Lüneburg

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Lüneburg Lümborg (Low German)
Town
Panorama of Lüneburg from the water tower, with St. Johannis Churchin the foreground to the right
Coat of arms
Location of Lüneburg within Lüneburg district
Lüneburg Show map of Germany Lüneburg Show map of Lower Saxony
Coordinates:53°15′9″N10°24′52″E / 53.25250°N 10.41444°E /53.25250; 10.41444
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Lüneburg
Subdivisions	14 districts
Government
•Lord mayor(2021–26)	Claudia Kalisch[1](Greens)
Area
• Total	70.34 km2(27.16 sq mi)
Elevation	17 m (56 ft)
Population (2022-12-31) [2]
• Total	76,837
• Density	1,100/km2(2,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00(CEST)
Postal codes	21335–21337–21339
Dialling codes	04131
Vehicle registration	LG
Website	www.hansestadt-lueneburg.de

Lüneburg(German:[ˈlyːnəbʊʁk]^ⓘ;Low German:Lümborg;Latin:LuneburgumorLunaburgum;Old High German:Luneburc;Old Saxon:Hliuni;Polabian:Glain), officially theHanseatic City of Lüneburg(German:Hansestadt Lüneburg) and also known in English asLunenburg(/ˈljuːnənbɜːrɡ/LEW-nən-burg), is a town in the GermanstateofLower Saxony. It is located about 50 km (31 mi) southeast of anotherHanseaticcity,Hamburg, and belongs to that city's widermetropolitan region. Thecapitalof thedistrictwhich bears its name, it is home to roughly 77,000 people.^[3]Lüneburg's urban area, which includes the surroundingcommunitiesofAdendorf,Bardowick,BarendorfandReppenstedt, has a population of around 103,000. Lüneburg has been allowed to use the titleHansestadt('Hanseatic Town') in its name since 2007, in recognition of its membership in the former Hanseatic League. Lüneburg is also home toLeuphana University.

The first signs of human presence in the area of Lüneburg date back to the time ofNeanderthal Man: 56 axes, estimated at 150,000 years old, were uncovered during the construction in the 1990s of theautobahnbetween Ochtmissen and Bardowick.^[4]The site of the discovery at Ochtmissen was probably a Neanderthal hunting location where huntsmen skinned and cut up the animals they had caught.

The area was almost certainly not continuously inhabited at that time, however, due to the variousglaciationsthat lasted for millennia. The first indication of a permanent, settled farming culture in the area was found not far from the site of the Neanderthal discovery in the river Ilmenau between Lüne and Bardowick. This was an axe that is described as aSchuhleistenkeilor "shoe lastwedge" due to its shape. It dates to the 6th centuryBCand is now in the collection of the Lüneburg Museum.

Since theBronze Age, the Lüneburg hill known as theZeltberghas concealed a whole range of prehistoric and early historic graves, which were laid out by people living in the area of the present-day town of Lüneburg. One of the oldest finds from this site is a so-calledUneticeflanged axe (Aunjetitzer Randleistenbeil) which dates to 1900 BC.

The land within the town itself has also yielded a number ofice ageurns that were already being reported in the 18th century. These discoveries are, however, like those from the Lüneburger Kalkberg — they went into the private collections of several 18th century scholars and, with a few exceptions, were lost when the scholars died.

Also worth mentioning in this regard are theLombardUrnfieldgraves on the Lüneburg Zeltberg and Oedeme from the first few centuries AD. In theMiddle Ages, there several discoveries were made on the site of the town, for example on the site of the old village of Modestorpe not far from St. John's Church (Johanniskirche), at the Lambertiplatz near the saltworks and in the old Waterside Quarter.

The ancient town may be that identified as Leufana or Leuphana (Greek:Λευφάνα), a town listed inPtolemy(2.10) in the north of Germany on the west of theElbe.

Lüneburg was first mentioned inmedievalrecords in a deed signed on 13 August, 956 AD, in whichOtto I, Holy Roman Emperorgranted "the tax from Lüneburg to the monastery built there in honour of Saint Michael" (German:den Zoll zu Lüneburg an das zu Ehren des heiligen Michaels errichtete Kloster, Latin:teloneum ad Luniburc ad monasterium sancti Michahelis sub honore constructum).^[5]An older reference to the place in theRoyal Frankish Annalsfor 795 states:ad fluvium Albim pervenit ad locum, qui dicitur Hliuni, i.e. "on the river Elbe, at the location, which is calledHliuni") and refers to one of the three core settlements of Lüneburg; probably the castle on the Kalkberg which was the seat of the Billunger nobles from 951. The Elbe-Germanic nameHliunicorresponds to theLombardword for "refuge site".

