Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around 125 km southeast of Berlin on the Spree river.

History

The settlement was established in the 10th century, when Sorbs erected a castle on a sandy island in the Spree river. The first mention of the town's name is from 1156. In the 13th century German settlers came to the town and thereafter lived together side by side with the Sorbs. In medieval times Cottbus was known for wool, and the town's drapery was exported to all of Brandenburg, Bohemia and Saxony. In 1462 Cottbus was acquired by the Prince-Electors of Brandenburg who came to rule the Duchy of Prussia in 1618. In 1815 the surrounding districts of Upper and Lower Lusatia were ceded by the Kingdom of Saxony to the Kingdom of Prussia ruled from Brandenburg.
From 1949 until German Reunification in 1990 Cottbus belonged to the German Democratic Republic.