Editing Cottbus (section)

{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox German place
| Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
| Gemeindeschlüssel  = 12052000
| name = Cottbus<br>Chóśebuz
| type = Town
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
 | border = infobox
 | perrow = 1/2/2
 | total_width = 280
 | align = center
 | caption_align = center
 | image1 = View-over-cottbus.jpg
 | caption1 = View over Cottbus
 | image2 = Cottbus - Blick von dem Spremberger Turm - 0028.jpg
 | caption2 =  St. Nikolai Kirche
 | image3 = Cottbus 07-2017 img12 Staatstheater.jpg
 | caption3 = [[Staatstheater Cottbus]]
 | image4 = Cottbus - Blick von der Oberkirche - 0070.jpg
 | caption4 = Altmarkt
 | image5 = 20150513315MDR Branitz Schloß und Park.jpg{{!}}Branitz Palace
 | caption5 = [[Branitz Palace]]
 }}
| image_flag        = DEU Cottbus Flag.svg
| image_coa         = DEU Cottbus COA.svg
| coordinates       = {{coord|51|45|38|N|14|20|03|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| image_plan        = 
| state             = Brandenburg
| district          = urban
| elevation         = 70
| area              = 164.28
| postal_code       = 03042-03055
| area_code         = 0355
| licence           = CB
| website           = {{website|http://www.cottbus.de/}}
| mayor             = Tobias Schick<ref>[https://wahlen.brandenburg.de/wahlen/de/kommunalwahlen/bm-wahlen/ergebnisse/~s_09102022_12052000 Ergebnis der Oberbürgermeisterwahl in Cottbus], accessed 13 November 2022.</ref>
| leader_term       = 2022&ndash;30
| party             = SPD
}}

'''Cottbus''' ({{IPA|de|ˈkɔtbʊs|-|De-Cottbus.ogg}}) or '''{{lang|dsb|Chóśebuz|italic=no}}'''<!-- Per MOS:BOLDALTNAMES – legal name, official name, used by city government, local authorities, and in various sources in English, particularly in Sorbian contexts. --> ({{IPA|dsb|ˈxɨɕɛbus|link=yes}};<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite web |title=Life: Cottbus/Chóśebuz International |url=https://www.cottbus.de/en/citizen/life/cottbus_international/ |website=Stadt Cottbus/Chóśebuz |language=en}}|{{cite web |title=Digital City Cottbus/Chóśebuz |url=https://cottbus-digital.de/en.html |website=Digitale Stadt Cottbus/Chóśebuz |language=en |quote=How we will master structural change in the City of Cottbus/Chóśebuz}}}}</ref><ref>{{multiref2|{{cite web |title=Map of the Lower Sorbian speaking region. The cultural capital is in Chóśebuz. |url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-the-Lower-Sorbian-speaking-region-The-cultural-capital-is-in-Chosebuz-Lower_fig6_329355397 |website=ResearchGate |language=en |date=2018}}|{{cite web |title=Upper Sorbian Grammar |url=https://baltoslav.eu/hsb/index.php?b=wst&mova=en |website=Baltoslav |language=en |quote=[...] Lower Sorbian, is spoken in the neighbouring south-eastern part of Brandenburg federal state around the city of Chóśebuz (Cottbus in German).}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Reviewed Work: The Slavic Literary Languages |journal=Harvard Ukrainian Studies |date=1982 |volume=6 |issue=4 |jstor=41036009 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41036009 |language=en |quote=a translation of the New Testament in 1709, based on the dialect of Chośebuz (Cottbus), determined the Chośebuz base of standard Lower Lusatian.}}</ref> [[Polish language|Polish]]: ''Chociebuż'') is a university city and the second-largest city in the German state of [[Brandenburg]] after the state capital, [[Potsdam]]. With around 100,000 inhabitants, Cottbus is the most populous city in [[Lusatia]]. Cottbus lies in the [[Sorbian settlement area]] ({{lang|dsb|[[:dsb:Serbski sedleński rum|Serbski sedleński rum]]}}) of [[Lower Lusatia]], and is the second-largest city on the [[River Spree]] after [[Berlin]], which is situated around {{convert|125|km|mi|abbr=on}} downstream. The city is located on the shores of Germany's largest artificial lake, the [[Cottbuser Ostsee]] ({{lang|dsb|[[:dsb:Chóśebuski pódzajtšny jazor|Chóśebuski pódzajtšny jazor]]}}).

Cottbus is considered the political and cultural center of the Lower Sorbian-speaking [[Sorbs]] (in Lower Lusatia also called the [[Wends]]), while the overall center of all Sorbs (Lower and Upper) is [[Bautzen]] (''Budyšin''). Cottbus is the largest bilingual city in Germany. Signage is mostly in German and Lower Sorbian. The city is the seat of several Lower Sorbian institutions like the Lower Sorbian version of the [[Sorbischer Rundfunk]] ({{lang|dsb|[[:dsb:Serbski rozgłos|Serbski rozgłos]]}}/{{lang|dsb|Bramborske Serbske Radijo}}), the [[Lower Sorbian Gymnasium Cottbus|Lower Sorbian Gymnasium]], and the Wendish Museum ({{lang|dsb|[[:dsb:Serbski muzej (Chóśebuz)|Serbski muzej]]}}). The use of the Lower Sorbian language, however, is more widespread in the surrounding villages than in the city itself. [[Cottbus Hauptbahnhof]] (''Chóśebuz głowne dwórnišćo'') is a major railway junction with extensive [[Siding (rail)|sidings]]/depots.

In the 10th century, the [[Wends]] constructed the largest Slavic castle of Lower Lusatia, a [[gord (archaeology)|gord]], on a [[River Spree|Spree]] island. This former gord is considered the nucleus of the city. On it rises the massive 13th century Castle Tower ({{lang|dsb|grodojski torm}}) with its blue clock.

Cottbus is the seat of the [[Brandenburg University of Technology]] ({{langx|de|Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus–Senftenberg}}, {{langx|dsb|Bramborska techniska uniwersita Chóśebuz–Zły Komorow}}). Due to this, the city has the official names {{lang|de|Universitätsstadt Cottbus}}/{{lang|dsb|Uniwersitne město Chóśebuz}} ('University City Cottbus'). [[Branitz Palace|Branitz Castle]], built in 1770–71, in the southeast of the city, was a residence of the [[Hermann, Fürst von Pückler-Muskau|Prince of Pückler-Muskau]]. The prince, who also created [[Muskau Park]], designed the extensive Branitz Park on the shores of the Spree, with its two grass pyramids. [[Staatstheater Cottbus|Cottbus State Theater]] ({{lang|dsb|Statne źiwadło Chóśebuz}}) is the only state theater in [[Brandenburg]]. The [[Wendish Quarter]] is a part of the city supposed to resemble the traditional Sorbian architectural style, constructed of prefabricated concrete slabs in [[East Germany]] between 1984 and 1989.