Cottbus is an independent city in the state of Brandenburg. After
its state capital Potsdam, it is the second largest city and next to
Brandenburg an der Havel and
Frankfurt an der Oder one of the four
regional centers of the state. Although only a small Sorbian
minority lives in the city, Cottbus is considered the political and
cultural center of the Sorbs in Lower Lusatia. The city is a
service, sports, science and administrative center. There is an
Olympic base here, the Cottbus State Theater and the Cottbus campus
of the Brandenburg Technical University.
In the sporting
field, Cottbus is known for the tournament of champions in apparatus
and artistic gymnastics as well as the successful work in cycling.
In addition, almost a fifth of Cottbus residents are active in one
of the approx. 140 sports clubs. Considering their size, there are a
relatively large number of parks and green spaces, such as Prince
Pückler's Branitz Park. In the next few years, the Cottbuser Ostsee
is to increase the recreational value as a future project.
Cottbus was mentioned for the first time in 1156 and, as the largest
city in Lusatia today, has been almost entirely Brandenburg and
Prussian since the 15th century.
It is not far from the
Spreewald and can be reached with direct connections from Berlin,
Dresden and Leipzig.
When you think of Cottbus, you usually associate this city with
GDR prefabricated buildings, a Bundesliga soccer team, open-cast
lignite mining landscapes, Fürst-Pückler and the nearby Spreewald.
But Cottbus has much more to offer than dreary prefabricated
buildings. Thanks to a flourishing textile industry in the 19th and
20th centuries, the city has a beautifully preserved medieval old
town center and new-city Wilhelminian-style quarters. Many parks
around the old town center give the city a really "green" face.
Certainly the suburban prefabricated housing estates do not have so
much to offer, but here, too, enormous efforts are being made to
dismantle these districts or to make them more attractive. The city
on the Spree is often associated with the more than 150-year-old
saying and tongue twister "The Cottbus stagecoach cleans the Cottbus
stagecoach box blank". Since then, in addition to the heraldic
animal "river crab", the stagecoach has been found as an original
from Cottbus.
The city of Cottbus was first mentioned in a
document in 1156. Your name goes back to the Wendish. At that time
it consists of a castle and an open settlement, the castle being
called "Chotibuz". Choitsche Budky means something like "beautiful
little houses". The town charter was granted around 1230. The city
of Cottbus has been known for three specialties since around 1800:
cloth, grain and beer and the Baumkuchen. Historically, the
rulership of Cottbus changes several times. For example, at the
beginning of the 19th century, Cottbus was under Saxon sovereignty.
The rest of the time it is an enclave of the Mark Brandenburg or is
later completely ruled by Prussia. The city experienced an enormous
economic boom from 1860 onwards. The first drapery factories settled
here and the military opened the first infantry barracks. From 1865
the railway from Berlin to Görlitz via Cottbus was built, which led
to a technical and economic boom. Other railway companies run their
lines via Cottbus. Among other things, the important cloth factory
towns Guben and Forst (e.g. carpet, hat, uniform factories) and
Wroclaw are connected. In 1885, Dr. Carl Thiem, the founder of
trauma surgery in Germany, opened his private clinic, from which
today's Carl Thiem Clinic emerged. In 1886 the telephone network was
installed. When the three largest German carpet factories at the
time merged, a state college for the textile industry was even
founded in 1895.
Many of the districts are formerly
independent communities. As a result of these incorporations, the
area of the city has grown to 164km² in recent years. In 2006 the
city celebrated its 850th anniversary. On October 1st, 2008 it was
the 100th anniversary of the opening of the unique Art Nouveau
theater. Federal President Horst Köhler was a guest on the occasion
of the ceremony. A special program, in which the citizens of Cottbus
were also integrated, celebrated the birthday.
Guided tours of the city take place on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10am
in high season and cost €6.00 for adults, €5.00 for concessions. They
last about two hours. There is also an ascent to the Spremberger Turm.
The start is at the Stadthalle am CottbusService.
With an old
traditional tram - the "Triebwagen24" (the tram has existed for over 100
years) you can take a tour of the city. The tour costs €114.00,
regardless of the number of people, and lasts one and a half hours.
There are a maximum of 20 seats available. At 40 people there is another
trailer. Then the trip costs €149. Tours cannot be offered after dark.
Theater, Theater is a special travel offer for culturally interested
couples with the following services: Overnight stay in the Hotel am
Theater with a romantic dinner and a champagne breakfast, a visit to a
performance in the State Theater and a guided tour of the old town or
Branitzer Park. The price is 99€ (as of 2005)
churches
Oberkirche St. Nikolai (Oberkirchplatz, tram line 3 (get off at the
Altmarkt stop, then head east and walk 100m)). The evangelical church
dates back to the Middle Ages. A few years ago it got a new spire.
Today, with its 55m high tower, it is the largest church in Lower
Lusatia. You can climb the church tower. So you have a nice view of the
city. Due to its good acoustics, the church is also often used for
musical performances. Guided tours can be booked on Tel.: 24714. Open:
daily 10:00-17:00. Price: Admission free; Tower ascent €2.00.
Monastery Church (Wendish Church). The church is the only surviving
building from a Franciscan monastery that was probably built between
1270 and 1300 and is therefore the oldest church in the city of Cottbus.
In the course of the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved in 1537
and dedicated to the evangelical parish church of the surrounding
village communities. Since the services were also held in the Wendish
language, it is also called the "Wendish Church". The Gothic brick
building, with a length of 55.22m, has a stretched, asymmetrical
two-nave shape. A slender tower is built into the southeast corner of
the building; Furthermore, the sacristy adjoins to the north in the far
east. The construction is kept simple according to the principles of the
Franciscans; Accents are set by the tower, the slender white pointed
arch screens and the decorative gables of the aisle. The nave and aisle
each have their own gabled roof and late Gothic interior vaults, with
those in the nave showing a richer figuration. The richly decorated
pulpit from around 1720, like the larger than life-size, very
natural-looking crucifix from 1340, is made entirely of wood. A richly
decorated stone baptismal font from the 15th century is located in front
of the mighty wooden altar from the middle of the 18th century, which
fills almost the entire east wall. In the center of the altar is a
depiction of the Crucifixion, above which is another painting depicting
the Resurrection; Pillars, Corinthian columns, pilaster templates,
acanthus cheeks, angels, a god's eye and sunbeams complete it. It is
also adorned with a Lower Sorbian scroll, probably from 1908. There are
also four plaques in Lower Sorbian from the mid-19th century on the
organ gallery. They represent the oldest surviving Lower Sorbian plaques
in Lower Lusatia churches Pews and galleries with ornamental floral
decorations. The most valuable piece of equipment in the church is the
crucifix, researchers assume that it is even the most important crucifix
from this epoch in all of Central Europe. The cross tapers vertically
upwards, horizontally the beam curves to the right and left so that it
resembles branches. This form of a cross is rarely found in northern
regions and symbolizes the tree of life. The only surviving Sauer organ
in Cottbus is also in the church; it was composed in 1907/08 as opus
1019 with 24 registers and a neo-baroque front. The monastery church
houses an important monument of the city's history: the tombstone of the
city's founder Fredehelm von Cottbus (†1307) and his wife Adelheid
(†1319). The family coat of arms shown shows the crab, today's heraldic
animal of the city of Cottbus. - Guided tours are available on request
from the municipal office on tel.: 24825 (Mon-Fri 09:00-11:00 and Thurs
15:00-17:00).
Church of St. Maria Friedenskönigin (northwest of the
bus station, tram lines 1, 3 and 4: stop Marienstraße and cross the bus
station; line 2: stop 'Stadtmuseum' east of A.-Kolping-Str. follow).
