Lauenburg/Elbe

Infobox German Location
Name = Lauenburg
Art = Stadt
image_photo =
Wappen = Lauenburg Elbe Wappen.pnglat_deg = 53 |lat_min = 22 | lat_sec = 33
lon_deg = 10 |lon_min = 33 | lon_sec = 32
Bundesland = Schleswig-Holstein
Kreis = Lauenburg
Höhe = 49
Fläche = 9.54
Einwohner = 11692
Stand = 2005-06-30
PLZ = 21481
Vorwahl = 04153
Kfz = RZ
Gemeindeschlüssel = 01 0 53 083
Adresse = Amtsplatz 5
21481 Lauenburg/Elbe
Bürgermeister = Harald Heuer

Lauenburg/Elbe (Audio|Lauenburg.ogg|listen) is a town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated at the northern bank of the river Elbe, east of Hamburg. It is the southernmost town of Schleswig-Holstein. Lauenburg belongs to the "Kreis" (district) of Herzogtum Lauenburg and had a population of 11,900 as of 2002. The town is also known in German as Lauenburg an der Elbe.

History

The town was founded in 1182 by Bernard of Ascania, the ancestor of the Dukes of Lauenburg. Saxe-Lauenburg was a duchy until 1689; the area of the medieval fief was roughly identical with today's district. In medieval times Lauenburg was a waypoint on the Old Salt Route, while today it is the southern terminus of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal.

Culture and sights

Lauenburg has a notable old town with a number of historic buildings from the 17th century and earlier. In the past these houses were mostly the homes of sailors. Today, the area appeals to artists as well as tourists. Furthermore, the 13th century built Maria-Magdalenen Church is another attraction of the old town of Lauenburg. The old town is nestled at the bottom of about 50 Meters high bluffs. The picturesque narrow streets up the hill lead to the so-called "upper town" where the Lauenburg castle is located. The old Lauenburg castle used to be the residence of the Dukes of Lauenburg and the political center of the Dukedom. Over the century most parts where destroyed and replaced by modern buildings. Though, the old castle tower remains till today. Nowadays, the castles serves as city and municipal administration. A walk up to the castle is worth the effort though, because of the view. One cannot only see the beautiful river Elbe and the old town of Lauenburg, but also the flat marshland of Lower-Saxony on the southern shore of the Elbe. On a clear day it is possible to see as far as Lüneburg, about 25 km southwest of Lauenburg. Another historic sight of Lauenburg is the "Palmschleuse", a historic lock, originally built in 1398 and renewed in the 17th century. It is the oldest lock in Europe.

Notable residents

*Karl Ludwig Harding (1765-1834), astronomer

Twin towns

Lauenburg is twinned with:
* Boizenburg (Germany)
* Dudelange (Luxembourg)
* Lębork (Poland) (formerly "Lauenburg im Pommern")
* Manom (France)

External links

* [http://www.lauenburg.de/ Official website] de icon
* [http://www.altstadt-lauenburg.de/ Altstadt-Lauenburg] de icon