From archaeological finds, it is clear that the area around Lüneburg had already been settled (in the museum of the Principality of Lüneburg, for example, there is a whole range of artefacts that were found here) and the saltworks had already started production.

According to tradition, the salt was first discovered by ahunterwho observed awild boarbathing in a pool of water, shot and killed it, and hung the coat up to dry. When it was dry, he discovered white crystals in the bristles — salt. Later he returned to the site of the kill and located the salt pool, the first production of salt on the site took place. In the town hall is a bone preserved in a glass case; legend has it that this is the preserved leg-bone of the boar. It was here that theLüneburg Saltworkswas subsequently established for many centuries.

In spite of its lucrative saltworks, Lüneburg was originally subordinated to the town ofBardowickonly a few miles to the north. Bardowick was older and was an important trading post for theSlavs. Bardowick's prosperity – it had seven churches – was based purely on the fact that no other trading centres were tolerated. Only when Bardowick refused to pay allegiance toHenry the Lionit was destroyed by him in 1189, whereupon Lüneburg was giventown privileges(Stadtrechte) and developed into the central trading post in the region in place of Bardowick.

ThePolabianname for Lüneburg isGlain(written asChleinorGleinin older German sources), probably derived fromglaino(Slavonic:glina) which means "clay". In theLatin textsLüneburg surfaces not only as the LatinisedLunaburgum, but also asSelenopolis.

As a consequence of the monopoly that Lüneburg had for many years as a supplier of salt within theNorth Germanregion, a monopoly not challenged until much later by French imports, it very quickly became a member of theHanseatic League. The League was formed in 1158 inLübeck, initially as a union of individual merchants, but in 1356 it met as a federation of trading towns at the first general meeting of theHansetag. Lüneburg's salt was needed in order to pickle theherringcaught in theBaltic Seaand the waters around Norway so that it could be preserved for food inland during periods offastingwhen fish (not meat) was permitted.

TheScania MarketatScaniain Sweden was a major fish market for herring and became one of the most important trade events in Northern Europe in theMiddle Ages. Lüneburg's salt was in great demand and the town quickly became one of the wealthiest and most important towns in the Hanseatic League, together withBergenandVisby(the fish suppliers) and Lübeck (the central trading post between the Baltic and the interior). In theMiddle Agessalt was initially conveyed overland up theOld Salt Roadto Lübeck. With the opening of theStecknitz Canalin 1398 salt could be transported bycogfrom the Lübeck salt warehouses, theSalzspeicher.

Around the year 1235, theDuchy of Brunswick-Lüneburgemerged, ruled by a family whose aristocratic lines repeatedly divided and re-united. The smaller states that kept re-appearing as a result, and which ranked as principalities, were usually named after the location of the ducal seat. Thus between 1267 and 1269 aPrincipality of Lüneburgwas created for the first time, with Lüneburg as the seat of the royalResidenz. In 1371, in the wake of theLüneburg War of Succession, rebel citizens threw the princes out of the town and destroyed their royal castle on the Kalkberg along with the nearby monastery. The state peace treaty in 1392 granted their demand to become afree imperial town, a status they were able to defend until 1637. The money now stayed in the town, enabling fine houses and churches to be built. In 1288, aJudenstrassewas recorded, indicating that there was a Medieval Jewish community in Lüneburg.^[6]

In 1392, Lüneburg was accorded thestaple right. This forced merchants who travelled through the area with their carts to stop in Lüneburg, unload their wares, and offer them for sale for a certain period. So that merchants could not go around Lüneburg, an impassable defensive barrier was built west of the town in 1397; a similar barrier was built east of the town in 1479.

TheLüneburg Prelates' Warcaused a crisis from 1446 to 1462. This was not a war in the proper sense, but rather a bitter dispute between the town council and those members of the clergy who were also part-owners of the town's saltworks. It was not resolved until the intervention of the Danish KingChristian I, the Bishop ofSchwerinand the Lübeck Bishop, Arnold Westphal.

In 1454, the citizens demanded even more influence over public life.

Since 2007, Lüneburg has once again held the title of aHanseatic town.

With the demise of theHanseatic League– and the absence of herrings around 1560 aroundFalsterboinScania– the biggest customers of Lüneburg's salt broke away and the town rapidly became impoverished. Hardly any new houses were built in central Lüneburg after this time, which is why the historical appearance of the town centre has remained almost unchanged until the present day.

The town became part of theElectorate of Hanoverin 1708, theKingdom of Westphaliain 1807, theFirst French Empirein 1810, theKingdom of Hanoverin 1814, and thePrussianProvince of Hanoverin 1866.

