The name appears to be a locative form of a Sorbian root meaning marsh, moor, or wet meadow, in reference to the surrounding countryside.
History
Church of St. Nicholas in Luckau
The oldest preserved document mentioning the city of Luckau (using the Slavic form Lukow) dates from the year 1276. Since the Middle Ages, the town was located on an important trade route, called the "Salt Road", which was used to transport salt from Halle to Lusatia and further east to Poland.[3] In 1468, the town opposed Bohemian (Czech) King George of Poděbrady and passed to Matthias Corvinus of Hungary.[4] In 1490, it passed from Hungary back to the Kingdom of Bohemia, then ruled by Polish prince Vladislaus II. A prosperous town, it became one of the capitals of Lower Lusatia in 1492. By a decree by Margrave Heinrich von Meißen, all the Jewish inhabitants in Luckau were set to be expelled by March 8, 1500.[5]
While conducting an inspection of his troops, Napoleon stayed overnight in Luckau from 20 to 21 July 1813. He requisitioned quarters in the top storey of the house belonging to the richest man in the city, a merchant named Vogt. Because it was very cold during that July night, Napoleon had a copper warming pan brought to his bed. This warming pan may still be seen in the Museum of Lower Lusatia in Luckau.
As a result of a decree of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Lower Lusatia was ceded to Prussia, the Margravate was dissolved, and the region of Lower Lusatia, and thus also the city of Luckau, were annexed to the Province of Brandenburg. One of the main escape routes for insurgents of the unsuccessful Polish November Uprising from partitioned Poland to the Great Emigration led through the town.[6]
From 1816 to 1993 Luckau held the status of Kreisstadt or "county seat"; it has now been included in the rural district of Dahme-Spreewald, of which the capital is Lübben. Luckau has been a well-known peat-bath spa (Moorbad) since the beginning of the 20th century.
During World War II, it was the location of a Nazi prison with multiple forced labour subcamps in the region.[7]
Demography
Development of Population since 1875 within the Current Boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population Development of Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of Nazi rule; Red Background: Time of Communist rule)
Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the Census in Germany in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005-2030 (yellow line); for 2020-2030 (green line); for 2017-2030 (scarlet line)
Luckau: Population development within the current boundaries (2020)[8]
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1875
11,475
—
1890
11,369
−0.06%
1910
10,947
−0.19%
1925
11,083
+0.08%
1933
11,117
+0.04%
1939
11,022
−0.14%
1946
15,343
+4.84%
1950
14,672
−1.11%
1964
13,011
−0.85%
1971
12,746
−0.29%
1981
12,318
−0.34%
1985
11,926
−0.81%
1989
11,514
−0.88%
1990
11,389
−1.09%
1991
11,116
−2.40%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1992
11,138
+0.20%
1993
10,970
−1.51%
1994
10,924
−0.42%
1995
10,751
−1.58%
1996
10,920
+1.57%
1997
10,964
+0.40%
1998
10,883
−0.74%
1999
11,089
+1.89%
2000
11,104
+0.14%
2001
10,919
−1.67%
2002
10,736
−1.68%
2003
10,604
−1.23%
2004
10,556
−0.45%
2005
10,642
+0.81%
2006
10,477
−1.55%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
2007
10,452
−0.24%
2008
10,334
−1.13%
2009
10,231
−1.00%
2010
10,130
−0.99%
2011
9,818
−3.08%
2012
9,738
−0.81%
2013
9,610
−1.31%
2014
9,558
−0.54%
2015
9,533
−0.26%
2016
9,574
+0.43%
2017
9,729
+1.62%
2018
9,582
−1.51%
2019
9,565
−0.18%
2020
9,443
−1.28%
Sightseeing
Organ of St. Nicholas Church
Lutheran Church of St. Nicholas
The gothic, twin-towered hall church was built during the period from 1375 until 1437. During a fire in the church in 1644 most of the mediaeval furnishings were lost. The restoration of the interior was carried out under the direction of the architects Petzsch and Bärgt in a rich baroque style. The organ, which is exceptionally beautiful, was installed by the Leipzig organ manufacturing company Donath during the years from 1672 to 1674. It presents a richly panelled baroque appearance. Around the year 2002 renovation measures were undertaken at the church.
Chapel of St. George with the Hausmann Tower
Hausmann tower with the Chapel of St. George
The chapel and its grounds, which were built during the 14th century, have been used only for secular purposes since the Reformation.
The Red Tower, remnant of the city fortifications
Town fortifications
Large portions of the old city wall from the 13th and 14th centuries have been preserved. Particularly remarkable is the Red Tower (Roter Turm).
House on the Marketplace
Baroque gabled houses
The beautiful marketplace is bordered by numerous baroque dwelling houses. Some of these structures were richly adorned with decorative stucco by Italian baroque master-builders.
Town hall
The town hall (Rathaus) was built during the 17th century, and later remodeled in neoclassical style.
Located approximately 10 kilometers to the east of Luckau is exit "Duben" on Autobahn A13. The church of the nearby village of Duben has also been designated as an "Autobahn church."
Until it was deactivated by the Bundeswehr there was a military airfield with paved runways, a fuel depot and a munitions bunker in Alteno. There were also remotely controlled automatic PAR-8 radio beacons along the main landing approach in the vicinity of Alteno "A" at 1000m and at Groß Radden "AO" at 4000m. During the latter period of the German Democratic Republic it served as an auxiliary and training field for fighter squadron JG-1 in Holzdorf bei Jessen/Elster. The call designation of the field was "Arno". At present the grounds are used for racing by the Luckau motorcycle club.
_-_Roter_Turm.JPG)
