Editing Cottbus

{{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.

== Spelling ==
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the spelling of the city's name was disputed. In [[Berlin]], the spelling "Kottbus" was preferred, and it is still used for the capital's {{lang|de|Kottbusser Tor}} ("Cottbus Gate"). Locally the traditional spelling "Cottbus" (which defies standard German-language rules) was preferred, and it is now used in most circumstances. Because the official spelling used locally before the [[German orthography reform of 1996|spelling reforms of 1996]] had contravened even the standardized spelling rules already in place, the {{ill|Standing Committee for Geographical Names|de|Ständiger Ausschuss für geographische Namen}} ({{langx|de|Ständiger Ausschuss für geographische Namen}}) stress their urgent recommendation that geographical names should respect the national spelling standards.{{clarification needed|reason=Does this mean they recommended a different spelling for the city name?|date=May 2023}} A citizen of the city may be identified as either a "Cottbuser" or a "Cottbusser".

Names in different languages:
* {{langx|cs|Chotěbuz}}, {{IPA|cs|ˈxocɛbus|pron}}
* {{langx|de|Cottbus}}
* {{langx|la|Cotbusium}}
* {{langx|pl|Chociebuż}}, {{IPA|pl|xɔˈt͡ɕɛbuʂ|pron|Pl-Chociebuż.ogg}}
* {{langx|dsb|Chóśebuz}}
* {{langx|hsb|Choćebuz}}
* {{langx|yi|קוטבוס|translit=Kotbus}}

== History ==
===Medieval period===
[[File:Cottbus 07-2017 img26 Klosterkirche.jpg|thumb|left|[[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] Franciscan church and later Sorbian Protestant Church]]
The settlement was established in the tenth century, when [[Sorbs]] erected a [[castle]] on a sandy island in the River [[Spree (river)|Spree]]. It was captured by the [[March of Lusatia]] in 965, then it passed to Poland under [[Bolesław I the Brave]] in 1002, and back to the March of Lusatia in 1032. The first recorded mention of the town's name was in 1156. In the 13th century [[Ostsiedlung|German settlers]] came to the town and thereafter lived side by side with the Sorbs.

In the [[Middle Ages]] Cottbus was known for [[wool]], and the town's drapery was exported throughout Brandenburg, [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]] and [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxony]]. It was also located on an important trade route, called the "Salt Road", which was used to transport salt from [[Halle (Saale)|Halle]] to Lusatia and further east to Poland.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Pieradzka|first=Krystyna|year=1949|title=Związki handlowe Łużyc ze Śląskiem w dawnych wiekach|journal=Sobótka|language=pl|location=Wrocław|volume=IV|issue=4|page=90}}</ref> It was part of the [[Margraviate of Lusatia]] and later [[Lower Lusatia]], which was held by the [[House of Wettin]] until it became a [[Lands of the Bohemian Crown|Bohemian Crown Land]] in 1367. In 1445 Cottbus was acquired by the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] from Bohemia. It was an [[exclave]] almost completely surrounded by Bohemian Lower Lusatia (with a short border with the [[Electorate of Saxony]] to the south-west).