After the First World War, the Catholic community in Cottbus grew, and
since the premises of the church "The Good Hirten" were no longer
sufficient, the plan to build a new church matured. Diocesan building
councilor Mokroß designed the north-facing church with the impressive
30m high double tower front. The choice of name was a very conscious
reaction to the threat of war that threatened with the seizure of power
by the National Socialists. In accordance with the form of early
Christian basilicas, the building is divided into an 18m high nave and
two low side aisles. It is designed in the "New Objectivity" style and
consists of a reinforced concrete skeleton with a facade made of dark
red clinker. Particularly impressive is the monumental concrete figure
depicting the Risen Christ in a blind niche above the main portal. It
was created in 1963 by the Weißenfels artist Brückner-Fullroth. The
ringing consists of two bronze bells cast by the Perner company in
Passau in 1996 and a restored medieval bell. The church was renovated
from 1976 to 1982 in order to gain much-needed congregational space. It
included the creation of a weekday chapel as a multi-purpose room in the
area of the former apse and sacristies, a Marian chapel on the floor
above and the redesign of the chancel. The towers and the former organ
gallery were expanded into a community center. The Dresden architect
Wolfram Starke and the sculptor Friedrich Preß gave the church interior
a completely new look. In the course of the conversion, the originally
longitudinal church interior was aligned transversely and the vaulted
ceiling of the central nave was straightened with wood paneling. The
benches are now arranged in a horseshoe shape around the altar, which
resembles a tree stump with a slab on top. He symbolizes the "Root of
Jesse". The interior is surrounded by a massive crown of thorns nailed
together from red stained beams, which is pierced by a large white
wooden cross opposite the altar. Opposite the cross, as an artistic
counterpoint to the functional design, is an early baroque figure of the
Virgin Mary from Erfurt Cathedral. The stained glass in the small
round-arched windows of the side aisles show symbolic images relating to
invocations of the litany of Lauretania, such as "Du Arche des Bunds",
"Du goldennes Haus", "Du Morgenstern". The Marienkapelle on the second
floor contains the larger-than-life Madonna created by Felix Hertelt in
1934 named "Mary, Queen of Peace". It stands in the same place from
which it used to dominate the whole church - above the old high altar.
Below her are reliefs that are based on the childhood stories of Jesus
from Luke's Gospel.
Luther Church, Thiemstr. 27 (tram lines 2 and 4:
stop Thiemstraße - walk approx. 200m to the south). When the general
industrial upswing resulted in a population explosion in Cottbus as
well, and the city expanded noticeably to the south, it was decided to
build an additional church for the new city area. The Berlin architect
Robert Leibnitz designed the single-nave hall church in a simple art
nouveau form with a gabled roof and a flat, relief-like main portal on
the north side. To the south is a simply designed cuboid apse. What is
particularly striking about the building is the strong, massive-looking
west tower standing on the side of the nave. After bombing raids in the
Second World War, the Luther Church burned down almost completely and
was actually supposed to be demolished. However, it was rebuilt quickly
by GDR standards, so that the church was consecrated again in 1951. The
Art Nouveau elements are only partially preserved since the outside.
When entering the church, the large wooden crucifix on the light green
wall of the apse catches the eye. It is a carving from Oberammergau. The
simple interior is covered by a dark red barrel vault, which ensures
very good acoustics; Pulpit and altar are made of clinker brickwork. The
baptismal font was made by the Cottbus sculptor Rimträger. The organ was
created by the Jehmlich company.
St. Martin's Church, Madlower
Schulstrasse 2, 03050 Cottbus wikipediacommons. The church, idyllically
situated in the greenery of the Spree lowlands, is located a little
outside of the city area, between the villages of Madlow and Kiekebusch.
A Slavic sanctuary is said to have once been there, and a wooden chapel
was built in its place in 1124. Today's late-Gothic brick church,
dedicated to Martin of Tours, was built on top of this previous
building. The square tower with multifaceted screens was built a little
later than the rectangular nave. Typical for Lusatia is the
floor-by-floor division by rows of panels. The base of the wall is mixed
with fieldstone and the attached sacristy also shows partial fieldstone
masonry. In 1871, the nave was raised while maintaining the height of
the ridge, which can be seen from the smaller-format bricks used. The
ringing consists of three bells, two very valuable bronze ones dating
from the 15th century and one iron one cast in Apolda in 1956. It bears
the inscription: "People, people, hear God's word". In 1879 the remains
of old wall paintings were discovered, but these were painted over
again. During the restoration in 1971, the old, neoclassical church
furnishings were removed and the church got its current, simple
appearance. The interior of the church is bright and modern; the stone
baptismal font comes from the excavated church in Klinge. The organ
built by the “Löbling” company in Erfurt in 1988 invites to organ
concerts; the wooden coffin-shaped ceiling gives the interior excellent
acoustics.
Kreuzkirche, Karlstr. 82, Cottbus. The Kreuzkirche is the
only large church building in Cottbus from the late 19th century. The
decision to build the church for the Free Evangelical Lutheran
Congregation was made in 1878. After collecting national and
international donations, the building could be realized. The foundation
stone for the church was laid on May 10, 1878. The plans for this were
drawn up by building supervisor Abel from Lauban, and the master mason
Wilhelm Schneider and carpenter Karl Simon took over the execution with
the help of master mason and carpenter Pötschke from Rothenburg. A year
and a half later (end of 1879) the church was consecrated under the name
"Kreuzkirche". The organ, which was installed in 1904, was made by the
Heinrich Schlag company. During the Second World War, the roof, windows
and a zygomatic arch of the church were destroyed by looting and
shelling. Only the organ, the pews and the altar remained intact. After
painstaking repair work by the parishioners, the church could be used
again from May 15, 1949. Because the roof was still leaking, it was
re-roofed in the 1960s. A comprehensive renovation, during which the
sanctuary was renewed, among other things, took place in 1979. The iron
altar candlesticks, the copper meditation cross, the triumphal cross,
the altar table, the baptismal font and the pulpit were designed by the
sculptor Elly-Viola Nahmmacher from Greiz. From 1999, a thorough
renovation was carried out in two stages.
Branitz Castle, Robinienweg 5. Tel.: +49-355-75150. In the castle of
Hermann Fürst von Pückler-Muskau there are two permanent exhibitions and
regularly changing themed exhibitions. ".everything is different than in
other places, fantastic, surprisingly magical" - everything about the
garden artist, writer and globetrotter, who lived from 1785-1871. The
permanent exhibition "Genius of the Color Painter of Light" about Carl
Blechen (1798-1840) is also well worth seeing. The palace is located in
the well-known Branitzer Park, a large landscaped park designed by
Prince Pückler-Muskau in 1845. Open: daily: 10:00-18:00; Apr-Oct:
Tue-Sun: 11:00-17:00. Price: Castle admission: €5.50, reduced €4, manor:
€4.50/€3.50, stables: €3.50/€2.50, all 3 objects: €10/€7 .
Castle in
Cottbus. The former city castle is now the seat of the district court,
but is a very beautiful castle building (first mentioned in the 10th
century!) with the castle tower that characterizes Cottbus. It is 46m
high and visible from afar in Cottbus due to its position on the
Schlossberg. There is a waterfall at the back of the Schlossberg.
tanning houses. These are the oldest buildings in Cottbus. They date
from the years 1727, 1760 and 1860. They are located on the Uferstrasse.
You can reach it by tram line 3 (Sandower Bridge stop). Follow
Magazinstraße in a south-westerly direction and cross the court square.
Conservatory, Pushkin Promenade.
New Town Hall, Neumarkt 5, 03046
Cottbus. It dates from the years 1934 to 1936. In front of the town hall
is the path of fame, commemorative stamps embedded in the pavement in
honor of well-known Cottbus athletes. It is located on Berliner Straße
and can be reached via the Stadthalle stop with all tram lines.
State
Theater Cottbus, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 23 . This is an Art Nouveau
building, completed by Berlin architect Bernhard Sehring in 1908 - Tours
of the State Theater and Cottbus' Old Town are available almost every
Sunday at 10am. These last about two hours and cost €6 (concessions €5).