In the centuries after the collapse of the League, it was as if Lüneburg had fallen into aSleeping Beautyslumber.Heinrich Heine, whose parents lived in Lüneburg from 1822 to 1826, called it his "residence of boredom" (Residenz der Langeweile). Near the end of the 19th century Lüneburg evolved into a garrison town, and it remained so until the 1990s.

The horticulturistCurt Backebergwas born in Lüneburg in 1894.

After the Nazi anti-Jewish pogroms known as Kristallnacht in the night of November 9, 1938, the city ordered the Lüneburg Synagogue to be torn down at the costs of the local Jewish community.^[8]

In the Lüneburg Special Children's Ward, part of the Lüneburg State Mental Hospital, it is suspected that over 300 children were killed during the Second World War as part of the officialNazi child euthanasia programme.^[9]

In 1945, Lüneburg surfaced once again in the history books when onLüneburg Heaththeunconditional surrender of the three German armies operating in Northwest Germanywas signed. The location is presently inaccessible to the general public as it lies within a military out-of-bounds area. Only a small monument on a nearby track alludes to the event. On 23 May 1945,Reichsführer SSHeinrich Himmlertook his own life in Lüneburg whilst inBritish Armycustody by biting into apotassium cyanidecapsule embedded in his teeth before he could be properly interrogated. He was subsequently buried in an unmarked location in a nearby forest.

Even before theNuremberg Trialstook place, the firstwar crimestrial, the so-calledBelsen Trial(Bergen-Belsen-Prozess), began in Lüneburg on 17 September 1945 conducted against 45 formerSSmen, women andkapos(prisoner functionaries) from theBergen-BelsenandAuschwitz concentration camps.

After World War II, Lüneburg became part of the new state ofLower Saxony. But the dilapidated state of its buildings led to various plans to try to improve living conditions. One proposition that was seriously discussed was to tear down the entireAltstadtand replace it with modern buildings. The ensuing public protest resulted in Lüneburg becoming the focal point for a new concept:cultural heritage conservation. Since the early 1970s the town has been systematically restored. A leading figure in this initiative since the late 1960s has been Curt Pomp: against much opposition from politicians and councillors he founded and championed the LüneburgAltstadtWorking Group (Arbeitskreis Lüneburger Altstadt) for the preservation of historic buildings. His engagement was rewarded with the German Prize for Cultural Heritage Conservation and the German Order of Merit. Today Lüneburg is a tourist attraction as a result of the restoration and important sectors of the town's economy also depend on tourism.

Between Lüneburg andSoltauto the southwest, a largemilitary training area, theSoltau-Lüneburg Training Area(SLTA), was established by the British and Canadian military, which was used from 1963 to 1994. It was governed by theSoltau-Lüneburg Agreementbetween the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada. The area was located on the Lüneburg Heath and was heavily used particularly by tanks and other armoured vehicles.

The salt mine was closed in 1980, ending the thousand-year tradition of salt mining, although small amounts are still mined for ceremonial purposes. Small bags of salt may be purchased in the town hall, and bags are given as a gift from the town to all couples married in the town. After the closing of the salt mines, the town gained new relevance from its university, which was founded in 1989.

As part of the restructuring of Defence in 1990 two of the threeBundeswehrbarracksin the town were closed and the remaining one reduced in size. TheBundesgrenzschutzbarracks was also closed.Lüneburg Universitymoved to the site of the old Scharnhorst barracks. The university grew out of the new economics and cultural studies departments set up in the 1980s and their amalgamation with the College of Education (Pädagogischen HochschuleorPH) that took place in 1989. Since its move to the former barracks site the university has enrolled increasing numbers of students. The expansion of the university is an important contribution to the restructuring of the town into a service centre.

Today an industrial estate, theLünepark, has been built on the terrain of the oldBundesgrenzschutzbarracks with its new industrial premises for entrepreneurs. The promotion of trade and industry has resulted in many firms from the ICT area locating themselves there. In May 2006 the nearby Johannes Westphal Bridge was opened to traffic. This links the newly createdLüneparkwith the suburb of Goseburg on the far side of theIlmenau. Since 5 October 2007 Lüneburg has been able to call itself a Hanseatic Town; together withStadeit is one of only two towns in Lower Saxony to bear the title.

• 1943: Hagen and Lüne
• 1974:Häcklingen, Ochtmissen, Oedeme and Rettmer as well as theOrtsteileof Alt-Hagen, Ebensberg and Pflegerdorf/Gut Wienebüttel.

