9.30 a.m. - 6
p.m.
3 Marktkauf, Niederkainaer Str. 14, 02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49
(0)3591 6280. Open: Mon – Wed, Sat 7 a.m. – 8 p.m., Thu + Fri 7 a.m. – 9
p.m.
4 Kaufland, Gesundbrunnenring 62, 02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49
(0)3591 67190. Open: Mon – Sat 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Reichenstrasse
Cheap
1 Restaurant Zur Apotheke, Schloßstraße 21, 02625 Bautzen.
Tel.: +49 (0)3591 480035, e-mail: zur.apotheke@t-online.de. Open: May –
Oct: Mon is closed, Tue – Sun 11.30 a.m. – 2 p.m. + 5.30 p.m. – 11 p.m.;
Nov – May: Mon + Tues are days of rest, Wed – Fri 5.30 p.m. – 11 p.m.,
Sat + Sun 11.30 a.m. – 2 p.m. + 5.30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
2 Restaurant da
Roberto, Kurt-Pchalek-Strasse 18, 02625 Bautzen. Tel: +49 (0)3591
5640604. Italian restaurant. Open: Thu – Tue 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., closed on
Wed.
Middle
3 Mönchshof zu Bautzen, Burglehn 1, 02625 Bautzen.
Phone: +49(0)3591 490141, fax: +49(0)3591 40342, email:
info@moenchshof.de. Hearty dishes in a medieval setting. Open: daily
from 11 a.m.
4 Restaurant Zum Karasek, Hintere Reichenstrasse 2,
02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49 (0)3591 45066, Fax: +49 (0)3591 302843. Open:
Tue – Sat 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sun 11.30 a.m. – 9.30 p.m., Mon closed.
5 Castle courtyard restaurant. Phone: +49 (0)3591 531336, fax: +49 3591
531815, email: info@burghof-ortenburg.de. Open: Mon – Fri 11 a.m. – 2
p.m. + 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., Sat 11.30 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
6 Zum Zollhaus, Äußere Lauenstrasse 62, 02625 Bautzen. Phone: +49
(0)3591 460237, email: service@zollhaus-bautzen.de. Overnight
accommodation available, as it is also a guesthouse.
7 Mythos,
Hauensteingasse 1, 02625 Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)3591 270757, email:
info@mythos-bautzen.de. Greek restaurant. Open: Mon, Wed, Thu 5 p.m. –
11 p.m., Fri – Sun 11.30 a.m. – 2.30 p.m. + 5.30 p.m. – 11.30 p.m., Tue
closed.
8 Winter's Steakhouse, Dresdener Strasse 50, 02625 Bautzen.
Tel.: +49 (0)3591 464057. Open: Fri – Wed 11.30 a.m. – 2 p.m. + 5 p.m. –
10 p.m., Thurs closed.
Zum Haseneck, Kurt-Pchalek-Strasse 1, 02625
Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)3591 47913, fax: +49 (0)3591 47913, e-mail:
zum-haseneck@gmx.de. Open: Mon, Wed – Sat 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.
– 2 p.m., Tue is closed.
9 Ocean Beach Bar, Strandpromenade 5 02625
Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)152 31715367, email: beachbar-bautzen@gmx.de.
Upscale
10 Restaurant Zum Karasek, Hintere Reichenstrasse 2,
02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49 (0)3591 45066, Fax: +49 (0)3591 302843. Open:
Tue – Sat 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sun 11.30 a.m. – 9.30 p.m., Mon closed.
11 Restaurant Culinarium, Große Brüdergasse 10, 02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49
(0)3591 2704949, fax: +49 (0)3591 2704950, e-mail:
info@culinarium-bautzen.de. Open: Tue – Fri 11.30 a.m. – 2 p.m. + 5 p.m.
– 10 p.m., Sat 5 p.m. – 11 p.m., Sun + Mon are days off.
Theatre
3 German-Sorbian People's Theater, Seminarstraße 12, 02625
Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)3591 5840.
4 Burgtheater, Ortenburg 7, 02625
Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)3591 584274.
Pubs & Miscellaneous
Old
town:
Sam's Bar, Fleischmarkt 4, 02625 Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)3591
3818435, email: sams.bar@hotmail.de. Open: Wed – Mon 7 p.m. – 2 a.m.,
Tue closed.
La Bodega
Schenke Castle
Bar-Caracas, Schloßstraße
7, 02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49 (0)3591 530050. Open: Tue – Thu 7 p.m. –
midnight, Fri + Sat 7 p.m. – 2 a.m., closed Sun + Mon.
Old smokehouse
beer academy
Further urban area:
Bautzen brewery,
Thomas-Mann-Strasse 7, 02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49 (0)3591 491456. Open:
Tue – Fri 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., Sat + Sun 2 p.m. – 10 p.m., closed on
Mondays.