{{Quote box |width=22em |align=right |bgcolor=#B0C4DE
|title=Historical affiliations
|quote=[[March of Lusatia]] 965–1002<br />
[[Duchy of Poland (c. 960–1025)|Duchy of Poland]] 1002–1025<br />
[[Kingdom of Poland]] 1025–1031<br />
[[Duchy of Poland (1031–1076)|Duchy of Poland]] 1032<br />
<span style="margin-right:7px;">{{flagicon image|Armoiries Basse-Lusace.svg|border=|size=18px}}</span> [[March of Lusatia]] 1032–1367<br />
{{flag|Kingdom of Bohemia}} 1367–1445<br />
{{flagicon image|Pabellon de Brandeburgo (c. 1684).svg}} [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] 1445–1618<br />
{{flagicon image|Pabellon de Brandeburgo (c. 1684).svg}} [[Brandenburg-Prussia]] 1618–1701<br />
{{flag|Kingdom of Prussia|1750}} 1701–1807<br />
{{flagicon image|State flag of Saxony before 1815.svg}} [[Kingdom of Saxony]] 1807–1815<br />
{{flag|Kingdom of Prussia|1803}} 1815–1871<br />
{{flag|German Empire}} 1871–1918<br />
{{flag|Weimar Republic}} 1918–1933<br />
{{flag|Nazi Germany}} 1933–1945<br />
{{flag|Allied-occupied Germany}} 1945–1949<br />
{{flag|GDR}} 1949–1990<br />
{{flag|GER|name=Federal Republic Germany}} 1990–date
}}
===Modern period===
In 1514 Jan Rak founded the {{lang|la|Universitas Serborum}}, a Sorbian gymnasium, in the city. In 1635 Lower Lusatia was ceded by Bohemia to Saxony, thereby making Cottbus an [[enclave]] of Saxony. Since the 1690s, [[French people|French]], [[Walloons]] and [[Palatines]] settled in the city.<ref>{{cite book|last=Muret|first=Eduard|title=Geschichte der Französischen Kolonie in Brandenburg-Preußen, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Berliner Gemeinde. Aus Veranlassung der Zweihundertjährigen Jubelfeier am 29. Oktober 1885|year=1885|location=Berlin|language=de|page=209}}</ref> In 1701 [[Brandenburg-Prussia]] became the [[Kingdom of Prussia]].

In 1807, following the [[War of the Fourth Coalition]], Cottbus was ceded by Prussia to the [[Kingdom of Saxony]] by the [[Treaties of Tilsit|Treaty of Tilsit]], reuniting it with Lower Lusatia. Cottbus was returned to Prussia by the [[Congress of Vienna]] in 1815 after the Napoleonic wars. Lower Lusatia was also ceded to Prussia and both became part of the Prussian [[Province of Brandenburg]] (and {{lang|de|Regierungsbezirk Frankfurt}}), where they remained until 1947. In the 19th century, the ''Bramborski Serbski Casnik'' Sorbian newspaper was published in the city, and in 1880, the first Lower Lusatian department of the [[Maćica Serbska]] organization was established there.<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I|year=1880|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=598}}</ref>
[[File:Bramborski Serbski Casnik.jpg|thumb|upright|First issue of the ''Bramborski Serbski Casnik'' Sorbian newspaper, 1848]]

Up to 142 French prisoners of war were held in the town by the Prussians during the [[Franco-Prussian War]] of 1870–1871.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Stanek|first=Piotr|year=2011|title=Obozy jenieckie i obozy internowania w Chociebużu|magazine=Pro Lusatia|location=Opole|language=pl|volume=10|page=73}}</ref> In 1871 Prussia, and therefore Cottbus, became part of the [[German Empire]]. According to the Prussian census of 1905, the city of Cottbus had a population of 46,270, of which 97% were [[Germans]], 2% were [[Sorbs]] and 1% were [[Polish people|Poles]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Belzyt|first=Leszek|url=https://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/search?isbn|title=Sprachliche Minderheiten im preussischen Staat: 1815 - 1914 ; die preußische Sprachenstatistik in Bearbeitung und Kommentar|date=1998|publisher=Herder-Inst.|isbn=978-3-87969-267-5|location=Marburg}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===World War I and the interwar period===
During [[World War I]], Germany operated two [[German prisoner-of-war camps in World War I|prisoner-of-war camps]] and a detention center for [[Allies of World War I|Allied]] privates in the city.<ref>Stanek, p. 74</ref> The first captives, some 7,500 Russians, were mostly kept outdoors, which, combined with poor sanitary and medical conditions, resulted in an [[epidemic typhus]] outbreak, with 70% of the prisoners falling ill, and some 400 dying.<ref>Stanek, pp. 74–75</ref> Soon, also POWs of other nationalities, including French, British, Belgian, Serbian, Romanian, Italian, Portuguese and Australian were held in the POW camps in Cottbus.<ref>Stanek, p. 77</ref> Conditions in the camps were poor due to overcrowding, filth, inadequate heating in winter, and insufficient medical supplies in the camps' lazarettes.<ref>Stanek, pp. 78–79</ref> Western Allied POWs were eventually released until mid-January 1919, whereas Russian POWs remained in the camps and were employed at local [[lignite]] mines.<ref name=ps83>Stanek, p. 83</ref> Many Russian POWs preferred to stay in the camp rather than leave for [[Soviet Russia]] and be forced into the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] and army, and many were released to Russia only between September 1920 and January 1921, however some 600 to 1,000 Russians remained in the camp as of June 1921.<ref>Stanek, pp. 83–84, 90</ref>

