Dannenberg (Elbe)


Dannenberg is a town in the district Lüchow-Dannenberg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Jeetzel, approx. 30 km north of Salzwedel, and 50 km south-east of Lüneburg. Dannenberg has a population of 8,147 inhabitants as of December 2010.
WWW dannenberg.de

Geography

Dannenberg is located on the German Timber-Frame Road.

Politics

It is the seat of the Samtgemeinde Elbtalaue.

Culture

Dannenberg has a soccer team which plays in the regional league, TSV Dannenberg.

History

The actual history of the town began with the construction of the castle during the rule of Volrad I, Count of Dannenberg, who had been given the task of settling and securing the territory by Duke Henry the Lion. The Waldemarturm is a local historical landmark, a tower in which the Danish King Valdemar II was imprisoned from 1223 to 1224.
After World War II, Dannenberg was part of West Germany. However, it is situated very close to the Elbe river, which served as the border between East and West Germany until 1990.
Lüchow-Dannenberg is situated in a region known as the Wendland, a mostly rural and agricultural area on the eastern edge of Lower Saxony. Starting in the 1970s, Dannenberg was a center for anti-nuclear protests due to the government's plan to build a nuclear waste site in Gorleben, a municipality within the district. Much of the organizing against this facility was based in Dannenberg, notably a tractor drive from Dannenberg to Hannover culminating in a rally. Environmental activism persists as a major issue in the area.
The Polabian Names for Dannenberg are Weidars and Woikam.

Jewish Community

Dannenberg had a jewish community until the early 20th century. A small Jewish cemetery was created in the north of Dannenberg in 1742. The 45 gravestones that still stand today range from 1776 to 1899.

Twin towns

Dannenberg is twinned with:
  • Łask, Poland, since 1999

Notable people