Further information is available on Tel.: (0)355/ 7542-494. The theater
is the only Art Nouveau theater in all of Europe. Ticket hotline:
01803-440344.
city wall commons. The city wall is also partially
preserved. Important parts of the fortifications that have been
preserved are the Spremberger Tower, the Linden Gate, the Mint Tower and
the old Wiekhäuser. Parts of the city wall can be found in Mauerstraße,
Töpferstraße and Münzstraße.
Spremberger Turm, Am Turm 22. Tel.: +49
(0)355 49 45 86 49. The tower offers a beautiful view of the city
centre. Individual tours can also be arranged. Note: The clock will
chime every 15 minutes. It might be easy to startle you. Open: Mon-Sun,
FT: 10:00-20:00; Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve: 10:00-14:00. Price:
Admission: €2.00; Children under 14 free of charge; Guided tour: €5.00.
Lindenpforte commons. It is part of the preserved city wall. Originally
it was only one of the defense towers. This was later breached (in
1879). You will find it on the corner of Marktstrasse and Mauerstrasse.
Münzturm, Münzstrasse 42, 03044 Cottbus. It is connected to the city
wall and forms the north-eastern corner of the former wall ring.
The
City Palace is located on the Schlossberg and is the current seat of the
District Court of Cottbus.
Old power station. Right next to the
former castle, today's district court, is the power station, which used
water power to generate electricity from the mill ditch for the many
important textile factories in the city.
Kunstmuseum Dieselkraftwerk,
Uferstraße/Am Amtsteich 15. Tel.: +49 (0)355 49 49 40 40, e-mail:
info@blmk.de . A structurally and technically historically significant
building, which was built in 1928 due to the constantly increasing
demand for electricity to compensate for the individual voltage peaks in
the city of Cottbus on the Mühleninsel in the immediate vicinity of the
existing power plant. It was operated using a method that was unique at
the time, namely via a diesel generator set with a large MAN diesel
engine. The art collections of the State of Brandenburg have been housed
here since May 8th, 2008. Definitely take a look or organize a guided
tour.
Weltspiegel Cottbus, Rudolf-Breitscheid-Strasse 78, 03046
Cottbus. The Weltspiegel, which opened on October 4, 1911, is one of the
few film theaters (video theaters) of its time that are still in
operation and impresses above all with its unique Art Nouveau
architecture.infoedit
Merzdorf observation tower, Am Stadthafen 1.
The observation tower in the east of the city offers a wide view over
the former "Cottbus Nord" opencast mine, which is flooded to the
Cottbusser Ost-See.
Many of the historic buildings are listed. The witnesses of GDR architecture in the city center are mostly under the so-called ensemble monument protection.
Brandenburg Pharmacy Museum, Altmarkt 24 (directly at the Altmarkt
(tram line 2)). Phone: +49 (0)355 239 97, Fax: +49 (0)355 383 18 48 .
This is one of the few surviving museums of this kind in Germany. It
shows a collection of pharmacy equipment (Officin) as well as exhibits
from the 18th to the 20th century that reflect the history of pharmacy.
A visit is only possible with a guide. - Guided tours: Tue-Fri: 11:00
a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Sat/Sun 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (reservations for
other times are possible. Price: Admission: €4.00 (reduced €2.00 €).
Kunstmuseum Dieselkraftwerk, Am Amtsteich 15. Tel.: +49 (0)355 49494040,
fax: +49 (0)355 49494044, e-mail: e-mail. The DKW Cottbus has recently
housed the Brandenburg Art Collections and has been extensively
restored. It shows art of all possible genres (photography, painting,
posters, sculptures and other exhibitions) in a changing range. 1st
Thursday of the month free admission.
Airport Museum, Fichtestrasse
1, 03046 Cottbus. Tel.: +49 (0)355 320 04, e-mail:
info@flugplatzmuseumcottbus.de. The Cottbusser airfield is over 90 years
old. Over 20 airplanes, helicopters, cars and other service equipment
can be admired and touched in the outdoor area. Open: March-October:
Tue-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat/Sun: 10am-5pm; November - February: Tue-Sat:
10am-4pm. Price: €8 (adults), €5 (children, students, unemployed,
disabled, pensioners), €20 (family).
Space Planetarium Cottbus,
Lindenplatz 21, 03042 Cottbus. Tel.: +49 (0)355 71 31 09, fax: +49
(0)355 729 58 22, e-mail: information@planetarium-cottbus.de . The
starry sky experience is fascinating for young and old. It opened on
April 26, 1974, and projects 3,000 stars into the sky per hemisphere.
Stadtmuseum, Bahnhofstraße 22, 03046 Cottbus (bus stop “Stadtmuseum” for
lines 2 (tram) and 10 (bus)). Phone: +49 (0)355 612 24 60, email:
stadtmuseum@cottbus.de. Here you can see exhibits on carpet manufacture
and an exhibition on the history of the city. The city archive is also
housed there. Open: Tue-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat–Sun 1:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Price:
Admission: €4.00/€2.00 (normal/up to 18 years).
Technical Monument
Spreewehrmühle, Am Große Spreewehr 2, 03044 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355
47 47 45, Fax: +49 (0)355 47 47 45.
Wendisches Museum, Mühlenstraße
12, 03046 Cottbus (from Altmarkt 150 m down Spremberger Straße and then
left into eastern Mühlenstraße). Tel.: +49 (0)355 79 49 30, fax: +49
(0)355 70 12 75, e-mail: info@wendisches-museum.de he museum shows
exhibits on traditional costumes, music, writing and Wendish/ Sorbian
customs. Open: Tue-Fri 8:30am-6:00pm; Sat-Sun 14:00-18:00. Price:
Admission: €2.50 (reduced €1.50; children/adolescents from 6 to 18
years: €0.75).
Altmarkt with the market fountain
Spremberger Strasse. The Sprem,
as the people of Cottbus call it, is a 300m long pedestrian zone and a
popular shopping street in the heart of the city. It connects the
Altmarkt with the Brandenburger Platz.
Brandenburger Platz. Not
necessarily an oasis of calm, but a very beautifully designed square,
framed by chic houses and draped with a real Cottbus landmark at the
western end: the Spremberger Turm.
Klosterplatz. quiet place, located
north of the monastery church. Bordered directly by the city wall, the
church and the youth hostel. In summer, popular theatrical performances
take place here on a summer stage of the Piccolo Theater. Medieval
markets also often reside here.
The Oberkirchplatz. with the largest
medieval church in Lower Lusatia was redesigned in 2019. In the
northwestern part there is a monument to the well-known Australian
explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who came from Lower Lusatia.
Pushkin
Promenade. Wilhelminian villas from the turn of the century before last
are located directly at Puschkinpark, less than two minutes from the
city center. Beautifully restored, the villas with the Puschkinpromenade
are a showcase street in Cottbus.
Schiller Square. It is one of the
most beautiful squares in the city. The State Theater is located here.
The houses around the square are all in Art Nouveau style and radiate
the entrepreneurial spirit of 1900 in their beauty. For architects with
newfangled frippery in their heads, a precious treasure trove of
timeless ideas on how to build houses with style.
Schlosskirchplatz
Wendish Quarter
Branitz Park. World-famous landscape park in Branitz belonging to
Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau. It is interesting that Mr. Pückler
created his last park here (recommended at this point: read his
biography at least once; Prince Pückler was a very interesting
personality for his time (1785-1871)). Among other things, he had to
sell the Muskauer Park in Bad Muskau because of debt. On the outskirts
of Cottbus he found a scenic "sand box" and realized his dream of the
perfect English park here. At that time, most of the trees were
transplanted "mature" according to geometrically perfect lines of sight
and points of view. And at the very edge of the park, you will find what
are probably the northernmost pyramids.
