Lüchow

Lüchow stands on the Jeetzel in the Wendland, a region of lowlands and villages near the Elbe. First recorded in 1158, it received town rights in 1293 and became the seat of its own counts. Their male line died out in 1318, and two years later the county passed to the Welf dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The town's church and market served the surrounding countryside. A devastating fire in 1811 destroyed much of Lüchow, after which its inhabitants had to rebuild.