Editing Lüchow-Dannenberg

{{Short description|District in Lower Saxony, Germany}}
{{Infobox District DE
| name             = Lüchow-Dannenberg
| state            = Lower Saxony
| capital          = [[Lüchow]]
| area             = 1220
| Kreisschlüssel   = 03354
| district_admin    = Dagmar Schulz
| admin_party       = 
| carsign          = DAN
| url              = {{url|www.luechow-dannenberg.de}}
| map              = {{Germany district OSM map |parent_subdivision = Q1197}}
| image_coa        = Wappen Landkreis Lüchow-Dannenberg.svg
| image_flag       = Flagge Landkreis Lüchow-Dannenberg.svg
| image_skyline       = HoherMechtinForest1.jpg
|
}}
'''Lüchow-Dannenberg''' is a district in [[Lower Saxony]], Germany, which is usually referred to as '''Hanoverian Wendland''' (''Hannoversches Wendland'') or [[Wendland]]. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of [[Uelzen (district)|Uelzen]] and [[Lüneburg (district)|Lüneburg]] and the states of [[Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]] (district of [[Ludwigslust-Parchim]]), [[Brandenburg]] (district of [[Prignitz]]) and [[Saxony-Anhalt]] (districts of [[Stendal (district)|Stendal]] and [[Altmarkkreis Salzwedel]]).

==History==
In [[medieval times]] the counties of Lüchow and Dannenberg occupied the area (from the early 12th century on). These counties were originally [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] states that lost their independence to the Duchy of [[Brunswick-Lüneburg]] in the beginning of the 14th century.

Since that time it was always an eastern extension of different entities, usually states like [[West Germany]].

The area was ruled by [[Principality of Lüneburg|Lüneburg]] until 1705 and then became a part of the [[Electorate of Hanover]]. When the [[Kingdom of Hanover]] was annexed by [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] (1866), the districts of Lüchow and Dannenberg were established within the new [[Province of Hanover]].

A [[Polabian language|Slavic language]] persisted here until the 18th century.

In 1932 the two districts of Lüchow and Dannenberg were merged into the current district with Dannenberg as capital. In 1951 the seat of the administration was moved to Lüchow.

==Current issues==
Since the end of the 1990s the financial problems of the municipalities in the district grew more and more severe. To save money spent for administration a major municipal reform is currently discussed. The two most likely outcomes of the reform will be either a conversion of the district to an [[Urban districts of Germany|urban district]], in which the 27 municipalities will then become boroughs of one town. The other discussed solution is the merger into two ''[[Samtgemeinde]]n''. The dissolution of the district and inclusion of the two remaining ''Samtgemeinden'' into the districts of Lüneburg and Uelzen are also discussed.

==Geography==
The district is named for the two main towns. It is better known as the Wendland, a designation referring to the [[Slavic people]] of the [[Wends]] from [[Obotrites|Obotrite]] tribe [[Drevani]], who lived there till the 18th century — the last known user of the local dialect of [[Polabian language]] died in 1752. The landscape is characterised by riverside woodlands along the [[Elbe]] river and a hilly countryside.

In addition, the Wendland is known for the small village of [[Gorleben]] (part of the ''Samtgemeinde'' [[Gartow]]), where the establishment of a final disposal place for [[radioactive waste]] is planned. The [[salt dome Gorleben]], a deep geological repository is proposed. Moreover, an interim storage for spent nuclear fuel is located in Gorleben. The area has been a site of clashes between the police and [[Anti-nuclear movement in Germany|anti-nuclear protesters]] since the 1980s.

Lüchow-Dannenberg has a sister-city relationship with [[Steglitz-Zehlendorf]], a borough of [[Berlin]] since 1979.

Lüchow-Dannenberg is the least populous of Germany's 402 districts, and has the lowest population density of any district in West Germany.

==Coat of arms==
The coat of arms displays:
* a [[fir]], which was the heraldic symbol of the counts of Dannenberg
* three yellow rhombs from the arms of the counts of Lüchow

==Towns and municipalities==
{{Imagemap Germany district DAN|Municipalities in DAN.svg|300px{{!}}thumb{{!}}Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district}}
{|
|colspan=2|'''[[Amt (political division)|Samtgemeinden]] (collective municipalities) ''' with member [[municipality|municipalities]]
|-
| width="450" valign="top" |
*'''1. [[Elbtalaue]]'''
#[[Damnatz]]
#[[Dannenberg (Elbe)]]<sup>1, 2</sup>
#[[Göhrde]]
#[[Gusborn]]
#[[Hitzacker]]<sup>2</sup>
#[[Jameln]]
#[[Karwitz]]
#[[Langendorf, Lower Saxony|Langendorf]]
#[[Neu Darchau]]
#[[Zernien]]
*'''2. [[Gartow (Samtgemeinde)|Gartow]]'''
#[[Gartow]]<sup>1</sup>
#[[Gorleben]]
#[[Höhbeck]]
#[[Prezelle]]
#[[Schnackenburg]]<sup>2</sup>
| width="450" valign="top" |
*'''3. [[Lüchow (Samtgemeinde)|Lüchow]]'''
#[[Bergen an der Dumme]]
#[[Clenze]]
#[[Küsten]]
#[[Lemgow]]
#[[Luckau (Wendland)]]
#[[Lübbow]]
#[[Lüchow]]<sup>1, 2</sup>
#[[Schnega]]
#[[Trebel]]
#[[Waddeweitz]]
#[[Woltersdorf, Lower Saxony|Woltersdorf]]
#[[Wustrow, Lower Saxony|Wustrow]]<sup>2</sup>
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|<sup>1</sup>seat of the Samtgemeinde; <sup>2</sup>town
|}

==People==
See [[:Category:People from Lüchow-Dannenberg|People from Lüchow-Dannenberg]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Landkreis Lüchow-Dannenberg}}
* [http://www.luechow-dannenberg.de Official website] (German)

{{Germany districts lower saxony}}
{{Regions of Lower Saxony}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|53.0|11.17|display=title|format=dms}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luchow-Dannenberg}}
[[Category:Lüchow-Dannenberg| ]]
[[Category:Districts of Lower Saxony]]
[[Category:Obotrites]]
[[Category:Wendland]]