Cottbus Zoo, Kiekebuscher
Str. 5, 03042 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355 355 53 60 . This is the largest
zoo in Brandenburg with a large population of different species of
birds, predators and animals that can also be found in other zoos. It is
located right next to the Branitzer Park and can therefore be integrated
into a long walk. Open: all year round 09:00 - 18:00. Price: adults:
€5.00, children 3-16 years: €2.50.
park railway. The Bimmelguste,
built in the 1950s as a "pioneer railway", runs on 600mm tracks in the
summer months between the stations "Sandower Dreieck" (with a large car
park) and "Friedenseiche" in the Cottbus district of Branitz. The
approx. 4 km long route leads from the Sandow district of Cottbus
directly past the "Stadium of Friendship", through the former grounds of
the Federal Horticultural Show and has a stop directly at the zoo
entrance, appropriately called "Bahnhof Zoo". From here, visitors can
also take the shortest route to Branitzer Park. The train continues
through a lot of nature to the "Friedenseiche". From here you can also
take a short walk in the forest to the "Kiekebuscher Wehr" on the Spree
(about 15 minutes walk). Then, if you're lucky, you can even take an old
steam locomotive back to the starting point. Open: Apr 16–Jun 30; Sep
1–Oct 31: 10:00–17:40; Jul-Aug: 10:00-18:30; St. Nicholas rides from
01.-06.Dec. Price: Round trip: €3.00 (reduced €2.00); Steam locomotive
surcharge: €1.00.
Culture
In addition to the State Theater (see buildings), which
brings great plays, operas, musicals, comedies, ballet, dramas and more
by Brecht, Mozart, Shakespeare, Dürrenmatt and other well-known authors,
there are so-called cabaret theaters. They are especially recommended
for people who want to enjoy pure and very authentic art on a "small"
scale.
Theater native Cottbus
Picolo Theater Cottbus
The only festival of Eastern European film takes place annually at the
end of October/beginning of November in the film theaters and cinemas.
For 18 years it has been the leading festival for Eastern European film,
where filmmakers, primarily from Eastern Europe, are given a unique
platform for feature films, short films and documentaries. Each year, a
selected country is a focus. The worldwide film association now counts
this event among the 50 indispensable film festivals worldwide - as one
of only two German events alongside Berlin. It is advisable to order
tickets in advance for some events (e.g. short film nights).
The
student cabaret Nationwide meeting of student cabarets. Every year in
mid-January. Tickets should definitely be secured in advance!!
sports
and wellness
Cottbus is an outstanding city for various sports. The
Olympic training center for gymnastics, athletics, boxing and cycling is
located here. In the past, Cottbus produced many excellent,
internationally successful athletes. The Tournament of Masters, one of
only five global Gymnastics Grand Prix, and the German Meeting, for
which the world's elite in athletics meet in Cottbus, are certainly high
points in competitive sport. The period is mostly in June.
Lagoon, Sielower Str. Tel.: +49 (0)355-49498410. The new sports and
leisure pool offers an international 50m competition track, large sauna
area, wellness area and an outdoor pool. Price: from €5.00.
Sports
Park Cottbus (Lange Strasse 2, OT Gallinchen). Phone: +49 (0)355-524974.
The sports park offers tennis, badminton, play golf, shuffleboard, as
well as two beach volleyball courts and a multipurpose court for
handball, football, volleyball and basketball. The Tamburelli restaurant
takes care of your physical well-being. Open: Mon-Sun: 11:00-22:00.
Sauna village van Almsick, Weinbergstr. 1, 03116 Drebkau, OT Leuthen.
Tel.: +49 35602-22422, fax: +49 35602-22424, e-mail:
info@saunadorf-van-almsick.de. In Leuthen, south of the city, is the
sauna village of the Almsick family, who are not entirely unknown due to
their swimming sport. In addition to the classic Finnish sauna, there is
also an earth sauna with a real fire in the oven, a herbal sauna and
more in a beautiful garden. There is also a pool and several relaxation
zones distributed in the garden. Of course, the physical well-being is
also taken care of. Open: Mon-Fri: 14:00-23:00; Sat-Sun: 11:00-23:00.
By plane
The nearest commercial airport is Berlin Brandenburg
Airport (IATA: BER) with the largest range of flights in the area. It
can be reached by car in just under an hour, by train in 1:15 hours, but
with a change in Königs Wusterhausen.
Dresden Airport (IATA: DRS) and
Leipzig/Halle internet wikipediacommons Airport (IATA: LEJ) are other
options with a range of holiday destinations. Dresden can still be
easily reached by car, but the journey to Leipzig is tedious. Both can
be reached by train via regional and S-Bahn connections.
Very exotic,
but possible would be a departure from the Polish airfield Zielona
Góra-Babimost (IATA: IEG). It would be an option for travelers to Warsaw
or transfer connections with the LOT, but only practical if you arrive
by car at the airport.
By train
Cottbus main station,
Vetschauer Strasse 70, 03048 Cottbus. is a transfer hub for local
transport in the direction of Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt (Oder),
Dresden, Forst and Görlitz. Long-distance traffic is limited to a daily
IC train pair to Norddeich-Mole. The train station can be reached
directly with tram lines 1, 2 and 4. Many bus lines also stop directly
at the train station. Feature: no WiFi.
By bus
There is a
regional bus network that includes the surrounding counties. The bus
network is part of the Berlin-Brandenburg transport association. The bus
station is right next to the train station.
In the street
Cottbus has a motorway connection in the direction of Berlin and Dresden
or Poland (via Forst). Travelers from the south (direction Dresden) can
also use the exit in Großräschen and drive the rest of the way on the
federal highway, which saves a distance but no time. Preferences also
vary among locals.
Those arriving via the Cottbus-Süd exit will
find a small car park (P&R Madlow) within the turning loop of tram line
3. Coming from Cottbus-West you can park in the P&R Thiemstraße. The
Saarbrücker Straße and Hufelandstraße stops can be reached on foot
within a few minutes. For travelers from Forst or Guben there is a large
P&R Sandow at the Sandower Dreieck with connections to the railway, tram
and park railway. In the city itself there is little on-street parking,
but there are a few parking garages. The largest is located at 10
Neustädter Platz directly on the southern edge of the old town. Another
can be found in the Blechen Carré, the central shopping mall.
Even if the separate cycle paths within the city area are not as good as
they used to be, you can easily arrive by bike. A whole series of
designated cycle paths also affect Cottbus. For travelers on the
Oder-Neisse cycle path, it is a side detour of 30 kilometers. Some
accommodations in the city are also geared towards cyclists.
Cottbusverkehr GmbH operates a network of four tram lines and 14 bus
lines in the city. There is also a network of three night bus lines. The
night timetable starts around 9:00 p.m. and ends around 4:30 a.m. Tram
line 1 does not run on weekends. Due to the size of the city, every part
of the city can be easily reached by bike.
Bicycle:
Bicycle
service Schenker, Beuchstr. 25, Cottbus (line 1, “Beuchstrasse” stop).
Phone: +49 (0)355-33095. The professional bike shop with workshop in the
north of the city also offers rental bikes. Open: Mon-Fri: 09:00-18:00,
Sat: 09:00-16:00.
markets and shopping malls
On Saturday from 07:00 a.m. to approx.
12:00 p.m. you will find the market on Oberkirchplatz. Here you can find
all delicacies from the nearby Spreewald. The manufacturer still sells
here personally. This gives the market a very pleasant charm. A
slimmed-down version of the market also takes place on Wednesday in
front of the Stadthalle and on Thursday in the Sprem (shopping street
after the Altmarkt). Here is an overview of the shopping centers:
Blechen Carré, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 136, 03046 Cottbus. Tel.: +49
(0)355 355 45 27, fax: +49 (0)355 529 92 98, e-mail:
management@blechen-carre.de. The Blechen-Carre represents the usual
large stores to be found throughout Germany. Feature: wheelchair
accessible. Open: Mon - Sat 9:30 - 20:00.
Spree Gallery,
Karl-Marx-Strasse 68A, 03044 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355 380630, fax: +49
(0)355 3806315, email: info@spreegalerie.de. Open: Mon - Sat 9.30 a.m. -
8 p.m.
Lausitz Park, Madlower Chaussee 4, 03051 Cottbus. Phone: +49
(0)355 540460, fax: +49 (0)355 538815, email:
lausitz-park@minden.edeka.de. Open: Mon - Sat 9.30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Retail trade
For the normal shopaholic there are many nice little
shops, primarily in the old town.
