DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Brandenburg
Landkreis: Spree-Neiße

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Spremberg is situated on the river Spree in south east Brandenburg. Not much is known about the early history of Spremberg as most documents of these times have been lost in the many large fires that have devastated the town. The oldest existing document mentioning Spremberg dates from 1301. The status as a free town was obtained in 1397. The cloth-making industry became an important factor for the oeconomic life of the time during the 19th century when the first cotton-mill using a steam engine was opened in 1856. At the end of World War II 70% of the town were destroyed. In recent years the historic town centre has been renovated.

The castle [right, top] had come into possession og the Counts of Schwarzenburg-Wachsenburg in 1349. In 1504, the castle's captain used it as a robber-baron's stronghold. From 1731 it was the residence of Duke Heinrich of Saxe-Merseburg who owned the castle from 1696 until 1738. since 1999 houses the museum on the Sorbic people which for centuries have formed the history of the Lausitz region. The Sorbic language, a slavonic language, is in danger of becoming extinct so that the museum hopes to help in the preservation of the Sorbic culture.

The post office [left, top] with a telegraph post was opened in 1862.

The Bismarckturm [left, bottom] (24 m high) on top of the hill Georgenberg was erected in 1902–1903. It was named after Reichskanzler Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898), the founder of the German Empire 1870/71. After World War II, the tower was named "Georgenbergturm", but received its original name again in 1991.
Several glasses of this collection show other Bismarck monuments.

The school for girls [right, bottom] was built in 1905.