For the youth:
Steinhaus Bautzen, Steinstrasse 37,
02625 Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)3591 5319966, fax: +49 (0)3591 5319967,
email: steinhaus@steinhaus-bautzen.de. Open: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Cheap
1 DJH youth hostel Bautzen "Gerberbastei", Am Zwinger 1,
02625 Bautzen. Tel.: +49 (0)3591 40347, fax: +49 (0)3591 40348, e-mail:
bautzen@jugendherberge.de. Youth hostel with 115 beds in the historic
center of Bautzen in a fortified tower and in two town houses. It is
part of the medieval city fortifications. Features: Wheelchair
Accessible, WiFi. Open: all year round (except Christmas). Check-in:
17:00-20:00. Check-out: until 10:00 a.m. Price: from €25/BB (only for
DJH members).
2 Hotel "Alte Tannerei", Uferweg 1 (further downtown).
Tel.: +49 (0)3591 272390, fax: (0)3591 2723921, e-mail:
info@hotel-alte-gerberei.de. Price: Single room from €54, double room
from €74.
3 Pension Stadtwall Bautzen, Flinzstr. 4A (further
downtown). Tel.: +49 (0)3591 44848, fax: (0)3591 460090, e-mail:
info@pension-stadtwall.de. Feature: pension. Price: Single room from
€31, double room from €43.
4 Spreepension Bautzen, Fischergasse 6
(further downtown). Phone: +49 (0)3591 48960, fax: (0)3591 489644,
e-mail: Frenzel.pension@t-online.de. Feature: pension. Price: Single
room from €36, double room from €58.
5 Haus Buchheim (Pension "Am
Schloss"), Schlossstr. 11, 02625 Bautzen (inner old town). Phone: +49
(0)3591 4640499, fax: +49 (0)3591 4640505, e-mail:
info@pension-am-schloss-bautzen.de. Pension built between 1664 and 1709
in the birthplace of Prof. Rudolf Buchheim (1820-1879), a famous son of
the city of Bautzen. Features: ★★★, Garni, Pension, Free Parking. Price:
SR from €55/BB, double room from €74/BB.
Pension "Stephan",
Schlossstr. 1 (inner old town core). Phone: +49 (0)3591 47590, fax:
(0)3591 47591, e-mail: Pension.Stephan@t-online.de. Feature: pension.
Price per person. including breakfast: single room €45, double room €35.
Middle
6 Pension "Dom-Eck", Breitengasse 2 (inner old town).
Tel.: +49 (0)3591 501330, fax: (0)3591 501334, e-mail: info@wjelbik.de.
Feature: pension. Price: SR €52-57, DR €62-72.
7 Pension
"Schloss-Schänke", Burgplatz 5, 02625 Bautzen (inner old town). Tel.:
+49 (0)3591 304990, fax: (0)3591 490198, e-mail:
info@schloss-schaenke.net. Feature: pension. Price: Single room from
€55, double room from €69.
8 Best Western Plus Hotel Bautzen,
Wendischer Graben 20, 02625 Bautzen (further downtown). Phone: +49
(0)3591 492-0, fax: +49 (0)3591 492100, e-mail:
info@hotel-bautzen.bestwestern.de. Hotel with 157 rooms on 6 floors.
Features: ★★★★, free WiFi, parking, bicycle parking, conference room,
wellness center.
9 Hotel Villa Antonia, Lessingstrasse 1, 02625
Bautzen. Phone: +49 (0)3591 460888, email: info@hotel-villa-antonia.de.
The Tiroler Stuben restaurant belongs to the hotel. Price: double room
from 71€.
Upscale
10 Hotel "Goldener Adler", Hauptmarkt 4,
02625 Bautzen (inner old town). Tel.: +49 (0)3591 48660, fax: (0)3591
486620, e-mail: kontakt@goldeneradler.de. Tradition since 1540.
Features: ★★★★, Garni, free WiFi. Price: Double room from €89/night.
Campsite & caravan site
11 Nature and adventure camping at the
Bautzen reservoir, Nimschützer Straße 41, 02625 Bautzen - Burk. Tel.:
+49 (0)3591 271267, e-mail: camping-bautzen@web.de.
12 RV park in
Bautzen (Schliebenstrasse car park), Schliebenstrasse 24, 02625 Bautzen.
4 RV sites.
Bautzen was first mentioned in 1002 as civitas
Budusin, the main town of the Sorbian tribe of the Milzener. There
are several interpretations of this name. Some scientists assume the
designation “Bud”, “Bod” or “Budetzsch” means “Grenzort”. Another
common variant says that the settlement was named after the Slavic
prince Budissentius (or Budestaus), who is said to have founded it
in the 9th century. The name could also be derived from the female
personal name Budiša (for "the alarm clock") or from "Budy" ("hut
settlement"). A Bautzen legend, on the other hand, reports that a
traveling pregnant duchess stopped at the place where Bautzen is
today and surprisingly gave birth to her child. The husband rushing
up is said to have asked: “Bude syn?” (“Will it be a son?”).
