Cottbus (Lower Sorbian : Chóśebuz or Chośebuz, archaic German: Kottbus) is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around 125 km southeast of Berlin on the Spree river. As of 30 June, 2004, its population is 107,075.
History
The settlement was established in the
10th century, when
Sorbs erected a
castle on a sandy island in the Spree river. The first mention of the town's name is from
1156. In the
13th century German settlers came to the town and thereafter lived together side by side with the Sorbs. In
medieval times Cottbus was known for
wool, and the town's drapery was exported to all of Brandenburg,
Bohemia and
Saxony. In
1462 Cottbus was acquired by the
Prince-Electors of Brandenburg who came to rule the
Duchy of Prussia in
1618. In
1815 the surrounding districts of Upper and Lower
Lusatia were ceded by the
Kingdom of Saxony to the
Kingdom of Prussia ruled from Brandenburg.
From 1949 until German Reunification in 1990 Cottbus belonged to the German Democratic Republic.
Culture and Education
Cottbus (
Chośebuz) is the cultural centre of the
Lower Sorbian minority. Many signs in the town are bilingual, and there is a Lower Sorbian-medium
Gymnasium, but Sorbian is rarely spoken on the streets.
Cottbus is also home to the Brandenburg Technical University (BTU) and the math/science-oriented Max-Steenbeck-Gymnasium, one of Germany's best schools in international competitions.
External links
Cities in Brandenburg
Котбус | Cottbus | Cottbus | Cottbus | Cottbus | Cottbus | Cottbus | 코트부스 | Cottbus | Cottbus | コトブス | Chociebuż | Cottbus | Котбус | Cottbus | Cottbus