Lüchow-Dannenberg

The Lüchow- Dannenberg is the easternmost district of Lower Saxony and with about 49,000 inhabitants, the smallest by population of Germany, and the most sparsely populated county in western Germany. It is bordered to the west by the rural district of Uelzen, in the north to the Elbe, and thus the district of Lüneburg and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern district of Ludwigsburg pleasure Parchim, on the east by the Brandenburg Prignitz and the Saxony-Anhalt, the district of Stendal, and on the south by the Altmark Salzwedel.

The name also used Hanoverian Wendland (often simplified even Wendland) is derived from the contact ( Polabs ), Slavic inhabitants in the German-speaking countries, who settled here around the 9th century and have left the typical round villages.

• 2.1 Economics
• 2.2 traffic 2.2.1 roads
• 2.2.2 Railway
• 2.2.3 Public transport

• 3.1 Structural reform of the management

• 5.1 Kreistag
• 5.2 District
• 5.3 Coat of Arms
• 5.4 partnerships
• 5.5 Lüneburgischer Regional Association

Geography

The Lüchow- Dannenberg is located in the northern German transition zone from the sub-Atlantic sub-continental climate. The Goehrde - Drawehn - ridge, which separates the natural environment Wendland and Altmark against the Lüneburg Heath in the West, acting as weather and climate divide and amplifies the continental influence on the east side.

The second defining element of the landscape is the same with their extensive flood plain. The weichselglazial shaped Elbe river valley can be organized at district area in the actual Elbe valley lowland, and in the Lüchower lower terrace with the Jeetzelniederung, the Gartower flight Anda height and several saaleglazialen Geest Islands. The most important projects from the lowlands, island-like Geest plates are the Long Island villages Geest ( "Long Strand mountain"), the Lemgow and salmon trout. What's more special than the Höhbeck, called a moraine in the middle of the Elbe valley. ( A more detailed description of the natural environment can be found at: . Wendland and Altmark) The terrain heights in Lüchow -Dannenberg, ranging from less than 9 m above sea level in parts of the Elbe Valley up to 142 m above sea level ( High Mechtin ) in Drawehn.

Due to the climatic transition location, the diversity in landscapes, and the low human population density - which is also the result of previously regularly occurring long-range flooding of the Elbe and its tributaries - has the Lüchow- Dannenberg nor a particularly species-rich and partly rare flora and fauna. Large parts of the particular Elblandschaft are protected as a biosphere reserve and as Special Areas of Conservation. The rest of the county is an essential part of the nature park Elbe Valley.

Nature Reserves

In Lüchow- Dannenberg, there are 15 nature reserves. The largest ( The Lucie ) has an area of 1800 hectares, the smallest (Black Mountain at Krummasel ) an area of ​​3 ha

Economy and infrastructure

Economy

The district is characterized structurally very weak and largely agricultural. In addition to agriculture and tourism few larger industrial companies determine the labor market, among other things, "ContiTech AG" in Dannenberg and " SKF " in Luechow, and WZT (Wendland machining ) in Hitzacker.

In the town of Gorleben is the " focal Gorleben GmbH - BLG ", a subsidiary of the Society for Nuclear Service ( GNS ) resident, the operator of the known intermediate storage facility for highly radioactive nuclear waste. In addition to the interim storage facility located in the municipality of other facilities (planned in part) for the treatment and storage of radioactive waste ( including a pilot conditioning plant (PKA ) and a mine, based on its suitability as a repository for high -level radioactive waste because of the exploration of a local salt dome ) nationally known been.

1997 it was decided by the council to seek a power supply of 100% renewable energy. To support this development in 2008, the Academy was established for renewable energy Lüchow -Dannenberg GmbH, established in Lüchow. 2012 15 % more electricity than the region itself consumed.

The Official Journal of circle is the same - Jeetzel newspaper.

Traffic

Through the district run the federal highways B 71 ( Bremerhaven ) - ( Uelzen ) - Bergen ( Stupid ) - ( Salzwedel ) - Magdeburg - ( rounders ), B 191 ( Plau ) - ( Doemitz ) - Dannenberg - Zernien - ( Uelzen ) - ( Celle ), B 216 ( Lüneburg) - Dannenberg, B 248 ( Northeim ) - ( Salzwedel ) - Lübbow - Lüchow - Dannenberg and B 493 Schnackenburgallee - Gartow - Lüchow - Waddeweitz - ( Uelzen ).

Originally the A25 should result from Hamburg to Berlin and would thus connected the county to the motorway network. This plan was rejected and it was built an alternative route that corresponds to the A 24.

In GDR times, was also planned a motorway (A 24 a ) to the inner-German border to build. As lines of a northern bypass Bardowicks and Adendorfs and a course north of Neetze was provided until after Schnackenburgallee. Due to the political decision in favor of the A 24 in the area of Schleswig-Holstein, the A 24a was not realized in the form shown.

In 2011 there were in the district based on the population of Germany's most fatalities.