Lüneburg lies on the riverIlmenau, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from its confluence with theElbe. The river flows through the town and is featured in itssong; it was formerly traversed bycogstaking salt from the town to the other, larger, ports of the Hanseatic League nearby.

To the south of the town stretches the 7,400-square-kilometre (2,857 sq mi)Lüneburg Heathwhich emerged as a result of widespread tree-felling, forest fires and grazing. The tradition that the heath arose from centuries of logging undertaken to meet the constant need of the Lüneburg salt works for wood is not historically confirmed. More likely, the heath was originally formed by clearances during theBronze Age. The old town (Altstadt) of Lüneburg lies above asalt domewhich is the town's original source of prosperity. However, the constant mining of the salt deposits over which the town stands has also resulted in the sometimes gradual, sometimes dramatically pronounced, sinking of various areas of the town. On the western edge of the town is theKalkberg, a small hill and formergypsumquarry.

There are several towns, cities, and urban areas around Lüneburg in all directions:

Winsen (Luhe),Hamburg-Harburg 18 km (11 mi), 36 km	Hamburg-Bergedorf,Schwarzenbek,Lübeck 32 km (20 mi), 43 km (27 mi), 87 km (54 mi)	Adendorf,Lauenburg 5 km (3 mi), 22 km (14 mi)
Jesteburg 48 km (30 mi)		Amt Neuhaus,Lübtheen 42 km (26 mi), 57 km
Soltau 51 km (32 mi)	Ebstorf,Uelzen 26 km (16 mi), 37 km (23 mi)	Lüchow(Wendland) 68 km

The mottoMons, Pons, Fons("Hill, bridge, spring") characterised the development of the town from the 8th century as it coalesced from initially three, and later four, areas of settlement. These areas were therefuge castleon the — at that time considerably higher —Kalkberg, together with its adjoining settlement (theMarktviertelor "Market Quarter"), the village of Modestorpe between the bridge over the river Ilmenau and the large square,Am Sande(theSandviertelor "Sand Quarter"), and thesalinewith its walled settlement for the work force (theSülzviertelor "Salt Quarter"). Not until the 13th century was the river port settlement (theWasserviertelor "Waterside Quarter") built between the market place and the Ilmenau. The resulting shape of the town thus formed did not change until its expansion in the late 19th century and it is still clearly visible today. Lüneburg's six historic town gates were theAltenbrücker Tor, theBardowicker Tor, theRote Tor, theSülztor, theLüner Torand theNeue Tor.

Lüneburg has the followingStadtteile: Altstadt, Bockelsberg, Ebensberg, Goseburg-Zeltberg,Häcklingen, Kaltenmoor (the largestStadtteil, with around 8,000 inhabitants), Kreideberg, Lüne, Moorfeld, Mittelfeld, Neu Hagen, Ochtmissen, Oedeme, Rettmer, Rotes Feld, Schützenplatz, Weststadt and Wilschenbruch.

Jüttkenmoor, Klosterkamp, Bülows Kamp, In den Kämpen, Krähornsberg, Schäferfeld, Volgershall and Zeltberg are the names of individual blocks within a singleStadtteil.

The houses in the historic quarter between theLüneburg Saltworks(today theGerman Salt Museum) and theKalkbergwere built above asalt domethat was excavated by the saltworks and which extended to just below the surface of the ground. As a result of the increasing quantities of salt mined with improved technical equipment after 1830, the ground began to sink by several metres. This resulted in the so-calledSenkungsgebietor "subsidencearea". The houses there and the local church (St. Lambert's) lost their stability and had to be demolished. Because of this subsidence, and because salt mining was increasingly unprofitable, the saltworks were finally closed in 1980. Today, only small amounts of brine are extracted for the healthspain the Lüneburg Thermal Salt Baths (theSalztherme LüneburgorSaLü). One side of the saltworks now houses a supermarket, while the other is the German Salt Museum.

The subsidence has been monitored at about 240 stations since 1946 every two years. The land has not quite stopped subsiding yet, but it is stable enough that new construction has taken place on it, and several historic buildings which had previously been damaged or demolished have been restored. The subsidence can still be clearly seen even today. Those who walk fromAm Sandeto the end of theGrapengießerstraßecan clearly sense the degree of subsidence for themselves: the hollow in front of them was formerly at the same level as theGrapengießerstraße. This depression extends as far as theLambertiplatzsquare.

In theFrommestraße, another sign of earth movements caused by salt mining may be seen: theTor zur Unterwelt("Door to the Underworld"), where two cast iron doors have been pushed on top of one another.