The former prisoner-of-war camp was used as a concentration camp for some 1,200 to 1,500 Polish activists, civilians and insurgents of the [[Silesian Uprisings]] of 1919–1921, who were often subjected to harassment, beatings and tortures, with their deportation from [[Upper Silesia]] to Cottbus being a breach of the [[Treaty of Versailles]].<ref>Stanek, pp. 84–85, 91</ref> Among the prisoners were dozens of women with children, and elderly men, and camp conditions remained poor.<ref>Stanek, pp. 92–94</ref> It was also the site of a concentration camp for unwanted [[Jews|Jewish]] refugees from [[Eastern Europe]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stone |first1=Dan|author-link=Dan Stone (historian) |title=Concentration Camps: A Very Short Introduction |date=2017 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-103502-9 |language=en|page=31}}</ref> Since late 1922, also Polish laborers and their families were detained in the camp before their deportation to Poland.<ref>Stanek, p. 99</ref> The camp was eventually closed in December 1923.<ref>Stanek, p. 100</ref>

===World War II and the post-war period===
During [[World War II]], a Nazi prison for women was operated in the city with multiple [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] subcamps located both in the city and other places in the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=985|title=Frauenzuchthaus Cottbus|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=30 October 2021|language=de}}</ref> Polish actor [[Władysław Hańcza]] was imprisoned in a forced labour camp in the city in 1944–1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dziennikteatralny.pl/artykuly/wladyslaw-hancza-1905-1977.html|title=Władysław Hańcza (1905 – 1977)|website=Dziennik Teatralny|access-date=30 September 2023|language=pl}}</ref> In the final weeks of the war, Cottbus was taken by the [[Red Army]] on 22 April 1945.

In January 1946, Cottbus issued 34 semi-postal postage stamps to help finance rebuilding the city. From 1949 until [[German reunification]] in 1990, Cottbus was part of the [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany). From 1952 to 1990, Cottbus was the administrative seat of [[Bezirk Cottbus]].

== Boroughs ==

[[File:Ortsteile von Cottbus.svg|thumb|center|400px]]

