Surveying the basements – The development of Luckau in medieval times

The purpose of this research project is the investigation of the urban development of Luckau/ Niederlausitz between the late Middle Ages to the early 19th century using the extensively preserved basement facilities of the city.

Situated at the crossing of two highly frequented ancient trading routes, Luckau grew rapidly to a wealthy town of central importance to the region in medieval times. Today, it is of high interest for urban development history due to the physical traces of its building heritage from different periods. As buildings above ground were vastly destroyed in the 17th century and comprehensive archaeological investigations are not possible within the town centre, the historical basements intra muros will form the essential source of research into its urban development. It is anticipated that conclusions on the expansion and reconstruction phases of the town within the concerned timeframe can be drawn from analysis of the underground fabric.

The research combines a true-to-form site survey with an elaborate basement register and attempts to develop this combination as a promising method for future research on town development.

Researcher: Luisa Beyenbach