Near the churchSt. Michaelis, other consequences of the subsidence can be seen in its sloping columns and the west wing of the nave. Current subsidence movements can be seen in the road known asOchtmisser Kirchsteig.

Lüneburg already had about 14,000 inhabitants in theLate Middle Agesand beginning of theModern Periodand was one of the largest 'cities' of its time, but its population shrank with the economic downturn to just 9,400 in 1757; then rose again to 10,400 in 1813. With the onset ofindustrialisationin the 19th century, population growth accelerated. If 13,000 were living in the town in 1855, by 1939 there were as many as 35,000. Shortly after the Second World War, refugees and displaced persons from Germany's eastern territories brought an increase in population within just a few months of around 18,000 people so that the total number in December 1945 was 53,000. In 2003 the 70,000 level was exceeded for the first time.

The town of Lüneburg, its eponymous district and the neighbouring district of Harburg belong to the few regions in Germany that have experienced such a massive growth. The reasons for this include the growth of areas around theHamburg Metropolitan Regionand the consequent shift of people to those areas. The Lower Saxon State Office for Statistics has forecast that the town of Lüneburg will have a population of 89,484 by the year 2021. More realistic estimates, however, put the future size Lüneburg at between 75,000 and 79,000 in that time frame.

On 31 December 2008, according to the Statistics Office, theofficial censusfor Lüneburg recorded 72,492 people (those who had their main residence in the town and after adjustments with other states offices) – the highest number in its history. Currently Lüneburg is the eleventh largest centre of population in Lower Saxony. In addition Lüneburg has particularly close relations with its adjacent municipalities which are also growing and with which it is forming an agglomeration. The town, together with the nearby villages ofAdendorf,Bardowick,Deutsch Evern,Reppenstedt,VögelsenandWendisch Evern, has a total population of about 103,000 and, on that basis, would qualify as a city (in Germany cities orGroßstädteare defined as settlements with a population of over 100,000). The town council has the plan to extend the population by adding these villages to the town area.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1530	14,000	—
1699	11,000	−21.4%
1757	9,426	−14.3%
1813	10,400	+10.3%
1855	13,352	+28.4%
1861	14,400	+7.8%
1867	15,900	+10.4%
1871	16,284	+2.4%
1890	20,665	+26.9%
1900	24,693	+19.5%
1910	27,790	+12.5%
1925	28,923	+4.1%
1933	31,171	+7.8%
1939	35,239	+13.1%
1945	53,095	+50.7%
1950	58,139	+9.5%
1956	56,845	−2.2%
1961	59,563	+4.8%
1965	60,269	+1.2%
1970	59,516	−1.2%
1975	64,586	+8.5%
1980	62,225	−3.7%
1985	59,645	−4.1%
1990	61,870	+3.7%
2000	67,398	+8.9%
2010	71,549	+6.2%
2019	78,024	+9.0%

Largest groups of foreign residents[10]
Nationality	Population (2013)
Turkey	608
Poland	438
Russia	221
Italy	182
Kosovo	170
Serbia	141

The following overview shows the population figures based on the situation at the time. Up to 1813 they were mostly estimates; thereafter based oncensuses(*) or official projections by the State Office of Statistics. From 1871 the figures were based on those 'present in the town', from 1925 on those 'living in the town' and since 1987 on the 'population who have their main residence in the town'. Before 1871 the numbers were based on inconsistent survey methods.

At one time Lüneburg had over 80breweries. TheLüneburger Kronen Brewery of 1485inHeiligengeiststraßebrewed beers such asLüneburger Kronen-PilsenerandMoravia Pilsenerthat were very well known in North Germany. These beers are brewed today by theHolsten Breweryin Hamburg, although the original yeast stock (Hefestämme) was destroyed when the Kronen Brewery was taken over. Only the originalLüneburger Pilseneris still produced as before, although it is now made by the Holsten Brewery and only sold on tap. Today there are just two small inn breweries left in Lüneburg. In the Nolte Inn Brewery (Gasthausbrauerei Nolte) some distance from the centre on theDahlenburger Landstraßeand in theBrau- und Tafelhaus MälzerinHeiligengeiststraßethe tradition of Lüneburger breweries lives on.

Recently Lüneburg has increasingly developed into a venue for tourists. Nevertheless, medium-sized and small businesses still play a major role in Lüneburg's economy. TheUniversity of Lüneburghas also generated changes which, together with its student population, have stimulated the economy of the region.

