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Lauenburg/Elbe

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Coordinates: 53°22′33″N 10°33′32″E / 53.37583, 10.55889

Lauenburg
Coat of arms	Location

Administration
Country	Germany
State	Schleswig-Holstein
District	Lauenburg
Mayor	Harald Heuer
Basic statistics
Area	9.54 km² (3.7 sq mi)
Elevation	49 m (161 ft)
Population	11,692 (30/06/2005)
- Density	1,226 /km² (3,174 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	RZ
Postal code	21481
Area code	04153

Lauenburg (listen (help·info)) is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated at the northern bank of the river Elbe, east of Hamburg. It is the southernmost town of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Lauenburg belongs to the Kreis (district) of Lauenburg and had a population of 11,900 as of 2002. The town is also known in German as "Lauenburg an der Elbe" to differentiate it from other places with the name Lauenburg.

1 History
2 Culture and Sights
3 Notable residents
4 Twin towns
5 External links

The town was founded in 1182 by Bernard of Ascania, the ancestor of the Dukes of Lauenburg. 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.

Lauenburg has a notable old town with a number of historic buildings from the 17th century and earlier. In the past these houses mostly where 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.