Chocolate lovers are guaranteed to
find something in the municipality of Hornow near Spremberg (approx. 20
km south-east of Cottbus). Namely in the small and fine
Confiserie-Felicitas. There is real homemade chocolate here.
cafes
1 Coffeelatte, Altmarkt 13, 03046 Cottbus (directly at the
Altmarkt). Phone: +49 (0)355 355 54 44, email: contact@coffeelatte.de.
Not exactly cuisine, but the best coffee in town right on the Altmarkt.
Open: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m
2 Da Capo,
Marktstraße 14, 03046 Cottbus (directly at the Altmarkt). Phone: +49
(0)355 494 77 47, email: info@eiscafe-dacapo.de. The best ice cream
parlor in town, in one of the most beautiful historic buildings in town.
Open: Daily 10am-8pm (Mar 1 - Sep 30), 10am - 6pm (Oct 1 - Feb 28).
German and European
3 Klosterkeller, Klosterpl. 5, 03046 Cottbus
(north of the monastery church at the passage to Puschkinpark). Phone:
+49 (0)355 79 33 72, email: info@klosterkeller.com. The Klosterkeller
offers excellent traditional German and international dishes in a new
outfit. The dishes are completely freshly prepared. Due to the small
kitchen and possible waiting times, a reservation (and thus scheduling)
is highly recommended. The restaurant offers 7 tables inside and 5 on a
cozy terrace by the park. Features: no WiFi, not wheelchair accessible.
Open: Tue-Sun 12:00-15:00, 17:00-23:00; Oct-Apr: Sun: 12:00-15:00.
4
Cafe & Restaurant Spreewehrmühle, Am Grossen Spreewehr 3, 03044 Cottbus.
Phone: +49 (0)355 494 59 50, email: info@spreewehrmuehle.de. Nice cafe
and restaurant with good food. It is ideally located directly on the
Spreeradweg in green surroundings. Open: Mon-Thu 11:00-21:30; Fri-Sun
11:00-22:00.
5 City Watchman, Mauerstrasse 1, 03046 Cottbus. Tel.:
+49 (0)355 236 18, fax: +49 (0)355 49 43 61 69, e-mail:
info@stadtwaechter.. Rustic pub, located directly in the old city wall,
the premises were historically here housed the police. Very nice people
and good food. Cozy interior. Located right next to the old town hall.
Finding a parking space poses a small problem, so traveling by bus or
train to the Stadthalle is the best option. Open: Mon-Sat 16:00-23:00;
Sun, public holidays 11:30-14:30, 16:00-23:00.
Mediterranean
6
Pizzeria Ristorante Da Nando, Deffkestrasse 10, 03044 Cottbus. Tel.: +49
(0)355 381 71 83. A very good Italian and insider tip with the best real
stone oven pizza in town. Feature: Italian cuisine. Open: Mon-Thu
17:30-23:00; Fri-Sun, public holidays 11:30-14:30, 17:30-23:00.
7
Roma, Marktstrasse 7, 03046 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355 79 53 67, email:
info@roma-cottbus.de. Right next to the city guard, about 100m away, is
the Roma. It offers a good and extensive map. The rooms are maybe a tad
too big and don't look quite as comfortable. Features: wheelchair
accessible, Italian cuisine, pasta, pizza. Open: daily 11:00-14:30,
17:00-24:00.
8 Mythos, Sandower Str. 54, 03046 Cottbus (directly
opposite the Oberkirche). Phone: +49 (0)355 494 98 77, email:
info@mythos-cottbus.de. Very good and popular Greek restaurant with a
stylish interior and plenty of seats and brisk service. Features: no
wifi, wheelchair accessible, Greek cuisine. Open: Mon, Wed–Thurs 5:00
p.m.–11:00 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11:30–14:30, 17:00–24:00; Sun 11:30 a.m. – 2:30
p.m., 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Accepted payment methods: VISA, Mastercard,
Maestro.
9 El Toro, Theodor-Storm-Strasse 3A, 03050 Cottbus. Tel.:
+49 (0)355 86 69 06 00. Spanish restaurant in the south of the city.
Feature: Spanish cuisine. Open: Tue-Thu 17:00-22:00; Fri–Sat 5:00
p.m.–11:00 p.m.; Sun 17:00-22:00.
North and South American
10
Bellessa, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 36, 03044 Cottbus. Tel.: +49 (0)355 49
48 02 85. South American restaurant with open kitchen. The restaurant
also includes the El Chico bar and the Locos cigar lounge. Features:
LGBT, Terrace, Brazilian Cuisine. Open: Mon–Thu 11:00–22:00; Fri–Sat
11:00–22:30; Sun 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Asian
11 Bay's -
Asianfood & Sushi, Sandower Str. 3, 03046 Cottbus. Tel.: +49 (0)355 29
02 36 34, e-mail: info@bays-restaurant.de. The restaurant is now a
Cottbus institution and has existed for 18 years. In addition to shshi
and Asian classics, a number of typical Vietnamese dishes are also
served. Reservations are recommended at lunchtime and in the evening.
Food can also be ordered to take away by telephone or on site. Features:
no wifi, wheelchair accessible with assistance, Asian cuisine,
Vietnamese cuisine, sushi. Open: Mon-Sat 11:00-22:30; Sun/Friday
12:00-22:30. Accepted payment methods: no payment with EC or credit card
possible.
12 NV-Vietnamese Kueche, Thiemstraße 30, 03050 Cottbus
(100m south of the Luther Church). Tel.: +49 (0)174 620 78 89. Small
restaurant with very good and inexpensive Vietnamese cuisine. Features:
no WiFi, partially wheelchair accessible with assistance. Open: Mon-Sun,
FT 11:00-22:30.
13 Cơm Phở Việt, Berliner Str. 1, 03046 Cottbus
(northwest corner of the Altmarkt). Phone: +49 (0)355 75 21 51 20,
email: info@comphoviet.de. Very authentic Vietnamese cuisine at very
fair prices. Feature: Vietnamese cuisine. Open: Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00.
14 Restaurant Shiva, Oberkirchplatz. 5, 03046 Cottbus (northwest corner
of Oberkirchplatz). Phone: +49 (0)355 620 24 58, email:
info@shiva-cottbus.de. Really good Indian restaurant in the immediate
vicinity of the Altmarkt, which also offers pizza and pasta. The
atmosphere there is very informal and the service is extremely friendly.
Features: Indian cuisine, pasta, pizza. Open: Tues-Sun, public holidays
11:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00. Payment methods accepted: Maestro.
15
cherry blossom, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 43, 03044 Cottbus. Tel.: +49
(0)355 75 23 39 19. The restaurant with a cozy Asian ambience offers
sushi, ramen, bibimbap and teppanyaki. Feature: Asian cuisine. Open:
Tue-Sun 11:00-21:00. Payment methods accepted: no cards accepted.
In recent years, nightlife has increasingly taken place in the
numerous small pubs, restaurants and music clubs. There are only a few
(large) disco and dance events. Otherwise, the people of Cottbus are
very culturally conscious, which is reflected in the good program of the
local theaters and exhibitions.
Zelig, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse
21. The trendy pub Zelig can also be found there. Above all, you can get
decent down-to-earth food here for medium prices. Good readings or party
events occasionally take place in the large conservatory. The “Sonntag”
gallery is now located on the second floor.
Mosquito, Altmarkt 22,
03046 Cottbus (right next to the pharmacy museum). Tel.: +49 (0)355
28890444. It offers delicious drinks and exotic food (delicious) until
early at night. Musically more middle to south american, unfortunately
sometimes too loud, so that you don't understand each other when
talking. Every Tuesday is XXL cocktail day for €5 and there is live
music every now and then. Sunday is brunch.
U-BOOT, Mühlenstr. 40-
corner of Neustädter Str. Tel.: +49 (0)355 20018. The pub to dive into.
The original of the Cottbus pub scene! The U-BOOT has one of the most
extensive menus and cocktail menus in the city.
