Bezirk Cottbus was a district (Bezirk) of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The administrative seat and main town was Cottbus.

District of Cottbus
Bezirk Cottbus (German)
District (Bezirk) of East Germany
1952–1990
Coat of arms of Cottbus
Coat of arms

Location of Bezirk Cottbus within the German Democratic Republic
CapitalCottbus
Area 
• 1989
8,262 km2 (3,190 sq mi)
Population 
• 1989
884,700
Government
SED First Secretary 
• 1952–1953
Franz Bruk
• 1953–1969
Albert Stief
• 1969–1989
Werner Walde
• 1989–1990
Wolfgang Thiel
Chairman of the Council of the Bezirk 
• 1952–1959
Werner Manneberg
• 1959–1962
Heinz Krüger
• 1962
Rudolf Müller (acting)
• 1962–1971
Hans Schmidt
• 1971–1989
Irma Uschkamp
• 1989–1990
Peter Siegesmund
• 1990
Karl-Heinz Kretschmer (as Regierungsbevollmächtigter)
History 
• Established
1952
• Disestablished
1990
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Brandenburg (1945-1952)
Saxony-Anhalt (1945–1952)
Saxony (1945–1952)
Brandenburg
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony
Today part ofGermany

History

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The district was established, along with the other 13, on 25 July 1952, de facto replacing the East German States (Länder) which had been established in the post-war period; these in turn had replaced the Nazi Gaue (and the pre-war States and Prussian Provinces which had been de facto but not de jure superseded by the Gaue). Most of Bezirk Cottbus had been part of Brandenburg, with smaller parts taken from Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt

On 3 October 1990 the Bezirke were disestablished due to the reunification of Germany. Most of the Kreise of Bezirk Cottbus returned to the reconstituted states which they had belonged to before 1952: most went to Brandenburg, while the districts of Hoyerswerda and Weißwasser returned to Saxony and Jessen returned to Saxony-Anhalt; Bad Liebenwerda and Herzberg, which had been part of Saxony-Anhalt before 1952 became part of Brandenburg.

Geography

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Position

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Bezirk Cottbus, mainly located in Brandenburg and partly in Saxony (Hoyerswerda), bordered the Bezirke of Frankfurt, Potsdam, Halle, Leipzig and Dresden. It also bordered Poland.

Subdivision

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The Kreise of Bezirk Cottbus c. 1957

The Bezirk was divided into 15 Kreise: 1 urban district (Stadtkreis) and 14 rural districts (Landkreise):

References

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  Media related to Cottbus District (GDR) at Wikimedia Commons