Rothenburg (Oberlausitz)

Infobox Ort in Deutschland
Art = Stadt
Name = Rothenburg
image_photo =
Wappen = Wappen rothenburg ol.pnglat_deg = 51 |lat_min = 20 |lat_sec = 0
lon_deg = 14 |lon_min = 58 |lon_sec = 0
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Sachsen
Regierungsbezirk = Dresden
Landkreis = Görlitz
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft = Rothenburg/O.L.
Höhe = 160
Fläche = 72.28
Einwohner = 5653
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 02929
Vorwahl = 035891
Kfz = NOL
Gemeindeschlüssel = 14 2 84 350
Gliederung = 7
Adresse-Verband = Marktplatz 1
02929 Rothenburg/O.L.
Website = [http://www.rothenburg-ol.de/ www.rothenburg-ol.de]
Bürgermeister = Hans-Dietmar Dohrmann
Partei =

Rothenburg/Oberlausitz (Upper Sorbian "Rózbork") is a small Lusatian town in eastern Saxony, Germany on the Neisse river on the German-Polish border. It has a population of 5,500.

The town was first mentioned in 1268 and became in 1815 Prussian district town.

Localities of Rothenburg are Bremenhain (first mentioned in 1396), Geheege, Lodenau, Neusorge (first mentioned in 1564), Nieder-Neundorf, Steinbach and Uhsmannsdorf (first mentioned in 1388 as "Osansdorf").

Among its pride attractions are the Town Park, Marketplace and the Evangelische Stadtkirche (Town Evangelical Church) which was built in 1798, the tower of which was badly damaged in April 1945, during an air-raid bombing. The church was restored later and stands a focal-point of the town square and marketplace.

Points of interest include the former site of the Castle Rothenburg (b.1686-WWII) which once lay on the edge of the main town square, the dam on the Neisse river once used as a bathing area for locals, and Martinshof, a still operational home and complex for the mentally and physically disabled, the innovative brianchild of Friedrich von Martin in 1883. Most of the first houses and barns of the establishment still remain, bearing the original biblical names given to them by Martin himself, such as "Bethlehem".

Despite several landmarks in the town having been hit hard by shell fire and air raid during the Second World War, the town has preserved much of its original medieval charm and old world feel. Nearby places of interest include Niesky to the southwest and Gorlitz [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6rlitz] directly south of town, a true Medieval town complete with city walls, great hotels and festivals.