Up into the 15th century, the following variants of the Sorbian term
Budissin can be found almost exclusively in written documents:
Bawdysen, Baudyssen, Paudescheyn, Baudissyn, Budessen, Baudissin,
Bauwdiczen, Buditcynn and Bawdycyn. Even today this name lives on in
the Sorbian (Budyšin; Lower Sorbian Budyšyn), Czech (Budyšín) and
Polish (Budziszyn audio file / audio sample pronunciation? / I)
names for Bautzen.
From the middle of the 15th century
Germanized variants were used more frequently, namely Bucen (1450),
Boytzen (1512), Pautzen (1519) and Bautzen for the first time in
1523. The names Budissin and Bautzen were used in parallel by the
population until well into the 19th century, with only Budissin
being used officially. On June 3, 1868, Bautzen became the city's
official name through a Saxon ministerial ordinance.
In the
Upper Lusatian dialect, which is not spoken in Bautzen itself, the
city name is Bautzn, formerly Budisse.
The name Bautzen was
also given to an asteroid in honor of the city. In addition, on June
2, 2004 in Dresden-Neustadt an Intercity-Express was christened
Bautzen / Budyšin.
The area of today's city was settled in the Stone Age. For example, prehistoric remains were found in the Burk district in the northeast and near Niedergurig. In the 3rd century there was an East Germanic settlement here. For the year 1002 the Ortenburg in Bautzen was named for the first time as budusin civitatem by Thietmar von Merseburg as the central place of Upper Lusatia and the tribal center of the Milzener. After repeated battles, it fell to the Polish prince Bolesław Chrobry that year and remained in Polish hands until 1031. In 1018 the peace treaty between the Holy Roman Empire and Poland was signed at the Ortenburg (Peace of Bautzen). In the period that followed, the city of Bautzen developed east of the castle, benefiting significantly from its location at the Spree crossing of the Via Regia, an important transport link between the Rhine and Silesia, and also being on the Frankenstrasse. In 1031 Bautzen came back to the Holy Roman Empire. King Heinrich IV gave the state of Bautzen in 1081 after his victory over the Saxons as an imperial fiefdom to Duke Vratislav II of Bohemia, who gave it as a dowry to Wiprecht von Groitzsch, who married his daughter. When Wiprecht's son Heinrich von Groitzsch died childless in 1135, Bautzen fell back to the Bohemian king. From 1143 to 1156 the area was under the Wettin margrave Conrad I of Meissen. Between 1158 and 1243, the Bohemian kings ruled the country again as a subsidiary of the crown. Land Budissin was the name of Upper Lusatia until the 15th century. Bautzen received city rights by 1213 at the latest (some researchers speak of 1157, presumably the gradual granting of various (city) rights), and in 1240 the Franciscan monastery was founded. After the wedding of the Brandenburg margrave Otto III. With the daughter of the Bohemian King Wenceslaus I in 1243, Upper Lusatia came to the Ascanians as pledge and was converted into a direct imperial fief in 1283. In 1268 the Brandenburg margraves named an old mint of Bautzen, which was supplemented in the same year by a newly founded Görlitz mint, with which it was to be minted alternately every year.
In 1320 the Brandenburg line of the Ascanians died out, and Bautzen fell back to Bohemia. In 1326, Johannes de Boudissin was the first mention of the Baudissin ministerial family who were on duty at the castle. In 1346, under the leadership of Bautzen, the Upper Lusatian Six Cities League was founded, which played an important role in the history of the area in the following centuries. In 1405 there was a craftsmen's revolt against the city council of Bautzen, which could only be suppressed by the intervention of the Bohemian King Wenceslaus IV. In 1429 and 1431, Bautzen was besieged by the Hussites without success. The Archangel Michael supposedly saved the citizens, whereupon the Michaeliskirche was built in his honor. Between 1469 and 1490 Bautzen belonged to Hungary together with the other Bohemian neighboring countries, fixed by the Peace of Olomouc in 1479. A relief on the east side of the Matthias Tower still reminds of this today, showing the Hungarian king and the Bohemian counter-king Matthias Corvinus, who was elected by the Catholic estates. After his death, Lusatia came back to the Kingdom of Bohemia. The Ortenburg was under Bohemian rule until 1635 the official seat of the Upper Lusatian bailiff. The Sorbian Citizens' Oath ("Burger Eydt Wendisch"), the oldest written document in Upper Sorbian, dates from the early 16th century. The Reformation prevailed between 1520 and 1525. The collegiate chapter of St. Petri, like the Bohemian sovereign, remained Catholic and had been the Catholic diocese administration for the two Lusatia and the diocese of Meissen since 1567 at the latest. In 1547 Bautzen was hit by the Upper Lusatian Pönfall. In Bautzen, 1599–1604 witch hunts were carried out: three people were involved in witch trials, two women were beheaded. During the Thirty Years' War the city was besieged several times by the troops of Wallenstein, Saxony and Sweden. On May 2, 1634, the imperial colonel von der Goltz, who had captured Bautzen in November, had the remains of the suburbs burned down. The fire also spread to the city, killing 700 residents. In 1635 Bautzen came to Saxony with the Margraviate of Upper Lusatia. In 1638 the first hospital was built as a so-called Neuhaus on today's Behringstrasse.