Railway

• The railway line Stendal - Uelzen touches the south of the county.
• The " Wendland Railway" Lüneburg- Dannenberg Ost opens up the north of the county.
• On the railway line Dannenberg Salzwedel rest of the rail. Between Dannenberg and Lüchow cruises are occasionally held
• On the disused Uelzen -Dannenberg 2005/2006 the tracks were partially removed, the thresholds remained, however. Also some railroad crossings this route are now überasphaltiert.

Public transport

The bus is currently being conducted by the RBB and the LSE. Individual lines can also be operated by the passenger transport company Altmark Salzwedel mbH ( PVGs ) and the CCG Stade.

Masts

On the Höhbeck, a 76 m above sea level. NN high elevation on the Elbe, there were two towers with 326 meters and 344 meters. The latter served until 1990 for the realization of a microwave link to Berlin - Frohnau. The smaller transmission tower Gartow I was blown up in August 2009. See Station Höhbeck.

In Zernien the NDR operates the transmission system Dannenberg / Zernien with a 258 -meter-high radio mast.

History

In 1867 the great circle Dannenberg based in Dannenberg was formed from the offices Dannenberg, Lüchow, Gartow and Neuhaus. 1885, the county was divided into the districts of Dannenberg and Lüchow; the Amt Neuhaus was added to the circuit Bleckede. 1932 the circles Dannenberg and Lüchow were re- grouped and the county Dannenberg formed, whose territory with minor variations corresponds to today's Lüchow- Dannenberg. The county seat was originally Dannenberg.

In 1951 the county seat was moved to Lüchow and renamed the county in Lüchow -Dannenberg. The was preceded by five years of bitter dispute between Lüchow and Dannenberg; were written thought and pamphlets, in which both sides accused each other falsification of history and selfishness. The old rivalry now breaks down again on the dispute over structural reform.

1972 municipal reform was carried out, with the current management structure was created. Previously, the county was in a slightly different area of 232 (based on the current county area even 235) independent municipalities. This was the highest number of communities in all circles of the then Federal Republic. All the more remarkable appears against the background that the county in 1972 had the lowest population of all circles of West Germany (now he has the lowest population of all districts of Germany ). About 80 municipalities had fewer than 100 inhabitants. The smallest community in Germany Liepe farms had at the time of incorporation into the city Dannenberg / Elbe with a population of 3.

A detailed description of the cities, towns and villages of the district is made in the article List of settlements in the Lüchow -Dannenberg.

In the community Weitsche the amber animal was found in 1994, one of the oldest amber figures from the past.

On 28 June 2001, the Treaty on municipal partnership with the Polish district Obornicki was signed. Following the move of the district administration are still the district court and the former district hospital (now as same - Jeetzel Clinic privatized ) in Dannenberg.

Structural reform of the administrative

Due to the over-indebtedness of the district and its inhabitants poor communities were different approaches to municipal reform in the discussion. Option 1 provided for a conversion of the district into a county-level city, in which case would Districts without its own administration from the 27 municipalities. Alternatively, a merger of the joint communities was considered to be only two joint communities, possibly with a resolution of the county and assignment of the two joint communities in the neighboring districts of Uelzen or Lüneburg.

The conversion of the district into a county-level city was clearly rejected by the 27 municipalities of the district. They claimed that the main cost driver would be the county government and advocated more of a resolution of the county. Subsequent inquiry went there, first of all to reduce the number of municipalities to 15. In addition, it was proposed to form only one Samtgemeinde. This Samtgemeinde should then also take on the tasks of the district administration. In order for the new construct a county- Samtgemeinde would have been created. The Hannover Allgemeine Zeitung quoted on 17 December 2004 Interior Minister Schünemann to the extent that this is legally possible. Finally, the resolution of the Lüchow -Dannenberg was already provided with the district reform of August 1, 1977 but was postponed.

For the variant the independent Samtgemeinde recorded until mid- May 2005, a large majority in the Assembly and in the opinion published by the local newspaper from. However, was questionable whether this construction of time would be. Critics suspected that it (or later) would anyway come in a realignment of local authorities in a nationwide district reform in Saxony in 2008, with a " county- Samtgemeinde Lüchow -Dannenberg " would rise in all probability in the neighboring districts of Uelzen and / or Lüneburg.

After the local council decisions, it became clear that there still is no unanimity in the variant " Independent Samtgemeinde " was. Rather, the historically grown rivalry between the south ( former county Lüchow ) and the north ( former county Dannenberg ) seemed to break again. Proponents of the independent Samtgemeinde (based in Lüchow ) all came from the south circle. So voted the bodies of the two joint communities and all twelve municipalities of the Südkreises for the formation of a county- Samtgemeinde. When the votes were made in the two joint communities and in all ten communities in the north district, however, was voted unanimously against a single county- Samtgemeinde and instead for the merger of the current joint communities Dannenberg and Hitzacker to Elbtalaue. This was attributed to a more favorable regional identity and proximity, and you went with a view to future national structural reform anyway just from a transition step from. Of the six bodies of Ostkreises ( Samtgemeinde Gartow ) voted for or against the three county-level Samtgemeinde.

