Elbe-Elster
District in Brandenburg state, Germany
Elbe-Elster is a Kreis (district) in the southern part of Brandenburg, Germany.
Elbe-Elster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country |  Germany |
| State | Brandenburg |
| Capital | Herzberg |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,889.4 km2 (729.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 131,161 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Vehicle registration | EE |
| Website | landkreis-elbe-elster.de |
HistoryEdit
The district was established in 1993 by merging the former districts (Kreise) of Finsterwalde, Bad Liebenwerda and Herzberg.
GeographyEdit
The district is named after two rivers: The Elbe river forms the western border with Saxony. The Schwarze Elster ("Black Elster") is a tributary of the Elbe and runs through the district. The district is part of the Lusatia region. The fens along the Black Elster are a habitat of several rare animals, like kingfishers, beavers and otters.
Coat of armsEdit
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The coat of arms was granted in 1995. The lion in the bottom left is from the county of Meißen which used to control the southern part of the district. The black bars are for Saxony-Wittenberg county as the area around Bad Liebenwerda belonged there in the past. The red bars are from the oldest coat of arms of Brandenburg, and the bull is the symbol for the Lower Lusatia area were the district is located. |
Towns and municipalitiesEdit
| Amt-free towns | Ämter | |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Elsterland 2. Kleine Elster (Niederlausitz) 3. Plessa |
4. Schlieben 5. Schradenland |
| 1seat of the Amt; 2town | ||
Other websitesEdit
- Official Website (in German)
- Touristic website