Guben (; Polish and Sorbian: Gubin) is a town on the Lusatian Neisse river in Lower Lusatia, in the state of Brandenburg, in eastern Germany. Located in the Spree-Neiße district, Guben has a population of 20,049. It is a divided city on the border between Germany and Poland, having been separated into Guben and Gubin by the Oder–Neisse line in 1945.

Geography

Environment

Guben is located in the district (Landkreis) of Spree-Neiße in the southeast of the state of Brandenburg. It is in the historical region of Lower Lusatia. Guben's position on the banks of the Lusatian Neisse between two plateaus was advantageous in its early economic development. These plateaus developed from ground moraines of the Wisconsin glaciation period. Both the western (Kaltenborner Berge = Kaltenborn Hills) and eastern (Gubener Berge = Guben Hills) ended up as terminal moraines. The surrounding land is covered with pine forests and lakes.

Districts

Guben is divided into the unofficial sections of:

  • Altstadt, formerly to 1945 Klostervorstadt (developed from the early Benedictine cloister area, which developed into the industrial suburb of pre-division Guben)
  • Sprucke (originally Vorwerk Altsprucke, added after 1920 with quarter Neusprucke and after 1963 with quarter Obersprucke)
  • Reichenbach

Guben is divided into the official districts (with district mayors) of:

  • Bresinchen
  • Deulowitz
  • Groß Breesen (with Grunewald)
  • Kaltenborn
  • Schlagsdorf

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Guben depicts a red wall with three gates (Klostertor, Crossener Tor, Werdertor) and three towers. The three inescutcheons depict the arms of the historic rulers: the Kings of Prussia, the Kings of Bohemia, and the Electors of Saxony. The coat of arms of the Polish sister city Gubin features a Piast Eagle inescutcheon instead.

History

Medieval and early modern period

thumb|left|upright|Post milestone from 1736 with the coat of arms the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Electorate of Saxony]]

The trade settlement existed since the 11th century. In the early 11th century it became part of the early Polish state under Bolesław I the Brave, and later it fell to the March of Lusatia. and afterwards it fell to the Dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg, before it was captured by House of Wittelsbach in 1324. It was regained by the Silesian Piasts in 1362,

| 1875 | 9496

| 1890 | 11480

| 1910 | 14438

| 1925 | 15018

| 1939 | 16671

| 1950 | 26802

| 1964 | 26197

| 1971 | 30231

| 1981 | 37234

| 1985 | 35262

| 1990 | 33177

| 1995 | 29093

| 2000 | 25245

| 2005 | 21341

| 2010 | 19320

| 2015 | 17616

| 2016 | 17471

| 2017 | 17174

| 2018 | 16933

| 2019 | 16783

| 2020 | 16656

Notable people

thumb|180px|Johann Crüger

  • Johann Crüger (1598–1662), hymns composer, cantor in Berlin (St. Nicolai)
  • Johann Franck (1618–1677), lawyer, mayor of Guben, hymns poet
  • Corona Schröter (1751–1802), musician and singer who was a close confidant of Johann von Goethe
  • Ludwig von Falkenhausen (1844–1936), Colonel General, 1917–1918 Governor General in Belgium
  • Alexander Tschirch (1856–1939), a pharmacologist in Bern, Switzerland
  • Ludwig von Reuter (1869–1943), Admiral of the Imperial Navy, commanded 1919. sinking in Scapa Flow
  • Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960), politician (KPD, SED) member of the Reichstag, President of the GDR
  • Heinrich Gaedcke (1905–1992), officer in the Reichswehr, Wehrmacht and Bundeswehr
  • Gerhard Pohl (1937–2012), engineer, politician and Minister of Economy of the GDR
  • Barbara Dittus (1939–2001), actress
  • Danilo Hondo (born 1974), cyclist, German Champion 2002
  • Ska Keller (born 1981), politician (The Greens), Member of European Parliament
  • Katja Hoyer (born 1985), historian and writer

Twin towns

Guben is twinning with the following towns:

  • Cittadella, Italy
  • Gubin, Poland
  • Laatzen, Germany

See also

  • Guben station, Guben Central
  • Vettersfelde Treasure, historic gold treasure

References

All links are in German.

  • Official website of Guben
  • City economic site
  • Tourist information
  • History from 1871–1945
  • Site of a local publisher with historical information