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| Wirtschaftsregion Lausitz | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wirtschaftsregion Lausitz |
| Native name | Lausitz |
| Country | Germany; Poland |
| States | Brandenburg; Saxony; Lubusz Voivodeship; Lower Silesian Voivodeship; Opole Voivodeship |
| Area km2 | 13,000 |
| Population | ~1,000,000 |
| Largest cities | Cottbus; Görlitz; Zittau; Bautzen; Guben; Forst; Hoyerswerda; Żary; Zielona Góra |
| Coordinates | 51°30′N 14°30′E |
Wirtschaftsregion Lausitz Lausitz is a Central European region straddling eastern Germany and western Poland with a distinct industrial legacy centered on lignite mining, heavy industry and rail connections linking Berlin, Dresden, Wrocław and Poznań. The area includes urban centers such as Cottbus, Görlitz, Bautzen and cross-border Polish towns like Zielona Góra and Żary, and is a focal point for structural transformation tied to the German Energiewende, EU cohesion policy and transnational development initiatives.
Lausitz lies across the historical regions of Upper Lusatia and Lower Lusatia, bounded by the Saxony–Brandenburg internal border and the Oder–Neisse line with Poland near Forst (Lausitz), Gubin/Guben and Zgorzelec/Görlitz. The landscape includes the Spreewald biosphere reserve, the Lausitzer Seenland lake district created from former opencast mines, the Niederschlesische Heide and parts of the Sudetes foothills near Zittau. Major waterways include the Spree, the Oder and canals connecting to the Havel and Elbe–Oder canal networks; rail corridors converge at junctions like Cottbus Hauptbahnhof and Görlitz station.
Lausitz has been shaped by medieval settlement under the Margraviate of Meissen and the Kingdom of Bohemia, later integrated into the Electorate of Saxony and Prussia. The region experienced industrialisation tied to the Industrial Revolution with textile towns such as Bautzen and mining zones developed by enterprises like LAUBAG and state mining bodies of the German Democratic Republic. Post-1945 border shifts following the Potsdam Conference and the establishment of the Oder–Neisse line reconfigured urban networks, while the Wende and German reunification transformed ownership through privatizations involving firms like VEAG and RWE. EU enlargement and the Treaty of Accession 2004 accelerated cross-border ties with Poland.
Historically dominated by lignite extraction and power generation operated by companies such as LEAG and predecessors, Lausitz also hosts manufacturing in mechanical engineering firms, chemical works near Schwarze Pumpe, glassmaking in Bischofswerda and timber processing in the Spreewald. Logistics hubs connect to the A4 motorway, the A13 motorway and the trans-European TEN-T corridors. Research institutions include the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, the Fraunhofer Society institutes active in the region and university partnerships with Polish Academy of Sciences centers in Wrocław. Tourism leverages cultural heritage in Görlitz (film locations), the Museum of Lusatian Culture and recreational lakes in the Lausitzer Seenland.
The Lausitz transition is central to Germany’s Kohleausstieg policies and the implementation of the Coal Commission recommendations, affecting open-cast mines like Jänschwalde and power stations such as Schwarze Pumpe Power Station. Regional plans coordinate with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action funding instruments, the European Investment Bank and the Just Transition Fund of the European Union to finance reclamation, renewables projects (wind parks, PV farms) and hydrogen pilot projects linked to partners like Fraunhofer ISE. Municipalities pursue landscape rehabilitation, converting spoil tips to the Lausitzer Seenland and promoting circular economy initiatives with companies including Siemens Energy and start-ups incubated by IHK Cottbus.
Rail infrastructure includes long-distance links on the Berlin–Wrocław railway and regional services operated by Deutsche Bahn and private operators such as NEB GmbH and Odeg. Road arteries include the A4 and A13 autobahns, federal roads (Bundesstraßen) and border crossings at Forst (Lausitz)/Zasieki and Gubin/Guben. Inland waterways and lake ports on the Lausitzer Seenland connect to barge traffic tied to Oder River logistics. Air access is provided by regional airports including Berlin Brandenburg Airport and smaller aerodromes near Cottbus-Drewitz; freight terminals and industrial sidings serve lignite terminals previously run by mining operators.
The region’s population has fluctuated due to deindustrialisation, outmigration to Berlin and demographic ageing seen across eastern German regions like Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Major employers have included power utilities, manufacturing firms and public services in cities such as Cottbus and Hoyerswerda; unemployment spikes followed the 1990s closures, later mitigated by investments from entities like BMW supplier networks and vocational training programs at institutions including the BTU Cottbus–Senftenberg. Labor transition initiatives coordinate with trade unions such as IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie and employment agencies under the Bundesagentur für Arbeit.
Lausitz participates in Euroregions and cross-border projects such as the Euroregion Neisse-Nisa-Nysa, cooperation with the Lubuskie Voivodeship and initiatives funded by the European Regional Development Fund and INTERREG programs. Cultural and economic partnerships link Görlitz with Zgorzelec, scientific exchange occurs with University of Wrocław and Politechnika Wrocławska, and coordinated transport planning involves the VBB public transport association and Polish counterparts like ZUK. Multilevel stakeholders include municipal associations, chambers of commerce like IHK Dresden and NGOs engaged in heritage and environmental restoration such as BUND.
Category:Regions of Germany Category:Geography of Saxony Category:Geography of Brandenburg Category:Cross-border regions of Poland and Germany