Bebel, Nordstrasse 4,
03044 Cottbus. Tel: +49 (0)355 4936940. Music and Bar and Club.
Muggefug. Art, Culture, Cinema, Cafe + Pub.
Fango Gallery,
Amalienstrasse 10, 03044 Cottbus. Gallery Fango is an exhibition and
development space with a variety of uses. Classic painting and sculpture
exhibitions are just as possible here as installations and performances.
A small but nice bar is integrated into the rooms, in addition to
exhibitions, concerts and readings take place here regularly. Open: Thu
– Sat 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Gladhouse, Street of Youth 16, 03046 Cottbus.
Tel.: +49 (0)355 380 24 20, fax: +49 (0)355 380 24 10, e-mail:
verwaltung@gladhouse.de. The Glad-House is a youth culture center in
Cottbus, near the center. It offers: bands worth listening to, films
worth seeing, young theater, cool parties; Here you can learn to write
stories, produce videos, play drums, play theater and take part in
workshops of a special kind. Open: Tues, Thurs-Sat 16:00-20:00.
Cheap
1 Cottbus Youth Hostel, Klosterplatz. 2-3, 03046 Cottbus.
Phone: +49 (0)355 225 58, fax: +49 (0)355 237 98, e-mail:
jugendherberge@cmt-cottbus.de. Very nice and centrally located on the
monastery square at the medieval city wall in a historic half-timbered
house. There are 64 beds available. If you arrive outside the opening
hours, an appointment should be made by telephone. Open: daily
7:00-12:00, 17:00-20:00. Price: from €20/BB with youth hostel card.
2
Hotel Zur Sonne, Taubenstr. 7, 03046 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355 3818801,
Fax: +49 (0)355 796677, Email: heinzsaager@aol.com. Regional specialties
and German home cooking. Open: Restaurant, Mon - Sat (in the months of
July and August: Sat is a day off) from 4 p.m. Price: Single room from
€42, double room from €64.
Middle
3 AHORN - Hotel &
Restaurant, Bautzener Strasse 134/ 135, Cottbus.
4 Hotel
Willmersdorfer Hof, Mauster Strasse 11, Cottbus. Accommodation in the
north-eastern district of Willmersdorf.
5 SORAT Hotel,
Schlosskirchplatz 2, 03046 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355 784 40, Email:
cottbus@sorat-hotels.com. The Hotel Garni is ideal for business and
leisure guests. It is located directly on Schlosskirchplatz in the old
town with short distances to shopping and eating. There are some parking
spaces in the public underground car park of the Schlosskirchpassage
around the corner. However, these cannot be reserved. Features: ★★★★,
Garni, free WiFi, wheelchair accessible, underground parking, bar,
meeting room, bike rental, 98 rooms. Check-in: 3:00 p.m. Check-out:
12:00 p.m. Price: from 63.75/76.50 (SR/DR) €/BB.
6 Hotel & Restaurant
Jahrmarkthof, Friedensplatz 8, 03051 Cottbus OT Gallinchen. Tel.: +49
(0)355 539412, fax: +49 (0)355 542976, e-mail:
peters@hotel-jahrmarkthof.de. The hotel is located on the edge of the
southern Cottbus district of Gallinchen. The restaurant offers
home-style, regional cuisine. From here you can go on bike tours along
the Spree and to the Spremberg reservoir. In the city center of Cottbus,
however, a ride by bike (30 minutes), the bus number 16 or the car is
necessary. Price: Single room from €49, double room from €69.
7 Hotel
& Gasthof "Zum Postkutscher", Dresdener Strasse 50, 03050 Cottbus. Tel.:
+49 (0)355 478680, fax: +49 (0)355 4786827, e-mail:
info@zumpostkutscher.de. Home cooking with fish, grill and game
specialties. Open: Restaurant: Mon – Fri 11 a.m. – 2.30 p.m. + 5.30 p.m.
– 8.30 p.m., Sat by arrangement, Sun 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Price: Single room
from €45, double room from €65.
8 Spree-Waldhotel, Drachhausener Str.
70, 03044 Cottbus (east of the Cottbus-Center (direction Sielow and
Dissen)). Tel.: +49 (0)355 876 40, fax: +49 (0)355 876 41 00, e-mail:
info@waldhotel-cottbus.defacebook. The Bed&Bike Hotel is somewhat hidden
in the north of the city, but offers a good starting point for
excursions in the direction of the Spreewald, Teichland and the
Schlaubetal, as you can leave the city behind immediately. It is
accordingly well adjusted to cyclists. The in-house restaurant
"Hubertus" offers good traditional and regional cuisine. For indoor
activities there is a bowling alley. Features: ★★★S, Free Wi-Fi,
Wheelchair Accessible with Assistance, Bar, Meeting Rooms, Gym, Luggage
Storage, Restaurant, Sauna, Laundry. Open: Restaurant daily 11:00 a.m.
to 10:00 p.m. Check-in: 2:00 p.m. Check out: 11:00 am. Price: from
€75/95 (SR/DBL) B&B.
Upscale
9 Lindner Congress Hotel,
Karl-Marx-Strasse 68a, 03046 Cottbus (directly next to the Stadthalle).
Tel.: +49 (0)355 366 900, fax: +49 (0)355 366 999, e-mail:
rette.cottbus@lindner.defacebook. Berliner Platz can be easily reached
by several tram lines. The hotel is one of the best in the city and
offers a beautiful view of the old town, especially on the upper floors.
Features: ★★★★, Free WiFi, Wheelchair Accessible, Underground Parking,
Bar, Meeting Rooms, Luggage Storage, Restaurant, 161 Rooms, 24-Hour
Front Desk, Dry Cleaning, Laundry. Check-in: 3:00 p.m. Check-out: 12:00
p.m. Price: €89/€104 (SR/DBL) B&B.
10 Radisson Blu Hotel, Vetschauer
Straße 12, 03048 Cottbus (directly opposite the main train station).
Tel: +49 (0)355 476 10, Fax: +49 (0)355 476 19 00, Email:
reception.cottbus@radissonblu.com. The hotel is directly opposite the
city's train station. It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the city
center. All tram lines also go to the city center. Features: ★★★★, Free
WiFi, Wheelchair Accessible, Underground Parking, Babysitter, Bar,
Library, Gym, Luggage Storage, Restaurant, Sauna, Swimming Pool, 236
Rooms, Dry Cleaning, Hairdresser.
The Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus-Senftenberg.
Brandenburg's only technical university offers more than 70 courses at
three locations (central campus Cottbus, campus Sachsendorf and campus
Senftenberg). The range of subjects includes natural sciences,
engineering and economics, health and nursing sciences as well as music
and social education courses. Depending on the subject, the courses are
offered at universities and/or universities of applied sciences. There
is a lot on offer for foreign students at this university, including
entire lectures in English.
The architecturally exceptional IKMZ
building is located right next to the university, where, among other
things, the university library is housed. It is one of the "365 places
in the land of ideas" and was designed by the renowned Basel architects
Herzog & de Meuron.
Contrary to media reports, where Cottbus is always given a high level
of uncertainty, it is as safe as any other large city. In the outskirts,
of course, due to high unemployment and a certain sadness, there are
some mostly young people who have devoted themselves to right-wing
political interests. However, this problem also exists in many other
cities in Germany, so that it does not have to be particularly
emphasized at this point. One problem, however, is the high theft rate
for bicycles.
Police Inspectorate, Juri-Gagarin-Strasse 16, 03046
Cottbus. Tel.: +49 (0)355 49371224. The virtual police station of the
state of Brandenburg is also available on Internetwache.
Cottbus offers a good to very good doctor branch density. The
Carl-Thiem-Klinikum in particular has a renowned reputation and offers
the complete health program for the citizens. The affiliated Sana Heart
Center, which has a very good name nationwide, should also be
highlighted.
Hospitals
Carl Thiem Clinic, Thiemstrasse 111,
03048 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355 460
Sana Heart Center, Leipziger
Str. 50, 03048 Cottbus. Phone: +49 (0)355 4800.