Many small and medium-sized businesses are based in Lüneburg. They include the fashion companyRoy Robson,DeVauGe Gesundkostwerkone of the largest German manufacturers ofvegetarianfood and thedairy, which today is part ofHochwald Nahrungsmittel-Werkeand makes products,e.g., yoghurt, under theLünebestlabel. (The knitware firmLucia, once the biggest employer in the town, went bankrupt in 2008.) In the industrial field there are large local firms like the car interior manufacturers,Johnson Controls,H. B. Fuller,Impreglonand the electronics company ofSieb & Meyer. Also based in Lüneburg is thevon Stern'schen Druckerei, founded in 1614, the oldest printing firm still in family ownership in the world.Werum IT Solutionsis the largestinformation technologyfirm based in the town.

The town nursery has created a spa park for tourists and visitors with a 'graduation works', ponds, numerous herbaceous borders and herb gardens which is immediately next to the health spa centre (Kurzentrum). The spa centre has wave pools, salt baths, wellness and sauna facilities, etc. (Salztherme Lüneburg); in addition there is a brine therapy centre which is used for those with skin and respiratory problems. Lüneburg is not an official health spa like e. g. the neighbouring town ofBad Bevensen, but does have special medicinal resources like, for example, Lüneburg brine (containing about 26% salt), which is used especially to relieve those suffering frompsoriasis. In addition, since 1978, the headquarters of the conference hotel groupSeminarishas been based here. Among firms in the technology and service sectors isGründungszentrum e-novum, which supports new venture firms.

The town of Lüneburg is part of 'State Constituency 49 Lüneburg' and 'Federal Constituency No. 38 Lüchow-Dannenberg – Lüneburg'.^[11][12]

Local election results in 2016 for the town council of Lüneburg:^[13]

Name (English)	Name (German)	Abbr.	Ideology	Position	International organizations	Votes (2016)	Seats in town council	Notes
Social Democratic Party	Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands	SPD	Social democracy	centre-left	Progressive AllianceandSocialist International(observer)	32.9%	14
Alliance '90/The Greens	Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen (GAL)		Green Politics	centre-left	Global Greens	22.0%	9	merger of Die Grünen andBündnis 90
Christian Democratic Union	Christlich Demokratische Union	CDU	Christian democracy	centre-right	Centrist Democrat InternationalandInternational Democrat Union	20.7%	9
The Left	Die Linke		Socialism Eurocommunism	left-wing	Party of the European Left	9.5%	4	merger ofThe Left Party.PDSandWASG
Alternative for Germany	Alternative für Deutschland	AfD	German nationalism Right-wing populism	right-wing	European Alliance of People and Nations	9.0%	4
Free Democratic Party	Freie Demokratische Partei	FDP	Liberalism	centre	Liberal International	6.0%	2

Before the Second World War the lord mayor (Oberbürgermeister) was the full-time head of the town's administration. On the introduction of theNorth German council constitutionby theBritish occupation forcespower was separated: the voluntary lord mayor and chairman of the town body was the political representative of the town who, like all the members of the town council was elected by the people, whilst the administration was headed up by a full-time chief municipal director, who was elected by the town council. Since 1996, as a result of the reform of the local constitution, both functions (again) have been combined in the post of a full-time lord mayor, who is now directly elected by the townsfolk. In addition to the lord mayor there are other mayors (elected by the council) who support and represent the lord mayor in his civic duties.

The current mayors are:Eduard Kolle(SPD),Ulrich Löb(Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), andChristel John(CDU).

Lüneburg istwinnedwith:^[14]

In addition Lüneburg has friendly relations with German townsKulmbachandKöthen.^[14]

The Lüneburg Theatre (Theater Lüneburg) is one of the smallest, three-stage theatres in Germany. Not only are plays of all styles put on, but also operas, operettas, musicals and ballets. Although the financial means of the Lüneburg Theatre are comparatively limited, it is no 'provincial stage' and can hold its ground successfully against the many theatres in nearby Hamburg. In addition Lüneburg has a large number of amateur theatres, that also produce regular performances. Such a variety in amateur drama is otherwise only found in large cities like Hamburg or Hanover.

The historic town is itself a kind of open-air museum (a "Rothenburg of the North"), but there are numerous museums and historic churches (St. Michaelis,St. Johannis,St. Nicolai. The most important museums are theGerman Salt Museumin the premises of the oldLüneburg Saltworks, in which the significance of salt in theMiddle Agesand the extraction of salt is portrayed, and the Museum of the Principality of Lüneburg, in which the town's history and the history of the surrounding area is captured. Also worthy of mention are theEast Prussian Regional Museum, the nearby North German Brewery Museum with a gallery of valuable drinking vessels (over 1200 years), the 1485 Kronen Brewery of Lüneburg and theLüneburg Nature Museumon the edge of the subsidence zone.

