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HISTORY

OF LÜNEBURG

Chronicle of the Hanseatic City  Lüneburg

Welcome to the more than 1000-year old, beautiful salt and Hanseatic city of Lüneburg. This thriving town with about 78,000 inhabitants is idyllically located between the Lüneburg Heath and the Elbtalaue. Lüneburg has stripped of its images as “city of the public servants” or “garrison town” like old clothes and is now glowing as a heath-metropolis and university city.

9. C.

Discovery of the salt deposit underneath the old town (1.2 km2 wide and up to 4,000 m deep)

956

First mention of “Luniburc”, the castle on the Kalkberg. The name “Lüneburg” evolved from “Hliuni” (Lombard for refuge).

1172

Founding of the Lüne monastery

1230

The Construction of the town hall begins

1247

Confirmation of the city charter

1289

The Construction of the St. John´s Church begins

1371

Expulsion of the sovereign and destruction of his castle by the citizens of Lüneburg

1412

First Hanseatic Day in Lüneburg, the “Salt House” of the Hanseatic League

1412

First Hanseatic Day in Lüneburg, the “Salt House” of the Hanseatic League

1412

First Hanseatic Day in Lüneburg, the “Salt House” of the Hanseatic League

Until 1600

Political and economical primetime; Lüneburg becomes rich and powerful by salt mining

1700-1702

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) is a chorister at the monastery school St. Michaelis

1797

Construction of the still visible Old Crane in the harbour. The first crane was already mentioned in 1330 and in 1346 it was situated in the harbour.

1813

Liberation from the French occupation under Napoleon. The Lüneburg “heroine” Johanna Stegen contributes to the victory of the Prussian troops

Around 1820

Lüneburg gets a brine bath

1822

Lüneburg is the home of the parents of the poet Heinrich Heine who often visited them

1847

Lüneburg gets a connection tot he railway network

1894

Inauguration oft the Synagogue (Am Schifferwall)

1906

Building oft he water tower on the remains of the medieval fortifications

1932

Kalkberg becomes one of the first nature reserves in Germany

1938

The Synagogue was sold for demolition

1939-1945

Lüneburg was almost not destroyed in the Word War II

1945

Signing of the partial surrender for Northwest Germany on Victory Hill in Lüneburg

1950-1955

Over 180 houses were destroyed by subsidence damages by salt mining

1968

Start of construction of the Elbe-Seite-Canal

1974

In Scharnebeck in the near of Lüneburg was built the world´s largest ship lift at that time

1980

Closure of the Saline, today the German Salt Museum can be found at this location

Today

Inauguration of the memorial for the former Synagogue (Am Schifferwall No.5)

1990

Conversion of the Scharnhorst barracks into a University Campus. Seat of today’s Leuphana University

2007

Lüneburg officially re-awarded the title “Hanseatic City”

2012

After 600 years the 2nd International Hanseatic Days takes place in Lüneburg

2017

Inauguration of the Audimax, the central building oft he Leuphana University by Daniel Libeskind

2018

Inauguration of the memorial for the former Synagogue (Am Schifferwall No.5)

Today

Inauguration of the memorial for the former Synagogue (Am Schifferwall No.5)

Today

Inauguration of the memorial for the former Synagogue (Am Schifferwall No.5)

Today

Lüneburg is a growing town in north germany with over 78,000 inhabitants and almost 4 million tourists every year.

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TOURIST-INFORMATION

Rathaus/ Am Markt
21335 Lüneburg
GERMANY

  • Lüneburg - Hauptstadt der Heide
  • lueneburginfo
  • luneburginfo
  • Lüneburg - Hauptstadt der Heide
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