In 1678, due to the great importance of the Margraviate of Upper Lusatia, an electoral post office was set up in the city. The rank of Bautzen as the capital of the margravate within Saxony was made clear, among other things, by the location of this electoral upper post office, a privilege that only Leipzig had except Bautzen. On April 22nd, 1709, there was the second big fire in the history of Bautzen, which destroyed large parts of the city and permanently changed the cityscape. It was not until 1780 that the “Voluntary Citizens Fire Compagnie” was founded, which is still one of the oldest in Saxony. During the Wars of Liberation in 1813 the battle of Bautzen (which took place in the municipality of today's Bautzen and neighboring villages to the east; called Bataille de Wurschen at the Arc de Triomphe) between the anti-Napoleonic coalition and the French ended with the victory of the Napoleonic troops. The Sparkasse was founded in December 1832. In 1868 the city was officially renamed from "Budissin" to Bautzen. The construction of the Saxon state penal institution (Bautzen I) was completed in 1904 and operated as intended. The institution is popularly known as “Gelbes Elend” because of the yellow bricks used. Around the same time, the Bautzen II remand prison, which belongs to the district and regional court, was built. Around 1900, the Israelite religious community, which was established around the same time, set up a Jewish cemetery on Muskauer Strasse in front of the city. Their services took place in rented rooms. In 1915, the city of Saxony left the administrative authority of Bautzen and became a district free until it was reintegrated into the Bautzen district in 1946.
In 1921 Bautzen became the seat of the bishopric of Meißen.
In the week of Pentecost in 1933, a 1000th anniversary of the
membership of Upper Lusatia in the German Reich was celebrated in
Bautzen. This celebration was based on Heinrich I's ride in Lower
Lusatia around 932. A loose bond with Upper Lusatia is said to have
been entered into.
During the Nazi era, many political opponents, socialists and
communists, as well as Jehovah's Witnesses were imprisoned in the
city. In March 1933, the copper and aluminum, rolling, wire and
hammer works C.G.Tietzens Eidamm (copper hammer) in Talstrasse
served as a protective custody camp for 500 German and Sorbian
opponents of Hitler. The union building in today's
Dr.-Maria-Grollmuß-Straße 1 and the house at Äußere Lauenstraße 33
served the same purposes. Ernst Thälmann was imprisoned in Bautzen I
in 1943/44 until he was transported to the Buchenwald concentration
camp. Numerous political prisoners were also interned in Bautzen II
prison, such as the well-known Czech journalist Julius Fučík. In the
south of the city - directly on the Spree - there was also a
satellite camp of the Groß-Rosen concentration camp, in which 1,000
to 1,500 prisoners, mostly Jews, worked in the armaments production
of the wagon construction and machine factory. Busch (Wumag) of the
Flick Group performed forced labor. In the interwar period, Bautzen
was also the seat of the so-called Wenden department set up for
state surveillance of the Sorbian people, which was used for this
purpose both in the Weimar Republic and under the National
Socialists.
During the Second World War, the city suffered
great damage, especially between April 19 and 26, 1945. The domes of
the Lauenturm and the Michaeliskirche were destroyed, almost all
bridges were blown up, the railway viaduct, however, only after May
4th. There were many fatalities. On April 26, 1945, the last major
German tank attack of the Second World War took place in the Battle
of Bautzen; the city was recaptured and remained in German hands
until the surrender.
With the end of
the Second World War, the Bautzen State Penitentiary became one of
the special camps of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs
(NKVD) of the Soviet occupying power, more precisely: Special camp
No. 4 (from the end of 1948: No. 3). Those convicted by the Soviet
military court were housed in the buildings, while the so-called
“internees”, prisoners without conviction, were housed in wooden
barracks outside. With a total occupancy of 27,300 prisoners and an
average occupancy of around 6,500 prisoners, at least 3,000 people
perished there between 1945 and 1950, according to the registration
in the camp cards of the Soviet camp administration. Their names are
listed in the Bautzen Book of the Dead published by the Bautzen
Memorial. There are estimates that are far higher. According to
research by the Bautzen Committee, every third prisoner died in the
camp. The prisoners died of starvation and disease due to the
conditions in which they were detained. According to eyewitness
reports, the dead are said to have been buried on the
"Karnickelberg". During search excavations after the political
change in 1992, only the skeletal parts of 247 dead were found in
the vicinity of the camp. At least 4,000 Bautzen prisoners were
deported to Soviet forced labor camps.
