Cottbus

Cottbus (German pronunciation: [ˈkɔtbʊs] ^ⓘ) or Chóśebuz (Lower Sorbian pronunciation: [ˈxɨɕɛbus]) is a university city and the second-largest city in the German state of Brandenburg after the state capital, Potsdam. With around 100,000 inhabitants, Cottbus is the most populous city in Lusatia. Cottbus lies in the Sorbian settlement area (Serbski sedleński rum) of Lower Lusatia, and is the second-largest city on the River Spree after Berlin, which is situated around 125 km (78 mi) downstream. The city is located on the shores of Germany's largest artificial lake, the Cottbuser Ostsee (Chóśebuski pódzajtšny jazor).

Cottbus is the political and cultural center of the Lower Sorbian-speaking Sorbs, also known as the Wends in Lower Lusatia; the overall center of Sorbian culture is Bautzen/Budyšin. Cottbus is the largest bilingual city in Germany. Signage is mostly in German and Lower Sorbian. The city hosts several Lower Sorbian institutions like the Lower Sorbian version of the Sorbischer Rundfunk/Serbski rozgłos, the Lower Sorbian Gymnasium, and the Wendish Museum. The use of the Lower Sorbian language, however, is more widespread in the surrounding municipalities than in the city itself. The Wendish Quarter is a part of the city supposed to resemble the traditional Sorbian architectural style.

Cottbus is the seat of the Brandenburg University of Technology. Due to this, the city has the official names Universitätsstadt Cottbus/Uniwersitne město Chóśebuz (University City Cottbus). Branitz Castle, built in 1770–71, in the southeast of the city, was a residence of the Prince of Pückler-Muskau. The prince, who also created Muskau Park, designed the extensive Branitz Park on the shores of the Spree, with its two grass pyramids. Cottbus State Theater is the only state theater in Brandenburg. Cottbus main station is a major railway junction with extensive sidings/depots.

The placename Cottbus is derived from the Lower Sorbian personal name Chóśebud, which in turn means "cheerful watchman" or "vigilant hero". The name of the place can thus be interpreted as "settlement of Chóśebud". At its first documented mention in 1156, the spelling was Chotibus; in 1301, the manor was referred to as opidum et castrum Kotebuz. In documents from 1348 and 1386, the town appears as Kothebus. The spelling Kottbus first appears in 1391.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the spelling of the city's name was disputed. In Berlin, the spelling "Kottbus" was preferred, and it is still used for the capital's Kottbusser Tor ("Cottbus Gate"). Locally the traditional spelling "Cottbus" (which defies standard German-language rules) was preferred, and it is now used in most circumstances. Because the official spelling used locally before the spelling reforms of 1996 had contravened even the standardized spelling rules already in place, the Standing Committee for Geographical Names [de] stressed the urgent recommendation that geographical names should respect the national spelling standards.^{[clarification needed]}

A citizen of the city may be identified as either a "Cottbuser" or a "Cottbusser".

According to the city's main statutes, its official name is Cottbus/Chóśebuz. In addition to its name, it also carries the designation "University City" (Universitätsstadt / Uniwersitne město).

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