- Lüchow-Dannenberg
Infobox German district noregbez
name=Lüchow-Dannenberg
state=Lower Saxony
capital=Lüchow
area=1220
population=51,352
population_as_of=2005
density=42
carsign=DAN
url=http://www.luechow-dannenberg.de
Lüchow-Dannenberg is a district in
Lower Saxony ,Germany which is usually referred to as Hannoversches Wendland or Wendland. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Uelzen and Lüneburg and the states ofMecklenburg-Western Pomerania (district of Ludwigslust),Brandenburg (district ofPrignitz ) andSaxony-Anhalt (districts of Stendal andAltmarkkreis Salzwedel ).History
In
medieval times the counties of Lüchow and Dannenberg occupied the area (from the early 12th century on). These counties were originally Slavic states that lost their independence to the Duchy ofBrunswick-Lüneburg in the beginning of the 14th century.The area was ruled by Lüneburg until 1705 and became then a part of the
Electorate of Hanover . When theKingdom of Hanover was annexed by Prussia (1866), the districts of Lüchow and Dannenberg were established within the newProvince of Hanover .In 1932 the two districts of Lüchow and Dannenberg were merged into the current district with Dannenberg as capital. In 1951 the seat of the administration was moved to Lüchow.
Current issues
Since the end of the 1990s the financial problems of the municipalities in the district grew more and more severe. To save money spent for administration a major municipal reform is currently discussed. The two most likely outcomes of the reform will be either a conversion of the district to an
urban district , in which the 27 municipalities will then become boroughs of one town. The other discussed solution is the merger into two "Samtgemeinde n". The dissolution of the district and inclusion of the two remaining "Samtgemeinden" into the districts of Lüneburg and Uelzen are also discussed.Geography
The district is named for the two main towns. It is better known as the
Wendland , a designation referring to theSlavic people of theWends from Slavic tribeDrevani , who lived there till the 18th century — the last known user of the local dialect ofPolabian language died in 1752. The landscape is characterised by riverside woodlands along theElbe river and a hilly countryside.In addition the Wendland is known for the tiny village of
Gorleben (part of the "Samtgemeinde"Gartow ), where a disposal place forradioactive waste was established. Gorleben has been a site of clashes between the police and protesters since the 1980s.Coat of arms
Towns and municipalities
External links
* [http://www.luechow-dannenberg.de Official website] (German)
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