Editing Cuxhaven (section)

== History ==
[[File:Cuxhaven 07-2016 photo04 Water tower.jpg|thumb|left|Water tower in Cuxhaven]]

Ritzebüttel, today a part of Cuxhaven, belonged to the [[Land of Hadeln]], first an exclave of the [[Saxe-Wittenberg|younger Duchy of Saxony]] and after its de facto dynastic partition in 1296 of the [[Saxe-Lauenburg|Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg]], established ''[[de jure]]'' in 1260. In 1394 the city of [[Hamburg]] conquered the fortress of Ritzebüttel and made it its stronghold to protect the estuary of the river [[Elbe]], which connects that city with the open sea.

The [[Hamburg America Line]] built a large [[ocean liner]] terminal at Cuxhaven in 1900. Connected directly to Hamburg by a dedicated railway line and station, it served as the major departure point for [[German Americans|German]] and [[European Americans|European emigrants]] until 1969 when ocean liner travel ceased. The ornate assembly hall and associated buildings survived wartime damage and peacetime urban renewal to be restored in 1998 for use as a museum and [[cruise ship]] terminal.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hapag-hallen-cuxhaven-eng.jimdo.com/history/ |title=Hapag Halle Museum Cuxhaven |access-date=2014-10-15 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304132940/http://hapag-hallen-cuxhaven-eng.jimdo.com/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 15 March 1907 Cuxhaven gained city status within the state of Hamburg. In 1937 Cuxhaven became an [[Independent city|urban district]] of the [[Stade (region)|Stade Region]] within the Prussian [[Province of Hanover]] by the [[Greater Hamburg Act]]. In 1972 some municipalities of the neighboured rural district of ''Land of Hadeln'' were incorporated into the urban district of Cuxhaven. In 1977 Cuxhaven lost the status as urban district and was integrated into the new rural [[Cuxhaven (district)|District of Cuxhaven]], being its capital.

During the [[First World War]] [[Nordholz Naval Airbase|Nordholz Airbase]] with its [[airship hangar]]s, near [[Nordholz]] to the south of Cuxhaven, was one of the major [[Imperial German Navy]] [[airship]] stations. On Christmas Day 1914 it was attacked by [[Royal Navy]] seaplanes in the [[Cuxhaven Raid]]. It subsequently became a strategically important city as German authorities and civilians feared it would be the site of an [[Allies of World War I|Allied]] invasion.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hastings|first=Max|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/828893101|title=Catastrophe 1914: Europe goes to war|date=2013|isbn=978-0-307-59705-2|edition=First American|location=New York|oclc=828893101}}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], the town hosted a base of a [[Wehrmacht]] radio network, codenamed BROWN, which transmitted data regarding experimental weapon developments, including rocketry. From this location the last [[ENIGMA]]-code–encrypted message of the war was transmitted on 7 May 1945. It reported the arrival of [[British Army|British troops]] and ends: "Closing down for ever – all the best – goodbye."<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52583322/|title=VE Day 2020: Last Nazi message intercepted by Bletchley Park revealed|first=Gordon|last=Corera|date=8 May 2020|website=[[BBC News]]|access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref>
 
Between 1945 and 1964 the [[Hermann-Oberth-Gesellschaft]] performed various civilian [[Rocket experiments in the area of Cuxhaven|experiments in rocketry]] near Cuxhaven.