This is how travelers feel when they arrive in one of the towns belonging to the Oberlausitz Six-City Alliance in the far east of Germany. The Oberlausitz region in the state of Saxony offers its visitors a wealth of surprising discoveries: historically valuable cities like Görlitz and Bautzen, magnificent parks like the Muskau Park or the Rhododendron Park, and the vibrant cultural heritage of the Sorbs, the smallest Slavic people.

T he location at the borders with the Czech Republic to the south and Poland to the east is reflected in the openness of the Oberlausitz towards other cultures and customs. It is a tri-border area with great potential for surprises. Unfortunately, the Seazen team could only visit two of these cities. However, these two and their surroundings could fill books. Just the history of Lusatia with its numerous UNESCO titles is impressive: we encounter four tangible UNESCO sites, an intangible cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO, and two Lusatian specialties included in the national register of intangible cultural heritage by the German UNESCO Commission. Recently, the settlements of the Moravian Brethren were added as a World Heritage Site. But first, a brief look into history:

It is known today that from 200 to 400 AD, the Germans ruled this area, and that thereafter, until around the year 700, hardly any settlements emerged. Since then, the region has been continuously populated and has experienced a correspondingly varied history with numerous changes of power. At times it was Polish, then it belonged to Hungary, and after the Thirty Years’ War, triggered by the Defenestration of Prague, it came to Saxony. Bautzen became the political center of the Sorbs, this probably smallest Slavic people.

Bautzen. City of towers

The medieval Spree city boasts an impressive 17 towers, and the church towers are not even included in that count. On a marked historical trail, these witnesses of time can be visited in the old town. You definitely should not miss the „Reichenturm.“ This 56-meter-high structure, dating from the 14th century, is considered „the Leaning Tower of Germany“ with its tilt of 1.41 meters. However, the highest tower belongs to a place of worship, St. Peter’s Cathedral, the largest simultaneous church in Germany. In 1543, an initial agreement was negotiated that first regulated the coexistence of the Catholic and Lutheran congregations in the same building. The two church sections are only separated by a flexible partition. This serves as a model against the many wars of modern times, which are often based on religious motives. Furthermore, Bautzen was the site of the last major tank battle of World War II, which unfortunately left its mark.

Then there is the infamous Stasi past. In Bautzen II prison – the Alcatraz of the GDR – the Stasi imprisoned regime critics, escape helpers, spies, and other undesirable individuals. The memorial stands as a symbol of injustice and persecution in the Soviet occupation zone and in the GDR. Today, tours are offered, sometimes with former inmates of the prison, through the memorial. The accounts of those directly affected send shivers down your spine and allow for at least a partial understanding of the inhumane conditions of detention. The permanent exhibition brutally documents the suffering of the victims and highlights the political and historical contexts. During the impressive tour, you can experience the original holding cells, the isolation wing, and the cramped exercise yards of the former MfS special detention center (Ministry for State Security).

Nearby lies another site with a dark past: the Karnickelberg. The origin of the name is unclear, but it is not related to the terrible events during the time of Soviet occupation. Here lie 248 victims of Soviet tyranny, representing over 3,000 inmates who were buried naked, anonymously, and without dignity in mass graves during the time of the Soviet special camps (a term that reminds us of the current situation in Ukraine) after 1945.

Görlitz. City of monuments

The largest city in Oberlausitz is home to around 4,000 restored architectural treasures. Whether Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, or Art Nouveau – Görlitz offers the entire spectrum of 500 years of European architectural and construction history. Imposing are the magnificent hall houses, which once served cloth merchants as offices and for showcasing their precious goods. Richly decorated entrance portals and the typical seating niches facing the main street testify to the significance of the city on the Via Regia, the most important trade route of the Holy Roman Empire. The Via Regia and the merchants living along it are at the origin of the city’s wealth. At the Upper and Lower Market squares and in Brüderstraße, Weberstraße, and Neißestraße, the medieval splendor enchants visitors.

But the city does not only thrive on its past. Görlitz has developed into a hotspot for European filmmaking. Notable films such as „Inglorious Basterds,“ the crime series „Wolfsland,“ the cult film „The Grand Budapest Hotel,“ and „The Reader“ with Kate Winslet in the Oscar-winning lead role have been filmed in „Görliwood.“ In 1998, Görlitz officially declared itself a European City in conjunction with Polish Zgorzelec, separated only by the Neisse River, thus completing the hesitant rapprochement that began after World War II. Here you can experience firsthand how people from two nations can overcome borders.

UNESCO awards

The UNESCO World Heritage of the region is the Muskau Park, featuring a wonderful castle at its center. The 830-hectare estate is the largest landscape park in Central Europe in the English style. Created around two hundred years ago by Hermann Prince of Pückler-Muskau, a nobleman, world traveler, and passionate landscape architect. Those strolling through the park and castle discover new fascinating perspectives and views at every turn.

Additional UNESCO titles have been awarded to the Muskau Folded Arch Geopark, the Biosphere Reserve of Oberlausitz Heath, and the Spreewald. There is also the unique UNESCO cultural heritage of blue printing. Since the 17th century, linen and cotton have been dyed blue in Lusatia using a method that still astonishes and delights visitors today. Especially the magnificent Sorbian costumes are unthinkable without blue printing.

Land of the Sorbs

Today, around 60,000 Sorbs still live in Saxony and Brandenburg. Their ancestors are Slavic tribes that settled in the region during the migration period. Through assimilation and targeted Germanization, the original settlement area diminished more and more. However, the descendants of the Oberlausitz Milzener and the Lower Lusatian Lusizer have managed to preserve their language and culture to the present day.

In Bautzen, there are still Sorbian schools today, from elementary school to high school, and all streets, squares, and public buildings are labeled in both German and Sorbian. The Sorbian Museum allows visitors to trace the history of the Slavic tribe from the 6th century to the present. And for those who take a little more time, typical Sorbian events such as Easter riding, cockfighting, or the bird wedding can be found in small villages. Not to be forgotten is the Sorbian cuisine: At the Wjelbik restaurant in Bautzen, visitors are treated to exquisite culinary delights by Sorbs.

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