Lüneburg

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The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Lueneburg.

Coordinates: 53°15′N 10°24′E

Lüneburg


Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Lüneburg
Population	71,659 (2005)
Area	70.34 km²
Population density	1,019 /km²
Elevation	17 m
Coordinates	53°15′ N 10°24′ E
Postal code	21335-21339
Area code	04131
Licence plate code	LG
Mayor	Ulrich Mädge (SPD)
Website	lueneburg.de

Lüneburg (English: Lunenburg) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, about 50km southeast of Hamburg. It is the capital of the District of Lüneburg. Population: 70,312 (2005).

The ancient town is probably to be identified with Leufana or Leuphana, a town listed in Ptolemy (2.10). In medieval times the town was remarkably rich due to the salt trade. There were several salterns surrounding the town. The salt was exported to the neighbouring fiefs. Along the Old Salt Route it was transported via Lauenburg to Lübeck and from there shipped to all the Baltic coasts. Lüneburg for a long time was one of the capitals of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg; the town and its salt were major factors of power and wealth of the Hanseatic League.

Lüneburg was first mentioned in 956. After a long time of prosperity its importance declined after 1600. The saline was closed in 1980, and the mining of salt was eventually stopped after a thousand years. The town gained new relevance by its university, which was founded in 1989. The deforestation of the surrounding area for the salt production created the unique landscape of the Lüneburg Heath.

The Ilmenau River, a tributary of the Elbe, flows through Lüneburg.

The Nazi war criminal Heinrich Himmler committed suicide in Lüneburg after he had been captured by the British Army. He swallowed a potassium cyanide capsule before his interrogation could begin.

Lüneburg is twinned with Scunthorpe, England