{| class="wikitable sortable zebra" style="text-align:right"
|-
! !! German !! Lower Sorbian !! Inhabitants !! Surface area (km<sup>2</sup>) !! Population density !! First mention !! Incorporation
|-
| 1 || style="text-align:left" | [[Mitte (Cottbus)|Mitte]] ([[:de:Mitte (Cottbus)|de]]) || Srjejź || 10,732 || 1.7 || 6,313 ||
|-
| 2 || style="text-align:left" | [[Schmellwitz]] ([[:de:Schmellwitz|de]]) || Chmjelow || 14,116 || 8.1 || 1,743 || 1414 || 1950
|-
| 3 || style="text-align:left" | [[Sandow (Cottbus)|Sandow]] ([[:de:Sandow (Cottbus)|de]]) || [[:dsb:Žandow|Žandow]] || 15,301 || 8.7 || 1,759 || 1415 || 1905
|-
| 4 || style="text-align:left" | [[Spremberger Vorstadt]] ([[:de:Spremberger Vorstadt|de]]) || Grodkojske pśedměsto|| 13,800 || 3.6 || 3,833 ||
|-
| 5 || style="text-align:left" | [[Ströbitz]] ([[:de:Ströbitz (Cottbus)|de]]) || Strobice|| 15,726 || 11.7 || 1,344 || 1452 || 1950
|-
| 6 || style="text-align:left" | [[Sielow]] ([[:de:Sielow|de]]) || Žylow|| 3,510 || 18.8 || 187 || 1300 || 1993
|-
| 7 || style="text-align:left" | [[Saspow (Cottbus)|Saspow]] ([[:de:Saspow|de]]) || [[:dsb:Zaspy|Zaspy]]|| 686 || 4.3 || 160 || 1455 || 1950
|-
| 8 || style="text-align:left" | [[Merzdorf (Cottbus)|Merzdorf]] ([[:de:Merzdorf (Cottbus)|de]]) || Žylowk || 1,089 || 7.4 || 147 || 1411 || 1993
|-
| 9 || style="text-align:left" | [[Dissenchen]] ([[:de:Dissenchen|de]]) || [[:dsb:Dešank|Dešank]] || 1,101 || 30.7 || 36 || 1536 || 1993
|-
| 10 || style="text-align:left" | [[Branitz]] ([[:de:Branitz (Cottbus)|de]]) || Rogeńc || 1,446 || 5.4 || 268 || 1449 || 1993
|-
| 11 || style="text-align:left" | [[Madlow]] ([[:de:Madlow|de]]) || Módłej || 1,630 || 3.0 || 543 || 1346 || 1950
|-
| 12 || style="text-align:left" | [[Sachsendorf (Cottbus)|Sachsendorf]] ([[:de:Sachsendorf (Cottbus)|de]]) || Knorawa || 10,584 || 6.6 || 1,603 || 1779 || 1950
|-
| 13 || style="text-align:left" | [[Döbbrick]] ([[:de:Döbbrick|de]]) || Depsk || 1,695 || 15.5 || 109 || 1551 || 1993
|-
| 14 || style="text-align:left" | [[Skadow]] ([[:de:Skadow|de]]) || [[:dsb:Škódow|Škódow]] || 568 || 4.6 || 123 || 1407 || 1993
|-
| 15 || style="text-align:left" | [[Willmersdorf]] ([[:de:Willmersdorf (Cottbus)|de]]) || Rogozno || 633 || 6.4 || 99 || 1449 || 1993
|-
| 16 || style="text-align:left" | [[Kahren]] ([[:de:Kahren (Cottbus)|de]]) || Kórjeń || 1,259 || 14.0 || 90 || 1300 || 1993
|-
| 17 || style="text-align:left" | [[Kiekebusch]] ([[:de:Kiekebusch (Cottbus)|de]]) || Kibuš || 1,292 || 3.7 || 349|| 1427 || 2003
|-
| 18 || style="text-align:left" | [[Gallinchen]] ([[:de:Gallinchen|de]]) || Gołynk || 2,768 || 5.5 || 503 || 1421 || 2003
|-
| 19 || style="text-align:left" | [[Groß Gaglow]] ([[:de:Groß Gaglow|de]]) || Gogolow || 1,487 || 4.6 || 323 || 1389 || 2003
|- class="sortbottom"
| || style="text-align:left" | '''Cottbus''' || '''Chóśebuz''' || '''99,423''' || '''164.3''' || '''605''' || '''1156'''
|}

== Demography ==
<gallery widths="250" heights="200">
Bevölkerungsentwicklung Cottbus.pdf|Development of population since 1875 within the current boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population development in Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of [[Nazi Germany]]; Red Background: Time of communist [[East Germany]])
Bevölkerungsprognosen Cottbus.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))
</gallery>

