Lauenburg

Lauenburg, or SAXE-LAUENBURG, a German duchy, formerly united to the crown of Denmark, and lying on the right bank of the Elbe between Holstein and Mecklenburg. In the 12th century this district was conquered by the dukes of Saxony. In 1260 John I., son of Albert I. of Saxony, founded the ducal House of Saxe-Lauenburg. After the extinction of this line, it was inherited by the Duke of Brunswick-Celle in 1702, and passed into the possession of the Hanoverian kings of Great Britain, was seized along with Hanover by the French in 1803, and afterwards, with some changes of boundary, was made over to Prussia, and by Prussia transferred to Denmark (1816), but with reservation of all rights and privileges. By the treaty of Gastein (1865) it came again into the possession of Prussia. It has an area of 457 sq. m., and (in 1885) 49,861 inhabitants, and is a well-cultivated and fertile country. In 1876 Lauenburg was finally incorporated with the province of Sleswick-Holstein, of which it is now a district. Prince Bismarck was offered, and accepted the title of Duke of Lauenburg on his retirement from office in 1890.—The town of Lauenburg, once capital of the duchy, stands on the Elbe, 25 miles SE. of Hamburg. It has a pop. of 4748. It contains the old ducal palace, dating from 1182.—LAUNENBURG, in Pomerania, 38 miles NW. of Danzig, has flax and woollen spinning, iron-founding, and machine-making. Pop. 7214. It was originally a town of the Teutonic Knights (from 1322), then of Poland (1454–1657), and finally of Brandenburg.