Löbau

Löbau
Löbau
Town
	Coat of arms
	Location of Löbau within Görlitz district
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Görlitz
Municipal assoc.	Löbau
Government
• Mayor	Dietmar Buchholz
Area
• Total	78.74 km2 (30.40 sq mi)
Elevation	260 m (850 ft)
Population (2022-12-31)
• Total	14,352
• Density	180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	02708
Dialling codes	03585
Vehicle registration	GR
Website	www.loebau.info

Löbau (Upper Sorbian: Lubij) is a city in the east of Saxony, Germany, in the traditional region of Upper Lusatia. It is situated between the slopes of the Löbauer Berg and the fertile hilly area of the Upper Lusatian Mountains. It is the gateway to this volcanic mountainous area and halfway between the cities of Bautzen, Görlitz and Zittau.

History

Löbau was first mentioned in 1221 as "Oppidum Lubaw". During the Middle Ages the city was a member of the Six-City League of Upper Lusatia, consisting of the Lusatian cities Bautzen, Görlitz, Kamenz, Lauban, Löbau and Zittau, which was established in 1346.

The town is widely known for the piano manufacturing company August Förster.

Main sights

The town hall of the city is a noteworthy mixture of several architectural styles. Another famous building is the Villa Schminke or Schminke House (publicly accessible) by the German architect Hans Scharoun, one of the most important exponents of organic and expressionist architecture. The building dates from the 1930s, but resembles the architecture of the 1950s. It is regarded as one of Scharoun's most beloved artworks.

The King-Friedrich-August-Tower upon the Löbauer Berg is Löbau's landmark; the tower made of cast iron was built in 1854 on the Löbauer Berg, and is 28 m tall. It is the biggest cast-iron tower in Europe and offers magnificent views of the Lusatian Highlands.