During this time,
numerous opponents of the regime, for example the writers Walter
Kempowski and Erich Loest, were imprisoned in Bautzen prisons. In
1992, Bautzen II was closed. Today the Bautzen Memorial is located
here.
After the war, Bautzen developed into a
science and industrial city in the GDR. Among other things, the
large companies "VEB Waggonbau Bautzen" (today Bombardier
Transportation), the cutting machine factory "Perfecta", a
telecommunications plant, a building materials combine, a technical
college for mechanical engineering, the Sorbian teacher training
institute and the institute for Sorbian folk research as a branch of
the Academy of Sciences GDR settled.
The “Internationale
Solidarität” cultural center, which existed from 1953 to 1963, was
an institution for the cultural and general care of Western
deserters.
Until 1990, Bautzen was the location for the Otto
Lilienthal Officers College.
The Catholic bishopric was moved
to Dresden in 1979. On September 1, 2002, Bautzen celebrated its
first mention a thousand years ago with a parade.
During the refugee crisis in 2016, Bautzen attracted nationwide
attention through right-wing violence against refugees. At the end
of 2015, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony
said the Bautzen district was a focus of right-wing extremist
activity in Saxony. On February 21, 2016, the former hotel
"Husarenhof", which was intended as accommodation for asylum
seekers, was set on fire by strangers. Some onlookers expressed
"undisguised joy". On the night of September 15, around 80 violent
right-wing men and women and a group of around 15 to 20 young asylum
seekers met. On December 13, 2016, five Molotov cocktails were
thrown on the grounds of an asylum seeker accommodation.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the city was referred to as the
“stronghold of conspiracy myths” in winter 2020.
The city on the Spree is located about 50 kilometers east of Dresden at the transition from the Lusatian mountains to the lowlands in the north in the Upper Lusatian region. The Bautzen Dam, completed in 1974, is north of the city. The villages of Malsitz (Małsecy) and Nimschütz (Hněwsecy) used to be in their place in the Spree Valley. About eight kilometers south of the city, the Spree emerges from the Lusatian mountains between the Drohmberg (Lubin) in the east and the Mönchswalder Berg (Mnišonc) in the west.
Lusatian granodiorite forms the bedrock base in the area of the city
of Bautzen. In part, this is near the surface in the area of crests and
hills, in the valley of the Spree it appears in the form of open rock
formations. During the Elster and Saale ice ages, meltwater sands
covered the bedrock. Gravel and sand occur near the surface,
particularly in the Salzenforst area. Both the Lusatian granodiorite and
gravel and sand are used for mining in the Bautzen area.
The
soils in the urban area have mainly developed from the existing loess
loam. Loess-Parabraunerde, free of waterlogging, dominate. The field
numbers are on average between 50 and 60.
The 219 m above sea
level. NN highest point of the historic city area is on the Fleischmarkt
between the cathedral and the town hall. This survey was formerly known
as Irrenberg. The highest elevation of the entire present-day urban area
is 268 m above sea level. NN the Chorberg near the village of
Salzenforst. The 163.4 m above sea level. The lowest point in the city
area is on Niederkainaer Dorfstraße.
The old town of Bautzen extends on the rocky plateau above the Spree, the peak of which is the Ortenburg. It is bordered by the city wall. The newer parts of the city that were built later in the east of the city are surrounded by the city wall. After its demolition, the city initially spread further to the east and to the other bank of the Spree in the west. West of the Spree, however, there is only a small part of the closed urban development. The development areas of Gesundbrunnen and Allendeviertel (both in the east) were built in the 1970s. Since 1990, several neighboring villages have been incorporated (see Incorporations section).
The city is bordered by Radibor, Großdubrau and Malschwitz in the north, Kubschütz in the east, Großpostwitz, Obergurig and Doberschau-Gaußig in the south and Göda in the west. All neighboring communities belong to the district of Bautzen.
Bautzen has consisted of 29 districts since 2020, previously 25. The
actual core city with almost 35,000 inhabitants consists of the
districts
Downtown (Nutřkowne město) - The historic city center
of Bautzen, delimited by the (former) course of the outer city wall;
includes the area of the historic inner city (extended area of the city
from the 14th century, largely delimited by the course of the outer city
wall, which still exists in large sections in a polished form) in the
east and south of the actual old town - 5,389 inhabitants
Nordostring
(Sewjerowuchodny wobkruh) – Connects to the north and east of the old
town and consists in large parts of town houses from the 19th and early
20th centuries. According to the city council resolution no. 192/11/06
of November 29, 2006, the former Stadtmitte district was combined
together with areas north of the old town and is the most populous
district of Bautzen - 10,452 inhabitants
Gesundbrunnen (Strowotna
studnja) – development area in the northeast of the city from the 1970s.
