Landhotel Burg Spreewald

The history of BURG

The Spreewald, affectionately called "Pusch" by its inhabitants, in Sorbian / Wendish language "Blota", is one of the most fascinating lowlands in Central Europe. It’s origins go back to the ice age. The glaciers of the Vistula ice age piled up to huge moraine ridges. Enormous masses of water rolled through this area when the glaciers melted, forming the narrow erosion valley. Long before the Spreewald forest was ever officially mentioned, marshes and swamps bubbled here.

The eventful and interesting history of „Burg im Spreewald“, first mentioned on September 29, 1315, has many turning points. Burg's name is particularly interesting. The first settlers lived from fishing. They brought the fish for sale, in small buckets, to the nearby town Cottbus. These buckets were made of beech bark, called "Borker" (Zbork). When they arrived with these buckets at the fish shop, people were shouting: "The borkers are coming". This is how Burg (Borkowy) got its name.

Other researchers affiliate the name to the castle that the Polish king Boleslaw had built around 1000 post Christ, one of the largest castle complexes north of the highlands.

Timeline

  • Until 500 p. Chr.: First settlements in the Bronze and Iron Age in Burg: Finds such as bronze cult wagons, highly developed pottery, gold jewellery and bronze hatchets
  • 6.-8. Century: West Slavic tribes, especially the Lusizi, settle in the Spreewald, Slavic castle walls and entrenchments from that time are still preserved today.
  • 948: The province Lusizi (Old Sorbian: Luca = swamp) is mentioned for the first time
  • 965: The river Spree is firstly named as "Sprewa"
  • 1304: Lusatia, the Lausitz area, becomes part of the region Brandenburg
  • 1315: Burg (Spreewald) is officially mentioned for the first time
  • 1368: Brandenburg – and also Burg – is incorporated into the Kingdom of Bohemia
  • 1445: The reign over Cottbus including Burg and Müschen is sold to the Elector Friedrich Eisenzahn of Brandenburg
  • 1725: Foundation of the Burg-Kauper community by Friedrich Wilhelm I. („Soldatenkönig“ – „The Soldier King“)
  • 1766: Foundation of the Burg community by Friedrich II. („Alter Fritz“ – „Old Fritz“)
  • 1799: Start of the construction of today's church, inaugurated in 1804
  • 1842: Friedrich Wilhelm IV. is visiting Burg (Spreewald), travelling by barge
  • 1874: Foundation of the male choral society "Concordia"
  • 1881: Foundation of the first fishing cooperative "Oberspreewald"
  • 1881: Foundation of the first volunteer fire brigade in Burg
  • 1886: Foundation of the association „Sektion Burg (Spreewald)“
  • 1897: Symbolic start of the construction of the „Spreewaldbahn“ (Spreewald train)
  • 1908: Foundation of the association "Vereinigte Kahnfährleute" („United bargemen“)
  • 1913: Construction of the first barge port in Burg
  • 1917: Inauguration of the Bismarck Tower on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Otto von Bismarck on the Schlossberg in Burg
  • 1947: Foundation of the bank Sparkasse in Burg (Spreewald)
  • 1952: Foundation of the association „Sorbischer Spreewaldfischer“ Burg
  • 1960: Merger of the three independent communities in Burg
  • 1970: Last ride of the „Spreewaldbahn“
  • 1973-75: The construction of the north and south flood diversion ends the era of flooding in Burg (Spreewald)
  • 1992: Foundation of the official administration office Burg (Spreewald)
  • 1992: Foundation of the country and traditional costume association Burg
  • 1994: Official opening of the rehabilitation center Spreewald
  • 1998: Burg officially receives the title "Staatlich anerkannter Erholungsort" meaning state-approved resort
  • 1999: First successful brine extraction drilling
  • 2005: Opening of the Spreewald Spa
  • 2005: Burg receives the official title "Ort mit Heilquellenkurbetrieb" (resort with medicinal spring spa)

All information subject to change.