Wilhelm Gülich
Who was the chair of Herzogtum Lauenburg from 1946 to 1948?
Herzogtum Lauenburg Herzogtum Lauenburg ( ) is the southernmost Kreis , or district , officially called Kreis Herzogtum Lauenburg ( ) , of Schleswig-Holstein , Germany . It is bordered by ( from the west and clockwise ) the district of Stormarn , the city of Lübeck , the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ( districts of Nordwestmecklenburg and Ludwigslust-Parchim ) , the state of Lower Saxony ( districts of Lüneburg and Harburg ) , and the city state of Hamburg . The district of Herzogtum Lauenburg is named after the former Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg . Geography . The districts territory comprises most of the former Duchys territory north of the river Elbe , except of the Amt Neuhaus . All the former Saxe-Lauenburgian areas beyond the Elbe belong today to the Lower Saxon districts of Cuxhaven ( Land of Hadeln ) , Harburg and Lüneburg . The districts area contains a number of historically important towns , e.g . Lauenburg/Elbe , Mölln and Ratzeburg . This importance was due to the Old Salt Route ( Alte Salzstraße ) , one of the major medieval trade routes . Salt from the salt-works south of the Elbe river was transported northward to Lübeck . The transport of salt was also the motive for constructing the oldest artificial waterway of Europe , the Stecknitz Canal ( 1398 ) . It was replaced in 1900 by the Elbe-Lübeck Canal . The landscape is characterised by numerous lakes , forming the Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park . The largest lake is the Ratzeburger See with an area of 16 km² . History . The district Herzogtum Lauenburg is named after the medieval Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg , which was one of the remnants of the original Duchy of Saxony . The Duchy of Saxony was partitioned in a process started in 1269 , nine years after in 1260 Albert II and John I had succeeded their father Albert I of Saxony . In 1269 , 1272 and 1282 , the brothers gradually divided their governing competences within the three territorially unconnected Saxon areas along the Elbe river ( one called Land of Hadeln , another around Lauenburg upon Elbe and the third around Wittenberg upon Elbe ) , thus preparing a partition . After John Is resignation in 1282 , Albert II ruled with his still minor nephews Albert III , Eric I and John II , who by 1296 definitely partitioned the duchy providing Saxe-Lauenburg for the brothers , and Saxe-Wittenberg for their uncle Albert II . The last document , mentioning the brothers and their uncle Albert II as Saxon fellow dukes dates back to 1295 . A deed of 20 September 1296 , circumscribing Saxe-Lauenburg , mentions the Vierlande ( now Hamburg ) , Sadelbande ( Land of Lauenburg ) , the Land of Ratzeburg , the Land of Darzing ( later Amt Neuhaus ) , and the Land of Hadeln ( the latter two now Lower Saxony ) as the joint territory of the brothers , separate of Saxe-Wittenberg . Saxe-Lauenburg was also known simply as Lauenburg . While the territory of Saxe-Wittenberg changed drastically over the centuries , the Duchy of Lauenburg remained almost unchanged , until it lost its independence in 1689 , when it was inherited by the Principality of Lüneburg . From 1815–1864 it was ruled in personal union by the Duke of Holstein , being simultaneously King of Denmark . In 1864 it fell to Prussia after the Second Schleswig War . For a short period Lauenburg was still an autonomous entity , but in 1876 it was incorporated as a district into the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein . Lauenburg upon Elbe was the first capital and name-giving to the Duchy , before it moved in 1619 to Ratzeburg , which remained the capital also when the Duchy was downgraded to a district within Prussia . In 1937—by a territorial redeployment within the scope of the Greater Hamburg Act—the city of Geesthacht ( formerly a part of Hamburg ) , some Mecklenburgian exclaves , including Ratzeburgs Cathedral immunity district , and some Lübeckian exclaves within the district territory , were incorporated into the district . In May 1945 British forces captured the district territory , which in September 1944 had been determined in the London Protocol to become part of the British Zone of Occupation . On 13 November 1945 the British general Colin Muir Barber and the Soviet general major ( ) signed the ( , also Gadebusch Agreement ) in Gadebusch , redeploying some municipalities of the Duchy of Lauenburg District and neighbouring Mecklenburg , then part of the Soviet Zone of Occupation . Thus some eastern suburbs of Ratzeburg , such as Ziethen in Lauenburg , Mechow , Bäk and Römnitz became part of the district , while the Lauenburgian municipalities of Dechow , Groß and Klein Thurow ( now component parts of Roggendorf ) as well as Lassahn ( now a component part of Zarrentin am Schaalsee ) were ceded to Mecklenburg . The redeployment was accomplished on 26 November , the respective occupational forces had until 28 November to withdraw to their respective