According to City Council decision no. 192/11/06 of November 29, 2006,
parts of the area north of Bautzen's old town, which had previously been
part of the Gesundbrunnen district, were spun off and merged with the
Stadtmitte district to form the "Nordostring" district. The
Gesundbrunnen district is then no longer the most populous in the city –
6,420 inhabitants
Südvorstadt (Južne předměsto) – adjoins the city
center to the south of the Görlitz–Dresden railway line – 1,794
inhabitants
Westvorstadt (Zapadne předměsto) – Represents the part of
the city proper west of the Spree; often referred to as "New Town";
According to the official structure of the city administration of
Bautzen, the historic village of Seidau, just north of the city center
and Ortenburg an der Spree, belongs to the western suburbs - 3,301
inhabitants
Ostvorstadt (Wuchodne předměsto) - adjoins the south-east
of the city center and consists mainly of town houses from the 19th and
early 20th centuries and some settlements from the 1930s, the settlement
Strehla (Třělany) and the new development area "Allendeviertel" - 5,930
inhabitants
The following districts are rural and are located on
the outskirts of the city:
Teichnitz - consists of the incorporated
villages of Teichnitz (Ćichońca) and Neuteichnitz (Nowa Ćichońca) in the
north of the urban area; 263 inhabitants.
Nadelwitz - district in the
east of the city, which consists of the village Nadelwitz (Nadźanecy)
and larger arable and forest areas; 298 inhabitants.
Boblitz
(Bobolcy) – hamlet near Oberkaina; counted towards this until 2020, 35
inhabitants.
Burk (Bórk) – a village in the north-eastern part of the
city on the bank of the Bautzen Dam; 414 inhabitants.
Oberkaina
(Hornja Kina) - district in the south of the city; 798 inhabitants.
Oehna (Wownjow) – village on the Bautzen reservoir; until 2020 to
Teichnitz, 66 inhabitants.
Neumalsitz (Nowe Małsecy) – settlement at
the Bautzen reservoir; until 2020 to Teichnitz, 24 inhabitants.
Niederkaina - district in the northeast of Bautzen; consists of the
villages of Niederkaina (Delnja Kina) and Basankwitz (Bozankecy), both
located on the Albrechtsbach; 435 inhabitants.
Stiebitz – Consists of
the villages of Stiebitz (Sćijecy) and Rattwitz (Ratarjecy) in the
western part of the city; 592 inhabitants.
The following
districts were combined into the Kleinwelka district until 2007:
Kleinwelka (Mały Wjelkow) - Formerly an independent municipality in the
north of the city area; 716 inhabitants.
Großwelka (Wulki Wjelkow) –
immediately west of Kleinwelka; 258 inhabitants.
Lubachau (Lubochow)
- village west of the Bautzen dam; 89 residents.
Kleinseidau (Zajdow)
- south of Kleinwelka, structurally related to it; 174 residents.
These districts in the northwest of the urban area belonged to the
municipality of Salzenforst-Bolbritz until 1994 and were combined into
the district of the same name until 2007:
Bloaschütz (Błohašecy, 112
Ew.) - Location of the industrial area Bautzen-Salzenforst
Bolbritz
(Bolborcy, 127 pop.)
Döberkitz (Debrikecy, 25 p.)
Loeschau
(Lešawa, 25 Ew.)
Niederuhna (Delni Wunjow) - until 2020 to Oberuhna,
24 Ew.
Oberuhna (Horni Wunjow, 63 Ew.)
Salzenforst (Słona Boršć,
281 Ew.)
Schmochtitz (Smochćicy, 49 Ew.)
Temritz (Ćemjercy, 67
pop.)
The district of Auritz (Wuricy) in the southeast of the
city was reclassified from Kubschütz to Bautzen in 1999 and is now a
district with 427 inhabitants consisting of the village of Auritz and
part of Jenkwitz (Jenkecy).
In the area of the city of Bautzen there is a continental
inland climate with maritime influences. Typical are cool and humid
spring and summer, a long warm autumn and a winter with very
frequent but rather short snow periods (just over 50 snow days).
With an annual mean temperature of 8.5 ° C and an average annual
precipitation of 600 to 650 mm, Bautzen has a moderately dry
climate. The urban area is located in the area of the warmest
landscapes in summer in southern Saxony.
In the Bautzen Spree
Valley, strong winds from the south often prevail, especially in
winter. This is because cold air flows from the Bohemian Basin into
the Spreetal and accelerates through the narrowing of the valley
there. This effect is even more pronounced in certain alleys in the
old town. A Bautzen proverb says: “If the wind doesn't know where,
it blows over Budissin.” On the other hand, Bautzen was famous for
its good air, especially in the Middle Ages, as the wind greatly
reduced the classic street smells.
On August 7, 2010, the
highest flood in more than 100 years occurred on the Spree and
numerous other bodies of water in Bautzen and the surrounding area.
The Bautzen dam, located directly downstream of the city, was able
to delay the outflow so that the flood at the water level behind it
did not reach the level of summer 1981.