From October 26 to November 6, 2005, the people voted in a circle by postal vote with 53.27 percent for a county- Samtgemeinde under resolution of the circle. In an investigation of the results to the community or Samtgemeinde level, however, was omitted, which reduces the significance of the vote. The counting of the vote took place only at the level of the district. The result is remarkable, as it is essentially only the population distribution reflects (Northern District 42.3 %, 7.8% and Ostkreis south circle 50.0 %).

Although the majority of the population voted for the dissolution of the district, or for the conversion thereof into a county- Samtgemeinde, Lower Saxony's Minister of Interior has not resolved because of legal concerns and the threat of legal action of some communities the county.

The new model finally provided for the establishment of three joint communities. The Samtgemeinde Gartow remained, Hitzacker and Dannenberg merged to form Elbtalaue and Lüchow and Clenze formed the Samtgemeinde Lüchow ( Wendland).

For the religious history of the region to be read with the church district Lüchow -Dannenberg a contribution.

Culture

The Lüchow- Dannenberg has - compared with other counties of its size - about an extraordinarily wide range of cultural activities. Known about the district boundaries are in particular the following annual recurring cultural events:

• Music Week Hitzacker ( February / March)
• Dannenberg Chamber Music Week ( April / May)
• Cultural Outing (May / June, between Ascension and Pentecost )
• Mützingenta (May / June, between Ascension and Pentecost )
• Hitzacker Summer Music Festival (July / August)
• Schubertiaden Schnackenburgallee (July / August)
• Trebeler Organ Night ( end of July)
• Organ Summer Gartow ( early July to late August)

Other cultural attractions:

• West Wendischer Culture club: the club presented in Gartow in tithes and in memory of the Kunstkammer regularly changing exhibitions
• Sculpture garden Damnatz: The artist Park in size from 10,000 square meters sculptor presents 30 large-scale sculptures in the open area directly on the Elbe. Housed in a former barn art exhibitions, readings and concerts.
• Church of Peace in coastal: contemporary design of the church by the modern artist Jürgen Goertz, who thereby obtain a far beyond the region reaching unique design.
• Reliable open churches there are in coastal, Lüchow, Dannenberg, Hitzacker, mountains on the stupid, Gartow, Restorf, Holtorf, Schnackenburgallee, Meetschow, capers and Cernosin, which are usually also bike paths churches.

Policy

The Lüchow- Dannenberg is part of the parliamentary constituency 48 Elbe and the Bundestag constituency 38 Lüchow -Dannenberg - Lüneburg.

Council

Since the last election on 11 September 2011 the council has 38 members of parliament and the district administration. The municipal election results were as follows:

The turnout was 59.41 percent. The deputies of the CDU and the deputy of the Free Voters Wendland ( FWW ) have joined together to a common fraction. The deputy of the civil list joined the faction of the SPD. The fractions of the SPD, Alliance 90/The Greens, UWG, SOLI, and FDP in Community rejection of nuclear facilities in the Lüchow -Dannenberg ( nuclear waste storage facility at Gorleben pilot conditioning plant Gorleben exploration mine for a repository ) and the Castor transports in the county to group "X" together.

District

For District 2006 Jürgen Schulz ( Independent) was elected.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was approved by the Prussian State Ministry Decree of 24 July 1935. The blazon is: " Split: front on a white background a green, growing on black hills fir, wood and root rot ( Dannenberg ); back in red with three gold diamonds ( Lüchow ). "

The coat of arms of municipalities of the district Lüchow -Dannenberg can be found at List of coats of arms in the Lüchow -Dannenberg.

Partnerships

The Lüchow- Dannenberg maintains partnerships with

• The Berlin district of Steglitz -Zehlendorf (since 1979, at that time the Steglitz )
• Polish powiat Obornicki (since 2001)

Lüneburgischer Regional Association

For the maintenance of cultural institutions of Lüneburgische Regional Association was founded as a registered association.

Architecture

The county is part of the territory of the Low German Fachhallenhaus house.

This earlier here exclusively occurring building type whose character is based on the principle of association of cattle barn, crop space and housing under one roof, still determines the appearance of numerous villages. The older form of this house is the two -column house ( Kübbungsbau ), which was replaced in the 17th century increasingly from the four- column house. A hybrid of the two and Vierständerbau is three -column house. With almost the same volume, same house width and height, but many of converted timber and Giebelaufgliederung, same materials and the same scale these houses determine the spatially closed image of these villages.

Cities and Towns

The Lüchow- Dannenberg divided since November 1, 2006, three joint communities with a total of 27 municipalities and two unincorporated areas. The current structure was created with the law to strengthen local self-government in the Lüchow -Dannenberg.

In brackets the number of inhabitants on 31 December 2012.

Samtgemeindenmit their member communities Seat of the velvet municipality administration *

• 2 Samtgemeinde Gartow ( 3653 )

• 3 Samtgemeinde Lüchow (Wendland ) ( 24 586 )

Unincorporated areas