Bautzen

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Bautzen


Country	Germany
State	Saxony
Administrative region	Dresden
District	Bautzen
Population	42,189 (2006)
Area	66.63 km²
Population density	633 /km²
Elevation	204 m
Coordinates	51°11′ N 14°25′ E
Postal code	02601-02625
Area code	03591
Licence plate code	BZ
Mayor	Christian Schramm (CDU)
Website	bautzen.de

Ortenburg castle

Town hall Bautzen

Old Waterworks and Church of St. Michael

Bautzen (pronounced [ˈbautsn̩] (help·info), until 1868: Budissin; Upper Sorbian: Budyšin [ˈbudɨʃin]; Lower Sorbian: Budyšyn [ˈbudɨʃɨn]; Polish: Budziszyn) is a city in eastern Saxony, Germany, and capital of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2005, its population is 42,189. Asteroid 11580 Bautzen is named in honor of the city.

Bautzen is often regarded as the unofficial, but historical capital of Upper Lusatia, and it is the most important cultural center of the Sorbs, a Slavic minority.

1 History
- 1.1 Overview
2 Subdivisions
3 Twin cities
4 Tourist attractions
5 People
6 External links

[edit] History

The first written proof of the city was in 1002. In 1018 the Peace of Bautzen was signed between the German king Henry II and the Polish prince Boleslaus I. The Treaty left Bautzen (Budziszyn in Polish) under Polish rule. In 1033 the city passed to the Holy Roman Empire, in 1319 to Bohemia and in 1635 to Saxony. During the Middle Ages it was a member of the Six Cities' Alliance of the Upper Lusatian cities of Görlitz, Zittau, Löbau, Kamenz, Lauban and Bautzen.

During the Nazi era there was a subcamp of the Groß-Rosen concentration camp in Bautzen. Ernst Thälmann was imprisoned there before being deported to Buchenwald.

The East German regime kept a prison for opposition members in Bautzen. The prison was called Gelbes Elend ("Yellow Misery") by the people.

In 2002 the city commemorated its thousandth birthday.

[edit] Overview

3rd cen. Eastern Germanic settlement. Excavations show that the Bautzen region was already inhabited in the late Stone Age.
prob. 958 Erection of Ortenburg Castle atop earlier fortifications of the Milceni tribe
1002 First written mention of Bautzen
1018 Peace of Bautzen concluded between the early-feudal German city and the Polish duchy; Budziszyn(Bautzen) region remains under Polish rule until 1031
1076-1085 The city belongs to Upper Lusatia; Ortenburg Castle becomes the administrative centre of this area
1084 Wiprecht von Groitzsch moves his residence to Budissin Castle and resides here until 1091
1213 Bautzen Town Hall built; construction of the Church of Saint Peter begins
1240 Existing city charter of Bautzen first mentioned in written documents
1336 Foundation of the Six-City League of Upper Lusatia; besides Bautzen Görlitz, Löbau, Zittau, Kamenz and Lauban (Luban in modern Poland) were members
1400 Craftsmen's Rebellion. Bautzen already has more than 5.300 inhabitants and is one of the most important cities in the area of modern eastern Germany
1408 Wenceslas, King of Bohemia, in Bautzen, 100 of the rebelling craftsmen were sentenced to death; 14 executions at the Main Market
1429 and 1431 Hussites lay siege to the town, but without success.
1469-1490 Political allegiance to Hungary (under Matthias Corvinus), after 1490 to Bohemia again
1524 Reformation comes to Bautzen; Church of St.Peter becomes an interdenominational church
1547 In the so-called "Poenfall", the six cities of the Upper Lusatian League forfeit all of their privileges and holdings to the Emperor, ostensibly because they refused to provide assistance in the Schmalkaldic War (Battle of Mühlberg).
1635 Peace of Prague; Upper Lusatia permanenty become part of Saxony.
1813 Battle of Bautzen against Napoleon's army.
1868 "Bautzen" fixed as official designation. After the name had changed so many times (being called, by turns, Budissin, Budessen, Buticyn, Pautzen, among other forms), the name of the city remains Budysin in Sorbian.
1945 Bautzen is declared a fortress in Spring, pitched street fighting until 8 May; last German tank-offensive of World War II. During the fighting, approximately 10% of the residential buildings with almost 34% of the town’s living space were destroyed. Eighteen bridges, 33 public buildings, 46 small firms and 23 larger firms were completely destroyed. Approximately 6.500 soldiers from both sides fell in the battles. According to other statistics, it is said that 350 civilians were killed in Bautzen during this time (Battle of Bautzen (World War II))
1995 Bautzen becomes a major regional administrative centre
2002 1000 year celebration of the original first historical record of the city

[edit] Subdivisions

Here are the subdivisions of Bautzen:

In the east: Burk, Niederkaina, Basankwitz, Nadelwitz, Auritz (Bautzen), Jenkwitz-West, Strehla (Bautzen)
In the south: Oberkaina, Boblitz
In the west: Stiebitz, Rattwitz, Bloaschütz, Uhna, Bolbritz, Salzenforst, Schmole
In the north and northwest: Kleinwelka, Kleinseidau, Neumalsitz, Oehna

[edit] Twin cities

Reichenturm tower

Worms, since 1990
Heidelberg, since 1991
Dreux, France, since 1992
Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic, since 1993
Jelenia Góra, Poland, since 1993

[edit] Tourist attractions

There is something to see in Bautzen. Above all, it is renowned for its historical town centre with its skyline of medieval towers.

Sites of interest

The Reichenturm: One of the steepest leaning and still passable towers north of the Alps
Ortenburg Castle
The Old Waterworks: architectural monument and museum; landmark of Bautzen
Saint Peter's Cathedral: Eastern Germany's only historic interdenominational church edifice

There are four museums including the Stadtmuseum Bautzen (lit. the Bautzen city Museum) and the Sorbisches Museum, lit. the Sorbian Museum (Sorbian-Lusatian: Serbski muzej).