{{historical populations
|align=none | cols=3 | percentages=pagr
|title = Cottbus: Population development <br />within the current boundaries (2020)<ref>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]</ref>
| 1875 | 35201
| 1890 | 46671
| 1910 | 65438
| 1925 | 68228
| 1933 | 72286
| 1939 | 75969
| 1946 | 73010
| 1950 | 73695
| 1964 | 84952
| 1971 | 94606
| 1981 | 125326
| 1985 | 133232
| 1989 | 137366
| 1990 | 134781
| 1991 | 131625
| 1992 | 131343
| 1993 | 130756
| 1994 | 128601
| 1995 | 126343
| 1996 | 124389
| 1997 | 122579
| 1998 | 119629
| 1999 | 115970
| 2000 | 113618
| 2001 | 111125
| 2002 | 109144
| 2003 | 107549
| 2004 | 106415
| 2005 | 105309
| 2006 | 103837
| 2007 | 102811
| 2008 | 101785
| 2009 | 101671
| 2010 | 102091
| 2011 | 99974
| 2012 | 99913
| 2013 | 99595
| 2014 | 99491
| 2015 | 99687
| 2016 | 100416
| 2017 | 101036
| 2018 | 100219
| 2019 | 99678
| 2020 | 98693
| 2021 | 98347
}}

==Climate==
Cottbus has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfb'') in spite of being far inland on a relatively high latitude. Summers are very warm for being so far north, while winters are often mild due to prevailing trade winds from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] facing little natural obstacles on the way to the area. When wind directions come from elsewhere, hard freezes occasionally take place. As a result, the annual temperature amplitude is quite high for an oceanic climate, ranging from {{convert|35|C|F}} in summer to {{convert|-15|C|F}} in winter. Precipitation is frequent, although usually light in accumulation. Snowfall is a regular occurrence with 36 days of snow cover annually,<ref name=NOAA/> but Cottbus remains mild enough that it usually thaws quickly. Most of the year is gloomy, with a notable exception in late spring.