new zonal territories . Politics . Coat of arms . The coat of arms displays a white horse , the ancient symbol of the duchy of Saxony . The horse is surrounded by a black and white checked border , which represents the colours of Prussia . This is a modified version of the arms used when Saxe-Lauenburg was ruled in personal union with the Danish monarchy , 1815-64 . The former arms featured a golden horses head on a red shield . The coat of arms was granted on 12 November 1866 , after the Hohenzollern dynasty started to rule Saxe-Lauenburg in personal union with the Kingdom of Prussia . In 1876 the duchy was incorporated in a real union into Prussia , forming a district within the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein . The usage of the coat of arms was discontinued , as then districts were not allowed to use coats of arms . Today the coat of arms is used by the district , displayed with a crown on top . District Administrator . From 1873-82 the Hereditary Land Marshal ( Erblandmarschall ) was responsible for administration of the district and the appointment of offices . The landrat ( about in ) , as a Prussian official , dealt only with the national administration . - 1873 - 1874 : Regierungsassessor Jungbluth - 1874 - 1881 : Graf Andreas von Bernstorff After 1 October 1882 the Landrat became responsible also for local administration , free from state control . - 1882 - 1897 : Oskar von Dolega-Kozierowski - 1897 - 1900 : Graf Finck von Finckenstein - 1900 - 1907 : Friedrich von Bülow - 1907 - 1919 : Emil Mathis - 1919 - 1927 : Kurt Schönberg - 1927 - 1933 : Gustav Voigt - 1933 - 1938 : Theodor Fründt , NSDAP - 1939 - 1945 : Erich Jüttner , NSDAP A change in government came about after the Second World War with the 1946 county statute issued by the British military government . The Landrat now temporarily functioned as an honorary head of the district council ( Kreistag ) , which now dealt with the administration of the district directly . Later , however , the Landrat took over the district administration again . - 1945 - 1946 : Ewald Raaz - 1946 - 1948 : Wilhelm Gülich , SPD - 1948 - 1950 : Fritz Vagt , CDU - 1950 - 1969 : Gerhard Wandschneider - 1969 - 1975 : Klaus Prößdorf - 1975 - 2002 : Günter Kröpelin , CDU - 2002 - 2015 : Gerd Krämer , independent - 2015 - present : Dr . Christoph Mager , CDU District President . The District President ( Kreispräsident ) is the chairman of the district council and is selected from its members . The president chairs the meetings of the council and represents the district , together with the landrat , abroad . - 19? ? - 1994 : Norbert Brackmann , CDU - 1994 - 2003 : Helga Hinz , SPD - 2003–present : Meinhard Füllner , CDU Organisation . Contrary to others in Schleswig-Holstein , this district is characterised by numerous relatively small municipalities , which practise direct democracy and citizens participation . The administration most often takes place via offices , which are often of a very manageable size . To that extent , the scope of the planned Schleswig-Holstein Administrative Structure Law will be quite significant : according to the draft of the Ministry of the Interior , a minimum size of 8000 inhabitants was to be implemented for Ämter and independent municipalities as a regional reorganisation due 1 April 2007 . Thus , the existence of six of the eleven Ämter of the district is threatened . However , a minimum size for municipalities belonging to an Amt has not yet been officially determined . Until the deadline , the possibility for voluntary unions exists , which , according to the draft , may as well cross district boundaries . The economical emphasis of the district lies on the Hamburg bacon-belt , while the eastern parts in the Lauenburg Lakes Nature Park with their abundance of water cater more to tourism and are largely focused on agriculture . The district belongs to Hamburg Metropolitan Region . Transportation . - In 2003 , the public transit system in the district was integrated into the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund ( HVV ) . - Connections to the Autobahn network are provided by the A1 ( Hamburg–Lübeck ) in the west , the A 24 ( Hamburg–Berlin ) in the south , the A 25 ( Geesthacht–Hamburg ) and the A 20 ( Lübeck–Rostock ) in the north of the district . - Railway connections exist from Hamburg to Büchen and on to Berlin ; and from Lüneburg to Büchen and on to Lübeck , via Mölln/Ratzeburg . Both routes are operated by Deutsche Bahn AG . From Bergedorf to Geesthacht , there is still the old Bergedorf-Geesthachter Eisenbahn ( BGE ) freight route , which now serves as a museum railway line , belonging to the privately operated AKN Eisenbahn . - The Elbe harbour of Lauenburg/Elbe constitutes one end of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal , established in 1900 . Via the Trave river , it connects the Central European network of canals to Lübeck and the Baltic Sea . The canal served as a part of the Old Salt Route . - Nearby airports are Lübeck Airport and Hamburg Airport .