HOYERSWERDA

city, Saxony Land (state), eastern Germany, on the Schwarze Elster River, in a lignite (brown-coal) mining region, south of Cottbus. First mentioned in 1268 as the seat of a German barony reputedly founded by Count Hoyer of Friedberg, it acquired market rights in 1371. In 1959 the Socialist New Town of Hoyerswerda-Neustadt was built to the northeast of the old city as a residential area for the nearby huge lignite-processing combine of Schwarze Pumpe, which unifies mining, briquetting, coking, gas, and power facilities. There are also glassworks and brickworks within the city limits. Pop. (1991 est.) 64,888.