Lüneburg is one of the few towns in North Germany whose historic centre was not destroyed during the Second World War. Nevertheless, the general neglect of its buildings until the 1960s and the damage in the area of subsidence has led to gaps in the historic architecture of the town. In addition the demolition of ramshackle buildings in the 1950s and 1960s and the construction of shops with a contemporary design broke up the historic appearance of many rows of houses. Since the beginning of the 1970s, however, Lüneburg has been carefully restored. The restoration process revealed hitherto hidden ceilingfrescos,medievalpottery workshops and many historic soakaways (Sickergruben) from which a considerably better picture of life in theMiddle Agesresulted.

In the LüneburgStadtteilof Kaltenmoor is St. Stephen's (St. Stephanus), the oldest ecumenical building in the town, with Protestant and Catholic churches under one roof. Other buildings worthy of mention are the three remaining town churches: St. Johannis am Sande (completed 1370), St. Michaelis whereJohann Sebastian Bachwas achoirboyfrom 1700 to 1702, and the relatively 'modern' St. Nicolai which was built in 1407. The Church of St. Lambertus (St. Lamberti) was demolished in 1850 due to its dilapidated state; it stood in the subsidence area.

In addition there are theGlockenhaus("Bell House", an oldarmoury) on theGlockenhof, theRathsapotheke(town chemist's), dating to 1598, inGroße Bäckerstraßeand the historic town hall orRathauswith its famous town council meeting room, theGerichtslaube. The Luna Fountain (Lunabrunnen) in front of the town hall is graced by a bronze statue of the moon goddess with bow and arrow; the original dating to 1532 was stolen in 1970 and melted down; the present statue is a replica dating to 1972. In the area of the old port can still be seen theBaroquefaçade of the "Old Store" (Altes Kaufhaus), most of the rest of which was burned down and had to be replaced by one that was more suitable for a fire station. The port is also home to the "Old Crane" (Alter Kran), a wooden, medieval riverside crane that is still in working order today and which has two large wheels inside that enable the crane cable to be raised and lowered. The fire station moved in autumn 2007 to a new building on the edge of the town centre; theAltes Kaufhaushas since (2009) been converted into a hotel.

On the southern edge of the town centre is theLüneburg Water Towerwhich now acts as an observation tower.

In front of the gates of the old town isLüne Abbey, a former Benedictine nunnery. It was built in 1172 and has been restored.

About 2 kilometres (1 mile) west of Lüneburg, in the villages ofReppenstedtandVögelsen, is a well-preserved section of the historicLüneburg Landwehr, a boundary embankment and ditch, that can be walked.

The Lüneburg Variationis a novel, about chess and chess masters by Italian authorPaolo Maurensig, named for the city.

• April: "Lüneburg Blossoms" (Lüneburg blüht auf) and spring market on the Sülzwiesen ("salt meadows")
• June: Town festival
• June: "Lunatic Festival": charity music festival on the university campus
• July:FrommestraßeFestival
• August: Heath Flower Festival (Heideblütenfest) (inAmelinghausen)
• September:Oktoberfeston the Sülzwiesen.
• Early October: Master Salter Days (Sülfmeistertage)
• Advent: Historic Christmas Market around St. Michael's church and Christmas Market with Fairy Tale Mile (Märchenmeile) and gable lights on the market place in front of the town hall,Grapengießerstraßeand the square ofAm Sande.

In 2012, the festivalHansetagetook place in Lüneburg. TheHansetageis an event which takes place in a different town every year. Nearly 300,000 visitors were attracted by this event.

Association footballis the most popular sport in Lüneburg, as in Germany in general; ice-hockey and basketball are also popular. Most teams compete in theRegionalliga, which is highly ranked within Germany.

• Football:Lüneburger SK Hansa(formed by mergingLüneburger SKwith the football section of Lüneburger SV),Oberliga
• Basketball:MTV Treubund Lüneburg,2.Regionalliga(Women)Stadtliga(Men)
• Ice-hockey:Adendorfer EC,Regionalliga
• Handball:HSG Lüneburg,Regionalliga
• Volleyball:SVG Lüneburg,Bundesliga
• Baseball:Lüneburg Woodlarks,Regionalliga
• American Football:Lüneburg Razorbacks,Verbandsliga

Lüneburg has the following hospitals:Städtisches Krankenhaus Lüneburgand the "Landeskrankenhaus Lüneburg", now known as thePsychiatrische Klinik Lüneburg(Psychiatric Hospital Lüneburg).

