Wendish Museum

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 of Potsdam. With around 98,000 inhabitants, it 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, from which it is situated around 125 km (78 mi) upstream. The city is located on the shores of Cottbus Eastern Lake (Chóśebuski pódzajtšny jazor), which will be Germany's largest artificial lake by surface area when flooding is completed. Cottbus is considered the political and cultural center of the Lower Sorbian-speaking Sorbs (in Lower Lusatia also called the Wends), while the overall center of all Sorbs (Lower and Upper) is Bautzen. Cottbus is the largest officially bilingual city in Germany, and the signage is mostly in German and Lower Sorbian. The city is the seat of several Lower Sorbian institutions like the Lower Sorbian version of the Sorbian Broadcasting (Serbski rozgłos/Bramborske Serbske Radijo), the Lower Sorbian Gymnasium, and the Wendish Museum (Serbski muzej). The use of the Lower Sorbian language, however, is more widespread in the surrounding villages than in the city itself. Cottbus is a major railway junction with extensive sidings/depots. In the 10th century, the Wends constructed the largest Slavic castle of Lower Lusatia, a gord, on a Spree island, and this former gord is considered the nucleus of the city. On it rises the massive 13th century Castle Tower (grodojski torm) with its blue clock. Cottbus is the seat of the Brandenburg University of Technology (German: Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus–Senftenberg, Lower Sorbian: Bramborska techniska uniwersita Chóśebuz–Zły Komorow). 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 (Statne źiwadło Chóśebuz) is the only state theater in Brandenburg. The Wendish Quarter is a part of the city supposed to resemble the traditional Sorbian architectural style, constructed of prefabricated concrete slabs in East Germany between 1984 and 1989.

The Staatstheater Cottbus is the only state theatre of the German federal state of Brandenburg in Cottbus. It has its own ensemble presenting plays, operas, operettas, musicals, orchestral concerts and ballet. The theatre had more than 130.000 spectators in 2013.

Lower Sorbian Gymnasium Cottbus (Lower Sorbian: Dolnoserbski gymnazium Chóśebuz, German: Niedersorbisches Gymnasium Cottbus), is a coeducational gymnasium (e.g. preparatory high school or grammar school) in Cottbus the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the only high school in Lower Lusatia in which education is organized in Lower Sorbian language and the language is compulsory up to the twelfth grade. While German language is widely used as the first language by many students and professors, in May 2005 and following the 2004 enlargement of the European Union some students recognized education in the school as a good preparation for future participation in economic exchanges with neighboring West Slavic countries of Czech Republic and Poland.

The Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg (German: Brandenburgische Technische Universität, BTU) was founded in 1991 and is a technical university in Brandenburg, Germany with campuses in Cottbus and Senftenberg. The university has 185 professors, 640 additional academic staff and more than 7,000 students, of which 2,350 are of foreign origin from more than 100 nations.

Cottbus Hauptbahnhof (German) or Chóśebuz głowne dwórnišćo (Lower Sorbian) is one of the main railway stations of the German state of Brandenburg. It was called Cottbus station until 9 December 2018. It is located just south of central Cottbus. It is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 2 station.

The Cottbus tramway (German: Straßenbahn Cottbus, Lower Sorbian: Elektriska w Chóśebuzu) is a network of tramways forming the backbone of the public transport system in Cottbus, a city in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany. Opened in 1903, the network has been operated since 1953 by the company now known as Cottbusverkehr, and is integrated in the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB).

The Stadion der Freundschaft (English: The stadium of friendship) is a football stadium in Cottbus, Germany. It is the home ground of FC Energie Cottbus, originally opened in 1930, has a capacity of 22,528. It is the largest stadium in the city, followed by 4,999-capacity Max-Reimann-Stadion.

Cottbus-Sandow station is a railway station in the Sandow district in the town of Cottbus, located in Brandenburg, Germany.

The Cottbus Zoo (German: Tierpark Cottbus) is a zoo in the town Cottbus in the Brandenburg region of Germany. The zoo was founded in 1954, and covers 25 hectares (61.8 acres). The park includes a lot of trees, growing along the river Spree. The zoo breeds over 70 species of waterfowl, and its symbol is the red-breasted goose.

Cottbus-Merzdorf station is a railway station in the Merzdorf district in the town of Cottbus, located in Brandenburg, Germany.

Cottbus Air Base (German: Flugplatz Cottbus-Nord – "Airport Cottbus-North") (ICAO: ETHT) is a former military airport that is 2 km (1.2 miles) north-west of Cottbus in Brandenburg, Germany.