{{Weather box|width=auto	
| location = Cottbus (1991–2020 normals, extremes since 1900)	
| metric first = Y	
| single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 16.6
|Feb record high C = 20.6
|Mar record high C = 25.4
|Apr record high C = 31.2
|May record high C = 33.3
|Jun record high C = 39.2
|Jul record high C = 38.9
|Aug record high C = 38.5
|Sep record high C = 34.5
|Oct record high C = 29.2
|Nov record high C = 20.2
|Dec record high C = 17.9
|year record high C = 39.2
|Jan avg record high C = 11.4
|Feb avg record high C = 13.2
|Mar avg record high C = 19.0
|Apr avg record high C = 25.2
|May avg record high C = 29.1
|Jun avg record high C = 32.4
|Jul avg record high C = 33.6
|Aug avg record high C = 33.4
|Sep avg record high C = 27.9
|Oct avg record high C = 22.6
|Nov avg record high C = 16.0
|Dec avg record high C = 11.6
|year avg record high C = 35.5
|Jan high C = 3.5
|Feb high C = 5.3
|Mar high C = 9.4
|Apr high C = 15.7
|May high C = 20.3
|Jun high C = 23.6
|Jul high C = 25.6
|Aug high C = 25.4
|Sep high C = 20.3
|Oct high C = 14.4
|Nov high C = 8.2
|Dec high C = 4.4
|year high C = 14.7
|Jan mean C = 0.8
|Feb mean C = 1.7
|Mar mean C = 4.8
|Apr mean C = 10.0
|May mean C = 14.5
|Jun mean C = 17.9
|Jul mean C = 19.8
|Aug mean C = 19.3
|Sep mean C = 14.6
|Oct mean C = 9.8
|Nov mean C = 5.1
|Dec mean C = 1.9
|year mean C = 10.0
|Jan low C = -2.1
|Feb low C = -1.7
|Mar low C = 0.4
|Apr low C = 3.9
|May low C = 8.2
|Jun low C = 11.8
|Jul low C = 13.8
|Aug low C = 13.4
|Sep low C = 9.4
|Oct low C = 5.5
|Nov low C = 1.9
|Dec low C = -0.7
|year low C = 5.3
|Jan avg record low C = -12.8
|Feb avg record low C = -9.9
|Mar avg record low C = -6.7
|Apr avg record low C = -3.1
|May avg record low C = 1.5
|Jun avg record low C = 5.7
|Jul avg record low C = 8.2
|Aug avg record low C = 7.5
|Sep avg record low C = 3.0
|Oct avg record low C = -2.1
|Nov avg record low C = -5.6
|Dec avg record low C = -9.3
|year avg record low C = -14.8
|Jan record low C = -26.6
|Feb record low C = -29.5
|Mar record low C = -23.0
|Apr record low C = -14.2
|May record low C = -3.5
|Jun record low C = -1.9
|Jul record low C = 4.3
|Aug record low C = 3.2
|Sep record low C = -2.7
|Oct record low C = -10.2
|Nov record low C = -14.4
|Dec record low C = -25.8
|year record low C = -29.5
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 41.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 34.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 40.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 30.6
|May precipitation mm = 56.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 53.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 74.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 63.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 46.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 40.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 42.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 42.0
|year precipitation mm = 566.0
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm	
|Jan precipitation days = 17.5
|Feb precipitation days = 14.5
|Mar precipitation days = 15.0
|Apr precipitation days = 11.6
|May precipitation days = 13.1
|Jun precipitation days = 12.3
|Jul precipitation days = 13.6
|Aug precipitation days = 12.9
|Sep precipitation days = 11.8
|Oct precipitation days = 13.7
|Nov precipitation days = 14.6
|Dec precipitation days = 16.4
|year precipitation days = 167.0
|Jan humidity = 83.4
|Feb humidity = 79.7
|Mar humidity = 75.0
|Apr humidity = 66.5
|May humidity = 66.4
|Jun humidity = 66.2
|Jul humidity = 67.0
|Aug humidity = 68.8
|Sep humidity = 76.2
|Oct humidity = 81.1
|Nov humidity = 85.1
|Dec humidity = 84.7
|year humidity = 75.0
|Jan sun = 54.0
|Feb sun = 77.1
|Mar sun = 127.1
|Apr sun = 192.4
|May sun = 227.3
|Jun sun = 228.0
|Jul sun = 237.2
|Aug sun = 227.4
|Sep sun = 169.0
|Oct sun = 118.9
|Nov sun = 62.7
|Dec sun = 49.1
|year sun = 1770.3
| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230916125428/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Cottbus_10496.csv
| archive-date = 16 September 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Cottbus_10496.csv
| title = Cottbus Climate Normals 1991–2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = 16 September 2023}}</ref>
| source 2 = Infoclimat<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/normales-records/1991-2020/cottbus/valeurs/10496.html
| title = Normales et records climatologiques 1991-2020 à Cottbus
| publisher = Infoclimat
| language = fr
| access-date = 27 October 2023}}</ref>
}}

== Culture and education ==
[[File:Nsg-cottbus.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Lower Sorbian Gymnasium Cottbus]]]]
[[File:IKMZ.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Brandenburg University of Technology]] Library]]
Cottbus is the cultural centre of the [[Lower Sorbian language|Lower Sorbian]] minority. Many signs in the town are bilingual, and there is a Lower Sorbian-medium ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]]'' and a [[Sorbian Quarter]], but Sorbian is rarely spoken on the streets.

Next to Cottbus is the famous [[Branitz Park]], created by Prince [[Hermann von Pückler-Muskau]] after 1845. Schloss Branitz ([[Branitz Castle]]) was rebuilt by Gottfried Semper in a late Baroque style between 1846 and 1852, and the gardens Prince Hermann laid feature two pyramids. One of these, the Seepyramide, is in the middle of an artificial lake and serves as his [[mausoleum]].<ref>Udo Lauer, Fürst Pücklers Traumpark, Ullstein Verlag, 1996, Berlin</ref>

Cottbus is also home to the [[Brandenburg University of Technology]] (BTU) and the maths/science-oriented Max-Steenbeck-Gymnasium, named after the physicist [[Max Steenbeck]].