Lüneburg is part of the transportation companyHamburger Verkehrsverbund. There are 11 bus lines in the urban area of Lüneburg. As well asLüneburg station, there is a smaller one located inBardowick. The nearest cities within easy reach by rail areHamburg,Hanover,Lübeck,Lauenburg,UelzenandWinsen.

The town has one university, theLeuphana Universität Lüneburg(previously known only as theUniversität Lüneburg). The university has more than 7,000 students.^[15]

There are 14 high schools in the town: 5Gymnasien, 4Realschulen, and 5Hauptschulen; there is currently 1Gesamtschule, the "IGS Lüneburg" founded in 2009. In addition, there are 6 vocational schools, 3 special schools, 3 private schools, and 12 elementary schools.

• Lucas Bacmeister(1530–1608), Lutheran Theologian and church music composer
• Jacob Kroger(ca 1550–1594), court goldsmith toAnne of Denmarkand thief
• Johann von Götzen(1599–1645), nobleman andGeneralfeldmarschall
• Jean Armand de Lestocq(1692–1767), French adventurer, influenced the foreign policy of Russia during the early reign ofElizabeth of Russia
• Georg Freytag(1788–1861), philologist.^[16]
• Johanna Stegen(1793–1842), heroine of theNapoleonic Wars, she rushed ammunition to Prussian troop in her apron, thus becoming"The Heroine of Lüneburg"
• Rudolf von Bennigsen(1824–1902), politician,^[17]
• Charles Schroeter(1837–1921), US Army soldier who received theMedal of Honorfor his actions during theAmerican Indian Wars
• Paul von Hindenburg(1847–1934), general and statesman, honorary citizen of Lüneburg in 1918 for his service in the World War I; President of Germany from 1925 to 1934^[18]
• Paul von Osterroht(1887–1917), World War I fighter pilot

• Johann Georg Ebeling(1637–1676), editor and composer of hymns^[19]byPaul Gerhardt
• Georg Böhm(1661–1733), organist of theSt. John's Church, Lüneburgin 1698–1733
• Johann Sebastian Bach(1685–1750), attendedSt. Michael's Schooland sang in its choir 1700 to 1703^[20][21]
• Johann Abraham Peter Schulz(1747–1800), composer and conductor.^[22]
• Heinrich Heine(1797–1856), poet, journalist and essayist, likely to have composed his poemLoreleihere
• Eduard Krüger(1807–1885), musicologist, composer and philologist.
• Hans Winderstein(1856–1925), conductor and composer
• Charlotte Huhn(1865–1925),an operatic contralto.
• Margarete Boie(1880–1946), author, lived and died locally
• Jean Leppien(1910–1991), a German-French painter.
• Susanne Linke(born 1944), dancer and choreographer, innovator of GermanTanztheater
• Annegret Soltau(born 1946), visual artist
• Mirko Reisser(born 1971), a.k.a.DAIM, graffiti artist
• Anjorka Strechel(born 1982), film and theatre actress

• Otto Volger(1822–1897), geologist
• August Ritter(1826–1908), civil engineer, author of method to calculate for arches, bridges and roofs.^[23]
• Bernhard Riemann(1826–1866), mathematician, worked on analysis, number theory and differential geometry; went to school locally
• Gustav Wallis(1830–1878),plant collector, who introduced over 1,000 plant species to Europe
• Ernst Ehlers(1835–1925), zoologist
• Louis Boehmer(1843–1896), German-Americanagronomistand government advisor inMeiji periodJapan
• Niklas Luhmann(1927–1998), sociologist and philosopher of social science
• Detlev Ganten(born 1941), specialist inpharmacologyandmolecular medicine
• Detlef Franke(1952–2007),Egyptologist

• Hasso von Bismarck(1902–1941), bobsledder who competed at the1932 Winter Olympics
• Ralf Sievers(born 1961), footballer, played over 275 games
• Hannelore Brenner(born 1963), paralympian dressage equestrian athlete
• Bahne Rabe(1963–2001), rower and gold medallist at the1988 Summer Olympics& bronze medallist at the1992 Summer Olympics
• Katarina Waters(born 1980), English-American professional wrestler and actress
• Anja Noske(born 1986), rower, twice world champion
• Fabian Stenzel(born 1986), footballer who has played over 310 games
• Sören Ludolph(born 1988), middle-distance runner, competed at the2012 Summer Olympics
• John Franklin III(born 1994), American football player

• 
  Am Sande
• 
  Am Sande
• 
  The nearby Lüneburg Heathis an anthropogenic heath.

• Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
• Principality of Lüneburg
• Lüneburg Sate
• List of the rulers of Lüneburg

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Leuphana".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.

• "Lüneburg".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). 1911.

• Official website(in German)
• Leuphana University(in German)