Bautzen (district)

Infobox German district
name=Bautzen - Wokrjes Budyšin
state=Saxony
capital=Bautzen
regierungsbezirk=Dresden
area=2390.7
population=333,470
population_as_of=31.12.2007
density=169
carsign=BZ
url=http://www.landkreis-bautzen.de

Bautzen (Upper Sorbian "Wokrjes Budyšin") is a district in the Free State of Saxony in Germany including the former districts of Bischofswerda and Kamenz. It is bounded (from the south and clockwise) by the Czech Republic, the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge, the district-free city Dresden and the districts of Meißen and Görlitz. It borders on Brandenburg in the north.

History

Historically most of the Upper Lusatia belonged to Bohemia. After the end of the Thirty Years' War it became a part of Saxony. Only the small town of Schirgiswalde remained Bohemian until 1809.

The district was established in 1994 by merging the former districts of Bautzen and Bischofswerda. The district of Kamenz and the district-free city Hoyerswerda were merged into the district in August 2008.

Geography

The district belongs to the region of Upper Lusatia ("Oberlausitz"). The southern border region is occupied by the Lusatian Mountains. The countryside slopes away to the north.

The Spree River enters the district from the southeast and runs through Schirgiswalde and Bautzen before leaving to the north. Behind Bautzen the river is dammed by a reservoir ("Talsperre Bautzen", 5.5 km²).

Coat of arms

Towns and municipalities

External links

* [http://www.landkreis-bautzen.de Official website] (German)