Every year Cottbus hosts the [[East Europe International Film Festival]].{{Citeneeded|date=May 2025}}

Cottbus has a [[association football|football]] team, [[FC Energie Cottbus|Energie Cottbus]], that plays in the [[Regionalliga Nordost]] as of the 2021–2022 season. Their home matches are played at the city's [[Stadion der Freundschaft (Cottbus)|Stadion der Freundschaft]].

==Economy==

===Transportation===
[[File:Cottbus Hbf - Chóśebuz głdw, Station Sign.jpeg|thumb|Bilingual sign at [[Cottbus Hauptbahnhof|Cottbus main station]] – German: Cottbus Hauptbahnhof (Hbf), Lower Sorbian: Chóśebuz głowne dwórnišćo (gł.dw.)]]
Cottbus is served by [[Cottbus Hauptbahnhof]] main railway station.

Two airports serve the city: [[Cottbus-Drewitz Airport]] (approximately 25 kilometres (16&nbsp;mi) north-east of Cottbus), and [[Cottbus-Neuhausen Airport]] (approximately 10&nbsp;km (6.2 miles) south-east of Cottbus).

[[Berlin Brandenburg Airport]] can be reached in one hour from Cottbus.

Local public transport is served by trams and buses operated by [[Cottbusverkehr]] GmbH and [[DB Regio]] Bus Ost GmbH, both of which are members of the [[Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg]] (VBB).

=== Power generation ===
There are several lignite-fired [[power station]]s in the area around Cottbus (Lausitz) fed through local [[open pit mining]]. The biggest stations are "[[Schwarze Pumpe power station|Schwarze Pumpe]]" (1600 MW), "[[Boxberg Power Station|Boxberg]]" (1900 MW) and "[[Jänschwalde Power Station|Jänschwalde]]" (3000 MW). Some of the open-pit mines have already been shut down with the former {{Ill|Cottbus-Nord opencast mine|de|Tagebau Cottbus Nord}} being converted into an artificial lake with {{cvt|19|km2}} surface area called [[Cottbuser Ostsee]] (Cottbus eastern lake).{{Update inline|date=October 2024}}

==Governance==
===Mayor and city council===
[[File:2024 UEC Track Jun & U23 European Championships 001.jpg|thumb|Tobias Schick in 2024]]
The current mayor is Tobias Schick of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD) since 2022. The most recent mayoral election was held on 11 September 2022, with a runoff held on 9 October, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate
! rowspan=2| Party
! colspan=2| First round
! colspan=2| Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Tobias Schick
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 13,300
| 31.8
| 29,526
| 68.6
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Lars Schieske]]
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 11,026
| 26.4
| 13,488
| 31.4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Thomas Bergner
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 10,302
| 24.6
|-
| 
| align=left| Sveb Benken
| align=left| Our Cottbus!
| 2,485
| 5.9
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Felix Sicker
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 2,377
| 5.7
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Lysann Kobbe
| align=left| [[Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany|dieBasis]]
| 1,621
| 3.9
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| 
| align=left| Johann Staudinger
| align=left| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| 716
| 1.7
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 41,827
! 99.4
! 43,014
! 99.1
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 260
! 0.6
! 383
! 0.9
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 42,087
! 100.0
! 43,397
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 78,918
! 53.3
! 78,912
! 55.0
|-
| colspan=7| Source: City of Cottbus ([https://www.cottbus.de/opt/wahl/ob22/ 1st round], [https://www.cottbus.de/opt/wahl/ob22sw/ 2nd round])
|}

