Senftenberg
Zły Komorow
Town
Market Square
Market Square
Coat of arms of Senftenberg
Coat of arms
Location of Senftenberg within Oberspreewald-Lausitz district
SaxonyCottbusDahme-SpreewaldElbe-ElsterSpree-NeißeTeltow-FlämingAltdöbernBronkowCalauFrauendorfGroßkmehlenGroßräschenGrünewaldGutebornHermsdorfHohenbockaKroppenLauchhammerLindenauLübbenauLuckaitztalNeupetershainNeu-SeelandOrtrandRuhlandSchipkauSchwarzbachSchwarzheideSenftenbergTettauVetschau
Senftenberg is located in Germany
Senftenberg
Senftenberg
Senftenberg is located in Brandenburg
Senftenberg
Senftenberg
Coordinates: 51°31′N 14°01′E / 51.517°N 14.017°E / 51.517; 14.017
CountryGermany
StateBrandenburg
DistrictOberspreewald-Lausitz
Government
 • Mayor (2022–30) Andreas Pfeiffer[1] (CDU)
Area
 • Total127.56 km2 (49.25 sq mi)
Elevation
102 m (335 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total23,232
 • Density180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
01945 (Peickwitz), 01968 (Brieske, Großkoschen, Niemtsch, Sedlitz, Senftenberg), 01996 (Hosena)
Dialling codes03573, 035756 (Hosena, Peickwitz)
Vehicle registrationOSL, CA, SFB
Websitewww.senftenberg.de

Senftenberg (Sorbian languages: Zły Komorow, Upper Sorbian: [ˈzwɨ ˈkɔmɔʁɔf], Lower Sorbian: [ˈzwɨ ˈkɔmɔrɔw]) is a town in Lower Lusatia, Brandenburg, in eastern Germany, capital of the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district.

Geography

Senftenberg is located in the southwest of the historic Lower Lusatia region at the border with Saxony. Its town centre is situated north of the river Black Elster and the artificial Senftenberger Lake, part of the Lusatian Lake District chain, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Hoyerswerda, and 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of Cottbus.

Senftenberg station is north of the centre and a major railway freight yard is located to its north-east, with a locomotive depot.

History

Main square in the early 20th century

Senftenberg was first mentioned in a 1279 deed issued by Henry III the Illustrious of Wettin, then margrave of Lusatia. In 1319, the town became part of the Duchy of Jawor, the southwesternmost duchy of fragmented Piast-ruled Poland.[3][4] In 1346 it passed to the Bohemia, then in 1350 to the Margraviate of Brandenburg.[5] With Lower Lusatia, the settlement was re-acquired by the Kingdom of Bohemia under Charles IV of Luxembourg in 1368. The town was located on a trade route connecting Leipzig with Poland.[6] Elector Frederick II of Saxony acquired Senftenberg in 1448, whereafter the area as a border stronghold of the House of Wettin was separated from Bohemian Lusatia, until in 1635 all Lusatian territories fell to Saxony by the Peace of Prague.

During the Great Northern War, in 1701, troops marched through the town towards Poland.[7] In 1704, the defensive walls were strengthened against a possible Swedish attack.[8] According to the 1815 Congress of Vienna, Lower Lusatia was annexed by Prussia and incorporated into the Province of Brandenburg. During World War II, the present-day district of Großkoschen (Kóšyna) was the location of a subcamp of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, in which some 850 men, including Soviet citizens and Poles, were imprisoned.[9] From 1952 to 1990, it was part of the Bezirk Cottbus of East Germany.

Names

Lake Senftenberg

Main article: Lake Senftenberg

Lake Senftenberg is a popular tourist destination. In 1973, the former open cast mine, was officially opened to the public. Today, the lake is known for its excellent water quality. It is part of the so-called Lusatian Lakeland, a group of 23 artificial lakes.

Demography

After the second half of the 19th century the inhabitants increased because of workers coming to Senftenberg to work in the coal mines. After the German Reunion, many inhabitants moved to the western part of Germany.

Senftenberg: Population development
within the current boundaries (2020)[10]
YearPop.±% p.a.
1875 6,972—    
1890 10,536+2.79%
1910 24,024+4.21%
1925 30,467+1.60%
1939 31,032+0.13%
1950 32,419+0.40%
1964 36,687+0.89%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1971 35,909−0.31%
1981 39,589+0.98%
1985 39,363−0.14%
1990 36,894−1.29%
1995 34,413−1.38%
2000 31,374−1.83%
2005 28,774−1.72%
YearPop.±% p.a.
2010 26,530−1.61%
2015 24,625−1.48%
2016 24,773+0.60%
2017 24,558−0.87%
2018 24,275−1.15%
2019 23,895−1.57%
2020 23,371−2.19%

Sport

In Senftenberg is the soccer club FSV Glückauf Brieske-Senftenberg. They currently play at the Elsterkampfbahn but previously played at the former Glück-Auf Stadium (known as the Old Stadium). It opened on 4 November 4, 1953, when 33,000 fans showed up for the inaugural match against Torpedo Moscow.[11] It also hosted motorcycle speedway and was the venue for a qualifying round of the 1966 Speedway World Team Cup.[12] The old stadium on Briesker Straße was torn down in 1997 and is marked by the housing on the "Im alten Stadion" road.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Senftenberg is twinned with:[13]

Notable people

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Landkreis Oberspreewald-Lausitz Wahl der Bürgermeisterin / des Bürgermeisters, accessed 13 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerungsentwicklung und Flächen der kreisfreien Städte, Landkreise und Gemeinden im Land Brandenburg 2021" (PDF). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). June 2022.
  3. ^ Paulitz, Johann Gottlob. Chronik der Stadt Senftenberg und der zum ehemaligen Amte Senftenberg gehörigen Ortschaften (in German). Dresden. p. 67.
  4. ^ Bogusławski, Wilhelm (1861). Rys dziejów serbo-łużyckich (in Polish). Petersburg. p. 142.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Paulitz, pp. 69–70
  6. ^ Pieradzka, Krystyna (1949). "Związki handlowe Łużyc ze Śląskiem w dawnych wiekach". Sobótka (in Polish). Wrocław. IV (4): 90.
  7. ^ Paulitz, p. 231
  8. ^ Paulitz, pp. 232–233, 239
  9. ^ "Subcamps of KL Gross-Rosen". Gross-Rosen Museum in Rogoźnica. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  10. ^ Detailed data sources are to be found in the Wikimedia Commons.Population Projection Brandenburg at Wikimedia Commons
  11. ^ "Kampfbahn Glück-Auf - Senftenberg-Brieske". Europlan. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  12. ^ "1966 Speedway World Cup". International Speedway. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Senftenberger Städtepartnerschaften". senftenberg.de (in German). Senftenberg. Retrieved 2021-03-25.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Senftenberg.
Towns and municipalities in Oberspreewald-Lausitz
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