Luckenwalde

{{Infobox German location

|type = Stadt

|image_coa = Wappen Luckenwalde.png

|image_photo = Luckenwalde tower church.jpg

|image_caption = Market tower and St. John's Church

|coordinates = {{coord|52|05|N|13|10|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

|image_plan = Luckenwalde in TF.png

|state = Brandenburg

|district = Teltow-Fläming

|elevation = 48

|area = 46.61

|postal_code = 14943

|area_code = 03371

|licence = TF

|Gemeindeschlüssel = 12 0 72 232

|divisions = 3 Ortsteile

|website = [https://www.luckenwalde.de/ www.luckenwalde.de]

|mayor = Elisabeth Herzog-von der Heide[https://wahlen.brandenburg.de/wahlen/de/kommunalwahlen/bm-wahlen/ergebnisse/~12072000 Landkreis Teltow-Fläming Wahl der Bürgermeisterin / des Bürgermeisters], accessed 4 July 2021.

|leader_term = 2017–25

|party = SPD

}}

Luckenwalde ({{IPA|de|ˌlʊkn̩ˈvaldə|lang|de-Luckenwalde.ogg}}; Upper and {{langx|dsb|Łukowc}}, {{IPA|hsb|ˈwukɔfts|lang}}, {{IPA|dsb|ˈwukɔwts|lang}}) is the capital of the Teltow-Fläming district in the state of Brandenburg in eastern Germany. It is situated on the Nuthe river north of the Fläming Heath, at the eastern rim of the Nuthe-Nieplitz Nature Park, about {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Berlin. The town area includes the villages of Frankenfelde and Kolzenburg.

Overview

File:Faerberei Hutfabrik Luckenwalde.jpg

The former Slavic settlement of Lugkin was conquered by Margrave Conrad Wettin of Meissen in the course of the 1147 Wendish Crusade. Lukenwalde Castle was first mentioned in a 1216 deed as a burgward of the Bishopric of Brandenburg, it was acquired by Zinna Abbey in 1285. Together with Zinna it remained under the rule of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg and its successor, the Prussian Duchy of Magdeburg until it was attached to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1773.

Originating in the 17th century, Luckenwalde's cloth and wool factories did not spring up till the reign of King Frederick II of Prussia and soon were among the most extensive in Germany. Other traditional industries were cotton printing and a dye works, brewing, and the making of metal and bronze goods. In 1808 Luckenwalde officially received town privileges.

By the turn of the 20th Century Luckenwalde became renowned as a key manufacturer of hats. In 1921 the two biggest hat ateliers, Herrmann and Steinberg, merged and set up their factory on an industrial estate in Luckenwalde. The factory was designed by German architect Erich Mendelsohn in 1923, the factory is considered a milestone of Expressionist architecture. The hat factory fell into disrepair during and after the war period and was restored in 2001, but as of 2013 the building remains empty.[http://architectuul.com/architecture/hat-factory Hat Factory on Architectuul]

During World War II, the Stalag III-A prisoner-of-war camp was located in Luckenwalde. In April 1941, the Stalag 333 POW camp was established, and then was relocated to Komorowo in German-occupied Poland in November 1941.{{cite book|last1=Megargee|first1=Geoffrey P.|last2=Overmans|first2=Rüdiger|last3=Vogt|first3=Wolfgang|year=2022|title=The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume IV|publisher=Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum|page=328|isbn=978-0-253-06089-1}} There was also a work camp for civilians. The Nazis forced people to work for their war effort or else the families of people who worked there would perish. Lack of food and hard work killed thousands. Among them were Poles, Italians, French and many more. There were several places in the town and surrounding areas where they worked. Luckenwalde was taken by the Red Army on 22 April 1945.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Demography

File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung Luckenwalde.pdf|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)

File:Bevölkerungsprognosen Luckenwalde.pdf|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 2017-2030 (scarlet line); for 2020-2030 (green line)

{{historical populations

|align=none | cols=3 | percentages=pagr

|title = Luckenwalde: Population development
within the current boundaries (2020)Detailed data sources are to be found in the Wikimedia Commons.[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Population_projection_Brandenburg Population Projection Brandenburg at Wikimedia Commons]

| 1875 | 14699

| 1890 | 19173

| 1910 | 24213

| 1925 | 25625

| 1939 | 29383

| 1950 | 31668

| 1964 | 29968

| 1971 | 29700

| 1981 | 27957

| 1985 | 27487

| 1990 | 26544

| 1995 | 24185

| 2000 | 22389

| 2005 | 21373

| 2010 | 20471

| 2015 | 20358

| 2016 | 20521

| 2017 | 20674

| 2018 | 20522

| 2019 | 20582

| 2020 | 20586

}}

Politics

Seats in the municipal assembly (Stadtverordnetenversammlung) as of 2014 elections:{{cite web|title=Municipal election 25.05.2014 - STVV Luckenwalde|url=http://www.luckenwalde.de/politik/pcwahl/webapp/gw2014.html|publisher=Stadt Luckenwalde|accessdate=19 October 2014}}

Transport

Notable people

International relations

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}

Luckenwalde is twinned with:

References

{{Reflist}}

{{EB1911|wstitle=Luckenwalde|volume=17|page=106}}