The city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 9 June 2024, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 41,731
| 29.2
| {{increase}} 6.9
| 14
| {{increase}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 27,991
| 19.6
| {{increase}} 4.0
| 9
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 22,894
| 16.0
| {{decrease}} 1.2
| 7
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| 
| align=left| Our Cottbus! (UC!)
| 12,938
| 9.0
| {{decrease}} 0.4
| 4
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 10,173
| 7.1
| {{decrease}} 6.6
| 3
| {{decrease}} 4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 7,066
| 4.9
| {{decrease}} 4.2
| 2
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Brandenburg United Civic Movements/Free Voters}}| 
| align=left| Active Citizens–[[Brandenburg United Civic Movements/Free Voters|Free Voters]] (AUB–FW)
| 6,195
| 4.3
| {{decrease}} 1.6
| 2
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Mittle Class Initiative Brandenburg (MIBrb)
| 5,881
| 4.1
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 2,926
| 2.0
| {{decrease}} 2.0
| 1
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Social Upheavel (SUB)
| 2,704
| 1.9
| {{steady}} 0.0
| 1
| {{steady}} 0
|-
| 
| align=left| Secure Future Cottbus (ZSC)
| 2,456
| 1.7
| New
| 1
| New
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 142,965
! 100.0
! 
! 56
! ±0
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid ballots
! 769
! 1.6
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total ballots
! 48,820
! 98.4
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 78,002
! 62.6
! {{increase}} 6.3
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://wahlergebnisse.brandenburg.de/12/200/20240609/kreistagswahl_land/ergebnisse_kreis_52.html City of Cottbus]
|}

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Cottbus is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaften|url=https://www.cottbus.de/international/staedtepartnerschaften.html|website=cottbus.de|publisher=Cottbus|language=de|access-date=2021-02-11}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis|Montreuil]], France (1959)
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Grosseto]], Italy (1967)
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Lipetsk]], Russia (1974)
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Zielona Góra]], Poland (1975)
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Targovishte]], Bulgaria (1975)
*{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Košice]], Slovakia (1978)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Saarbrücken]], Germany (1987)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Gelsenkirchen]], Germany (1995)
*{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Nuneaton and Bedworth]], England, United Kingdom (1999)
{{div col end}}

==Notable people==
[[File:Carl Blechen - Self-Portrait - WGA02239.jpg|thumb|upright|Carl Blechen - Self-Portrait]]
*[[Janice Behrendt]] (born 1983), beauty queen and model
*[[Carl Blechen]] (1798–1840), landscape painter
*[[Kurt Demmler]] (1943–2009), songwriter; accused of sexual abuse, he hanged himself in his jail cell.
*[[Rudi Fink]] (born 1958), amateur boxer and boxing coach
*[[Gustav Theodor Fritsch]] (1838–1927), anatomist, anthropologist and physiologist
*[[Marco Geisler]] (born 1974), rower
*[[Paul Grottkau|Otto Hugo Paul Grottkau]] (1846–1898), socialist and trade unionist and American journalist
*[[Robert Harting]] (born 1984), discus thrower
*[[Martha Israel]] (1905–{{circa|1967}}), politician
*[[Tony Martin (cyclist)|Tony Martin]] (born 1985), cyclist
*[[Jens Melzig]] (born 1965), footballer
*[[Daniel Musiol]] (born 1983), cyclist
*[[Thomas Neumann (artist)|Thomas Neumann]] (born 1975), artist
*[[Reinhold Platz]] (1886–1966), aircraft designer and manufacturer at [[Fokker]]
*[[Colin Raak]] (born 2000), footballer
*[[Gabriele Reinsch]] (born 1963), world record holder discus throwing
*[[Viktoria Schmidt-Linsenhoff]] (1944–2013), art historian and professor
*[[Maja Wallstein]] (born 1986), politician
*[[Heiko Schwarz]] (born 1989), footballer

== See also ==
* [[Cottbus Air Base]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Cottbus}}
* {{wikivoyage inline|Cottbus}}
* {{Official website|http://www.cottbus.de/}} {{in lang|de|en|pl|dsb}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130821182107/http://tu-cottbus.de/ Homepage of Brandenburg Technical University]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Cottbus |short=x}}

{{Germany districts Brandenburg}}
{{Bezirke DDR Seats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cottbus| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 10th century]]
[[Category:Towns in Brandenburg]]
[[Category:Urban districts of Brandenburg]]