Karsten Vogt (CDU) has been the mayor of the city since August 2022.
He succeeded Alexander Ahrens (independent, then SPD), who replaced
Christian Schramm (CDU) in 2015. He had acted as mayor since the
political change in 1990 and as mayor since 1995. Vogt was elected in
the first ballot, while incumbent Ahrens only took third place with
14.3%. Furthermore, Mayor Robert Böhmer (economy, finance, education and
social affairs) and Mayoress Juliane Naumann (construction) are
responsible for separate areas of responsibility.
See also: List
of mayors of Bautzen
The coat of arms is said to be based on the banner of Count Wiprecht
von Groitzsch in the 11th century (around 1080), but its origin is not
clear. It consists of the shield (sometimes only this is used as a coat
of arms), the helmet, the crest (a wing-like decorative element in which
the motif of the shield is repeated) and the helmet cover, which frames
the shield like tendrils. From the 13th century there is a three-leaved
crown between the ornament and the helmet. The use of this coat of arms
as a banner is documented for the year 1378.
The core element and
oldest part of the coat of arms is the shield. A golden or yellow
crenellated wall, probably the Bautzen town wall, takes up half of the
shield and has three battlements. The blue sky is shown above it.
Due to the special importance of Bautzen in the early Middle Ages,
elements above all of the coat of arms were included in various other
coats of arms in the region. During the Upper Lusatian League of Six
Towns it was also their coat of arms. This coat of arms was also used in
historical times for the entire Upper Lusatia, among other things when
the crown lands of the Bohemian crown were represented. Examples of this
can be found in Prague, among others. Today it is the region's
unofficial coat of arms. Examples of regional coats of arms that are
partly based on that of Bautzen are the coats of arms of the two Upper
Lusatia districts of Bautzen and Görlitz, the city coat of arms of
Niesky and the coats of arms of numerous communities.
The seal
image of Bautzen at the time of the Six Towns League contained not only
the wall but also two towers, a gate with a portcullis and the Bohemian
lion.
Due to the fact that the Bautzen I prison and the prison
wall are made of yellow bricks (yellow misery), a reference to the
Bautzen city coat of arms was occasionally made colloquially.
Since 1994, Bautzen, together with Görlitz and Hoyerswerda, has formed one of the six regional centers in Saxony as the "Upper Central Cities Association" (OZSV). The association was created through a normative definition in the state development plan and deals with the expansion of the infrastructure, with the economic stabilization of the region and with regional marketing.
In a study published annually by the Saxon State Chancellery on the
economic strength of Saxon cities, Bautzen has repeatedly taken the top
spot. Various economic characteristics, such as tax revenue and the
number of jobs subject to social security contributions, are related to
the number of inhabitants.
Bautzen owes its relative economic
power (always related to East German, medium-sized town conditions)
above all to the traditionally very mixed branch structure of the local
economy. The structural diversity is based on companies, most of which
already have a long tradition at the Bautzen site. This diverse mix of
industries means that the local economy as a whole is relatively less
susceptible to crises in times when individual sectors of the economy
are coming under severe pressure.
Another important point is that
Bautzen is a traditional administrative location (see, for example,
Bautzen District Authority) and can therefore have an above-average
number of public employees (judicial administration, courts, prison) and
a correspondingly high number of lawyers and notaries.
Bautzen is
the most important workplace in the Upper Lusatia-Lower Silesia region.
With 24,009 employees subject to social security contributions, the city
was well ahead of the more populous Görlitz with 17,496 employees in
2007 (source: State Statistical Office of the Free State of Saxony). 68%
are commuters who come from the entire region and even from Dresden and
work in Bautzen. In line with the high surplus of commuters, the
employment rate is very high and is 578 employees subject to social
security contributions per 1,000 inhabitants - the highest value in
Saxony.
Due to the high central importance of the city for the
region (according to the integrated urban development concept of the
city of Bautzen, more than 200,000 people are in the direct catchment
area of Bautzen) and the associated high number of commuters from a
structurally weak rural area, the number of unemployed within the city
of Bautzen nevertheless very high and above the Saxon average.
AFT Förderanlagen Bautzen GmbH – With around 80 employees at the
Bautzen site (as of July 2014), the company manufactures in particular
conveyor systems such as floor transport systems for the assembly lines
in the automotive industry.
Bombardier Transportation (rail
technology) – The former DWA as a rail division has traditionally been
producing in Bautzen for many years. The plant currently employs around
1,200 people (as of July 2014), but 125 jobs are to be cut by 2016.
DEBAG German oven construction GmbH - has been producing professional
oven solutions for 90 years with currently 120 employees.
Deutsche
Post AG operates one of its 82 letter centers in Germany in Bautzen.
Develey Feinkostfabrik GmbH - The German market leader in the mustard
business took over the brand in 1992 and invested in the production of
the all-German market leader (22%) since 2006, Bautz'ner Senf.