Actually, you get along pretty well in Cottbus. The dialect is
actually more High German than Saxon or Berlin. Nevertheless, the people
of Cottbus are said to have a "Spreewald" dialect. There may be
something to it, most of the time the German language is "messed up" a
little. Otherwise, the Cottbuser is somewhat "stubborn" and reserved by
nature, but this should not be taken as an expression of unfriendliness
towards strangers. You may be a bit skeptical, but usually warm up
quickly.
Information: The Cottbus service center is located in
the town hall and can be reached on Tel.: 75420.
Rundschau
Regional is the daily newspaper with the highest circulation.
Hermann
The monthly magazine for everyone interested in culture. Pubs, cinema,
theatre, book and CD tips.
Services:
Top Clean,
Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 136 (in the Blechen Carree). Tel: +49 (0)355
3554551. - The laundry service also offers an express service with
same-day collection. Open: Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm; Sat 08:00-19:00.
The city of Cottbus has quite attractive surroundings that are
accessible through a dense network of cycle paths. There are many
individually designed routes for exploring. A selection of suggestions
can be found in the article about bike tours around Cottbus.
The
Spreeaue is only a few kilometers north of the city. A 400-hectare area
along the Spree is being renatured here. Meadow landscapes and
traditional villages invite you to explore on foot or by bike.
About
15 km north-west of the city is the town of Burg (Spreewald) - the
southernmost gateway to the Spreewald. Those who reach it by road or
cycle path drive through the flat, rural Spreewald foothills. The
Spreewald is very well developed for tourism and is a good starting
point for boat, paddle and bike tours through the Spreewald. Other
larger starting points for visiting the Spreewald are Lübben and
Lübbenau.
About 15km to the east is the Klinger See in the
Wiesengrund region on the edge of the former lignite surface mining
area. It is currently being flooded and thus represents a lake in the
future lake district of Lower Lusatia. Due to the lignite opencast
mines, large regional areas and towns (e.g. the village of Klinge) have
fallen victim to lignite mining and are now gradually being used again
supplied. At least this bizarre structure has something of a lunar
landscape and a rough charm. Well developed by bike and car coming from
Cottbus. Another smaller sight is the former Klinger robber baron gate.
The shop is about 20km south-east towards Spremberg or Döbern. The
nationally known writer Erwin Strittmatter spent his childhood and youth
in Bohsdorf. One of his best-known works is “The Shop”, located here.
The Plastinarium Since 2006, the demonstration workshop of the
internationally renowned "Body Worlds" exhibitor Gunther von Hagens has
been located in the former hat town of Guben, about 40 km north-east.
Monday - Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.), admission
prices from €12 per person, reduced €8. Uferstrasse, 03172 Guben, Tel.
03561/ 54 74 860.
In the Slawenburg Raddusch, about 20km west of
Cottbus, there is a replica castle complex as part of the international
building exhibition IBA, which was built about 1000 years ago by the
Lusizi (ancestors of today's Sorbs/Wends). It houses a museum. Opening
hours April-October 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; November to March 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A15 exit Vetschau.
On May 24, 2008, the Teichland
sports and leisure park was opened. The main attraction of the park,
which is laid out in opencast mining landscape, is the 900 meter long
summer toboggan run.
The history of settlements in Cottbus in today's old town can be
traced back almost 2000 years. In the 3rd and 4th centuries, Germanic
settlers settled in the old town area. Since the 6th century, Slavic
tribes have immigrated to the area between the Elbe/Saale and the Oder
from the south-east. The Lusitzi, a West Slavic tribe, followed in the
8th century. They built a central Slavic rampart on a valley sand island
on the west bank of the Spree. Under the protection of the Slavic
castle, the Wends established an outer bailey settlement, which
developed into an early urban settlement in the 11th and 12th centuries.
On November 30, 1156, the place "Chotibus" was first mentioned. Cottbus
seems to have received city rights between 1216 and 1225. The Cottbus
city wall was built in the 14th century.
The Lords of Cottbus,
from a Franconian noble family, ruled from 1199 to 1445 in the Lordship
of Cottbus. The Kotebuz family was also called Kottwitz. The place names
Kottevitz, Kotwitz and Kottwitz were therefore also used and written on
old maps from the 15th and 16th centuries. The von Cottbus/Kottwitz
founded five other places named Kottwitz, Chotěvice in Saxony, Silesia
and Bohemia. In 1304 the House of Wettin had to sell Lusatia due to
financial difficulties. For this reason, the city of Cottbus changed
hands frequently until 1370. In the years 1405 and 1406 John III. the
cloth makers and linen weavers guilds their privilege.
Since 1445, Cottbus has been under Brandenburg and Prussian rule,
with the exception of the period from 1807 (Tilsite Peace) to 1815
(Vienna Congress), when the city was affiliated with the Kingdom of
Saxony. In 1468, lightning struck the city and reduced the whole of
Cottbus, including the upper church, to rubble and ashes. In 1479 a fire
destroyed the city again.
In 1522 a first attempt was made to
introduce the Reformation into the city. The final establishment of the
Protestant denomination only succeeded in 1537, Margrave Johann von
Küstrin. For centuries, the city was predominantly Protestant. Places of
worship were the parish church of St. Nikolai (upper church) and the
church of the Franciscan monastery founded around 1300 (monastery
church). There was also a St. Catherine's Church on the site of today's
Castle Church, which burned down in 1600. The Lutheran confession was
dominant, but from 1620 there was also a Reformed congregation at the
castle. The castle church was built in 1714.
After the
Reformation, only a small remnant of Catholic believers remained in
Cottbus and the surrounding area. These were looked after by the
Neuzelle monastery. Occasional services were held in St. Catherine's
Church until 1590. From 1646, the city council allowed services to be
held in the Gottesackerkirche Ad sanctam portam on two Sundays a year.
In the year 1600, a great fire broke out in Cottbus, in which almost
the entire city was destroyed. Waves of plague and devastation during
the Thirty Years' War also brought destruction, hardship and misery to
the city and its population. In August 1626, Wallenstein marched through
Cottbus with his troops. The city experienced repeated occupation,
looting and destruction. At the end of the war in 1648 only a few
hundred people lived in Cottbus, before the outbreak of the war there
were almost 3500 inhabitants. In mid-March 1671 another major fire broke
out. After that, an ordinance was issued according to which new
buildings had to be built in brickwork from then on and were no longer
allowed to be covered with straw.
From the beginning of the 18th
century, the French Huguenots settled and Cottbus experienced an
economic boom. In the same century, part of the fortifications were
demolished and the people of Cottbus used the area to plant mulberry
trees for silk moth breeding. Gardens were laid out and the city began
to expand in all directions. Seyfried Handschky drew up the first city
map of Cottbus in 1720. From 1756 to 1763, the Seven Years' War raged,
which also made itself felt in Cottbus: Although no direct combat
operations took place, there were passages and billeting of troops. As a
result of the provisions of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the district
of Cottbus, including Lower Lusatia, was annexed to Prussia. Before
that, Cottbus had been an exclave in Saxon territory.
With industrialization in the 19th century, the city experienced a
significant boom. Cottbus became a center of Lower Lusatia - an
industrial city with modern infrastructure, with cultural and social
buildings. It developed into an important transport hub with the
construction of the railways. During this time, many new businesses were
founded in Cottbus. These include, for example, a wool yarn spinning
mill and a Baumkuchen bakery. In the course of administrative
development, Cottbus received a district court in October 1824. On March
17, 1831, the revised town ordinance was introduced. The city
constitution, drawn up by the district administrator, the mayor and
representatives of the citizens, received government approval on
December 14, 1831. From February 12th to 15th, 1832, the elections for
the first city parliament took place. In October 1835, the cloth maker
Heinrich Kittel received a factory concession. He combined spinning,
weaving, fulling and finishing under one management. The old machines
were still driven by a horse gannet. By the early 1840s, however, steam
engines and the Jacquard loom became dominant. These were the beginnings
of the large companies in the Cottbus textile industry, in which the
English textile machine and wool manufacturer William Cockerill, junior
played a significant role.
