775 Years Groß- und Kleinrössen

775 Years of Village History

Celebrating 775 years of village history means looking back to the 13th century — a time when the Margraves of Brandenburg and the Wettins consolidated their territories in the Niederlausitz. Groß- und Kleinrössen, two small districts of the town of Sonnewalde, have survived this long history through the Reformation, the Thirty Years' War, the Silesian Wars, both World Wars, and the GDR's coal era. The 775th anniversary in 2026 is an occasion to remember and celebrate this history together.

The Festival Program

Opening on Friday, July 3rd, 2026, at 7:45 PM with a ceremony at the sports field/festival grounds in OT Großrössen. Saturday, July 4th, is the central festival day: a grand parade with historical and thematic floats starting at 10:00 AM through the district to the festival grounds, followed by a stage program, sports, games, and a folk festival atmosphere. Sunday, July 5th, with a family program and winding down.

The Parade — History in Motion

The highlight of Saturday is the parade — a traditional form of town and village anniversaries where clubs, schools, businesses, and citizens create thematic floats and groups that showcase historical and current connections to the village's history. The procession begins at 10 AM through Großrössen and ends at the festival grounds, where the anniversary celebration continues.

Sonnewalde and Elbe-Elster

Sonnewalde, a small town with about 2,500 inhabitants in the Elbe-Elster district, has a number of districts with distinct identities — Groß- und Kleinrössen is one of them. The Elbe-Elster district is a rather sparsely populated region between the Elbe and Schwarze Elster rivers, with historical sites (Doberlug-Kirchhain, Finsterwalde, Kirchhain) and nature areas similar to Schorfheide.