Hentschke Bau GmbH – construction industry company, had a turnover of
140 million euros in 2010 with 670 employees.
Hermann Eule Orgelbau
Bautzen – Owned by the Eule family, one of the largest companies in
Germany for the construction and restoration of organs
Perfecta
Schneidemaschinenwerk - produces industrial cutting machines.
Sphairon Technologies GmbH – Was once one of the most important
employers with over 200 high-tech jobs and one of the world's leading
providers and manufacturers of products in the field of
telecommunications and network technology. The origins of the company go
back to the VEB Fernmeldewerk Bautzen. After bankruptcy was averted in
2010 and production was stopped in Bautzen at the beginning of 2012, the
number of employees fell to less than 100.
V. D. Ledermann & Co. GmbH
(an edding AG company) – took over parts of the Markant pen production
in 1993 and now produces writing instruments and markers in new
buildings.
Wurst- und Fleischwaren Bautzen GmbH – 65 employees have
been producing sausage and meat specialties since 2003.
The proximity
to Dresden Airport also contributes positively to the economic power.
The high-tech companies located in the area offer numerous Bautzner
qualified jobs. The administration site in Bautzen is also an important
nationwide place of work for employees in the public sector.
In
addition, the largest thermal power station of the regional energy
supplier ENSO is located in the northern part of the city. With a
thermal output of 72 MW and an electrical output of 2 MW (maximum in
each case), it uses the domestic raw material lignite and natural gas as
fuel.
The headquarters of the district office of the district of Bautzen is in Bautzen. Bautzen is also the seat of the district court of Bautzen and a branch of the district court of Görlitz and the Saxon Higher Administrative Court. The administration of the Regional Planning Association of Upper Lusatia-Lower Silesia is also based in Bautzen.
Publishing has a long tradition in Bautzen. Around 1550, the Leipzig
printer Nikolaus Wolrab set up a printing shop for the first time.
Writings by the Bautzen dean, Johann Leisentrit, were published in the
Wolrabsche printing works.
In the summer of 1990, the advertising
paper "Bautzener Bote" was founded. The town also has the editorial
office of the Sorbian daily newspaper Serbske Nowiny, which is published
by Domowina-Verlag, which is the most important company of this kind in
Bautzen today.
The Sächsische Zeitung, the WochenKurier and the
Oberlausitzer Kurier report on local events in and around Bautzen.
Bautzen is connected to the A4 Dresden-Görlitz autobahn via the
Bautzen-Ost, Bautzen-West and Salzenforst junctions. Since the opening
of the Westtangente in December 2013, the federal highway 6, coming from
Görlitz, has bypassed the city center and the Friedensbrücke, where
traffic jams used to be particularly frequent in the afternoon. The B 96
from Zittau to Berlin also runs from the south of the city via the
Westtangente to the western suburbs before leaving the city area in the
north-west. The B 156 from Weißwasser has been bypassing the city area
on a newly built route since 2003. The motorway access for the northern
district and Hoyerswerda has also been improved since 2006 with a feeder
line. The federal highways 96 and 156 as well as the federal highway 4
form a ring around Bautzen.
Bautzen station was opened on June
23, 1846 as part of the construction of the Saxon-Silesian railway. It
is a stop for regional train and regional express lines of the Trilex of
the Länderbahn. There are direct train connections on the
Görlitz-Dresden railway line and to Zgorzelec. The through trains to
Berlin and Cottbus (via Hoyerswerda), Zittau and Bad Schandau were shut
down in the 1990s; thus the city has lost its status as a railway
junction of Upper Lusatia. Until 1972, trains ran to Weißenberg via the
Löbau–Radibor railway.
The Oberlausitz regional bus operates
seven city bus lines in Bautzen. Furthermore, Bautzen and the
surrounding area are connected with several regional bus lines.
Long-distance buses run three times a week via Cottbus to Berlin
(Fri/Sat/Sun) and back (Thu, Fri, Sun) and twice to Munich (Fri/Sun).
Regional buses stop at the central bus station on August-Bebel-Platz,
long-distance buses at the Schliebenstraße commuter car park.
Bautzen Airport is around 3 km east of the city. The nearest commercial
airport is Dresden Airport.
Bautzen has six elementary schools, four secondary schools, five
grammar schools (Schiller grammar school, Philipp Melanchthon grammar
school, Sorbian grammar school, two vocational grammar schools) and two
special needs schools.
Building on the tradition of the former
engineering school, more than 500 students study at the Berufsakademie
Sachsen - Staatliche Studienakademie Bautzen, which offers a three-year
dual course of study in the fields of financial management, public
economy (public management), business informatics, electrical
engineering, medical technology and industrial engineering.
Persons associated with the city and honorary citizens of Bautzen are included in the list of personalities of the city of Bautzen, the mayors in the list of mayors of Bautzen.