1830 were by King Friedrich Wilhelm
III. Both denominations within Prussia were united to form a uniform
state church (United Church), and the Protestant communities of Cottbus
also belonged to the "Evangelical Church in Prussia" or its provincial
church in Brandenburg, the head of which was the respective king of
Prussia as "summus episcopus". As a reaction to this forced state
unification, the Evangelical Lutheran (Old Lutheran) Church arose
throughout the Kingdom of Prussia. She demanded her right to religious
freedom by wanting the full application of the Lutheran constitution,
worship and doctrine. Thus, in 1846/47, a church community first came
into being in Cottbus, which, however, was only able to build its
Evangelical-Lutheran Kreuzkirche in 1878/79.
On August 1, 1914, many citizens in Cottbus also cheered the start of
the First World War. At the grammar school, emergency maturity exams
were held, and a few days later, the No. 52 Infantry Regiment marched to
the station to the cheers of thousands of Cottbus residents. In
September, a camp for 10,000 prisoners of war was set up at the
racecourse north of the city. On September 4, 1914, the first transport
arrived with 7,000 Russian prisoners of war. In 1915 a prison camp was
added to the east of the city.
Economically, the textile industry
continued to dominate after the First World War, although unemployment
was sometimes high. In the 1932 elections, the NSDAP already won a
majority of votes. During the Nazi era, the old Prussian prison was used
as a men's prison from the beginning of 1937 and then as a women's
prison from August 1937. In January 1939 the prison was converted into a
women's prison. For anti-Semitic persecution, see Judaism below.
The discovery of gold in Cottbus in 1934 caused a stir. Between 1934 and
1937 the city received a new town hall after the old building on the
Altmarkt could no longer cope with the growing administrative burden.
From 1938 the ZKW tracked vehicle for the Wehrmacht was manufactured in
Cottbus by the Zittau phenomenon works. In 1939 the Focke-Wulf aircraft
works relocated parts of their production to Cottbus. In addition, a
German commercial aviation school and a hydrogenation plant were built.
In the autumn of 1940, the people of Cottbus experienced the first
air raids on the city. On February 15, 1945, an air raid by 459 US B-17
bombers destroyed large parts of the city. The attack claimed more than
1000 lives. On April 22, 1945, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front of the
Red Army took the city after three days of heavy fighting. The historic
town hall on the Altmarkt was destroyed. After the end of the war,
Cottbus was part of the Soviet occupation zone, which became the German
Democratic Republic on October 7, 1949.
On July 1, 1950, Cottbus
was incorporated into the district of Cottbus and thereby lost the
status of an independent city. From 1952, Cottbus was the capital of the
Cottbus district of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). On June 17,
1953, there was also a popular uprising in Cottbus. When restrictions
were to be imposed on the standard of living, people took to the streets
and also raised political demands. Soviet tanks and workers' militias
crushed the uprising. In 1954, Cottbus became independent again, and the
district surrounding the city was renamed the Cottbus-Land district.
Also in 1954, the University of Civil Engineering was founded.
From 1957 the area around Cottbus became the most important supplier of
coal and energy. But the construction industry, the textile and
furniture industry and food production also determined the economic
structure of the city. The College of Civil Engineering was initially
closed in 1963 and re-established in 1969 as an Engineering College for
Civil Engineering. On January 14, 1975, a MiG-21 crashed into a block of
flats over the city of Cottbus, killing the pilot and five residents of
the block of flats immediately, and another resident died later from her
injuries. In the 1970s and 1980s, large housing estates for workers in
the coal and textile industries were built, especially in the districts
of Sachsendorf and Schmellwitz. On September 4, 1976, Cottbus exceeded
100,000 inhabitants and thus became a big city.
The prison in
Cottbus was a central collection point for the purchase of political
prisoners by the Federal Republic of Germany. The Cottbus Prison
Memorial is located there today.
With the completion of German reunification in October 1990, a
far-reaching structural change in the city and region began through the
privatization of the economy. Cottbus became a service, science and
administration center. In the course of the Brandenburg district reform
of 1993, most of the district of Cottbus was merged into the newly
formed district of Spree-Neisse. Six municipalities from the district
were incorporated into Cottbus, the city itself remained independent of
a district.
Between April and October 1995, the first federal
garden show in the new federal states took place in Cottbus. In 2001,
the city won gold in the national competition "Our city is blooming". In
2006, the city celebrated the 850th anniversary of its first documentary
mention. Since January 1, 2007, Cottbus has been the seat of the
Berlin-Brandenburg Finance Court.
With the planned phase-out of
coal, the city of Cottbus and the surrounding region are increasingly
affected by structural change. The Cottbus-Nord opencast lignite mine in
the eastern part of the city was closed in December 2015 and has since
been recultivated with the aim of using it for tourism. On April 12,
2019, the flooding of the remaining opencast mine began, until probably
2025, the Cottbuser Ostsee, Germany's largest artificial lake in terms
of area, will be created.
In the history of the city, the following communities or districts
were incorporated into Cottbus:
1871: Castle area, Mill Island, Metze
and Markgrafeninsel
1872: Brunschwig am Berge, Brunschwig in der
Gasse, Brunschwig manor and municipality of Ostrow
1904: Sandow rural
community and Brunschwig estate district
1926: Subdivision of Madlow
1927: part of Branitz and Ströbitz
July 1, 1950: Madlow, Sachsendorf,
Saspow, Schmellwitz and Ströbitz as well as parts of Groß Gaglow and
Klein Gaglow
1974: Branitzer Park (separation from Branitz)
December 6, 1993: Branitz, Dissenchen (with Schlichow), Döbbrick (with
Skadow), Kahren, Merzdorf and Willmersdorf
October 26, 2003:
Gallinchen, Groß Gaglow and Kiekebusch
The population development of Cottbus is subject to strong
fluctuations. The fluctuations in the number of inhabitants between the
14th and 17th centuries are the result of the plague. The population of
Cottbus exceeded 100,000 on September 4, 1976, making it a major city.
In just 13 years until 1989, it reached its all-time high of almost
130,000, mainly due to the lignite combine. Since the collapse of the
GDR, the city has lost around 46,000 inhabitants in its urban area from
1990 to 2007 due to high unemployment and the decline in the birth rate.
There were more deaths than births and more people moving away than
people moving in. The status as a major city with over 100,000
inhabitants could only be maintained in the first 13 years after
reunification through the incorporation of around 17,000 inhabitants
from the surrounding area. As a result of the 2011 census, the
population as of May 9, 2011 was 99,984. Cottbus then lost its status as
a major city, which it only regained for a short time. At the beginning
of 2021 there were 98 347 inhabitants.
As a result of the decline
in population and the expansion of the urban area, the population
density dropped significantly. While it was still 720 people per square
kilometer on December 31, 2000, there were 598 people per square
kilometer on December 31, 2020.
The proportion of foreigners
(residents without German citizenship) was 2.8 percent at the end of
2000 and 9.1 percent in 2021. In total, around 9,000 people were
involved in 2021. In 2011, 6.1% of Cottbus residents had a migration
background.
The most populous districts, each with more than
10,000 inhabitants, are Sandow, Ströbitz, Schmellwitz, the Spremberger
Vorstadt and Sachsendorf. The sparsestly populated districts, each with
fewer than 1000 inhabitants, are Skadow, Saspow and Willmersdorf. In
1991, the median age of the city's population was 35.5 years. In 2000 it
was already 40.9 years, in 2011 it was 45.7 years. At the end of 2018,
the average age was 46.2 years; The "youngest" district was Ströbitz at
41.7 years, the residents of the Madlow district had the highest average
age at 53.1 years. On December 31, 2019, 14.5 percent of the residents
in Cottbus were under the age of 18, 30.9 percent were between 18 and 44
years old, 28.4 percent were between 45 and 65 years old and 26.1
percent of the residents were older than 65 years.