Lastau

Lastau
Ortsteil of Colditz
Former inn in Lastau, now seat of the local history club
Lastau
Location of Lastau within Colditz
Coordinates: 51°6′5″N 12°49′15″E / 51.10139°N 12.82083°E / 51.10139; 12.82083Coordinates: 51°6′5″N 12°49′15″E / 51.10139°N 12.82083°E / 51.10139; 12.82083
Country	Germany
State	Saxony
District	Landkreis Leipzig
Town	Colditz
Founded	981
Area
• Total	4.13 km2 (1.59 sq mi)
Elevation	210 m (690 ft)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	09306
Dialling codes	034381
Vehicle registration	L, BNA, GHA, GRM, MTL, WUR

Lastau is a village in Landkreis Leipzig, Saxony with approx. 222 inhabitants (2012). On 1 January 1994 it was incorporated into the town Colditz.

Lastau is located south-east of Colditz on the right bank of Zwickauer Mulde and on the south bank of its tributary Auenbach. Only a small part named Aue including the former station actually lies in the valley and is subject to occasional flooding. The greater part of Lastau is situated several metres higher at the edge of the hilly forelands of the Ore mountains. Burgberg, a hill west of the village, rises to 224 m a.s.l.

Lastau was first mentioned as Lostatawa in Thietmar of Merseburg's chronicle of 981. In 1220 it passed into the hands of Margrave Dietrich the Oppressed and in 1221, after the family of the former owners gave up all rights to the village, to Buch Abbey near Leisnig. A contract dated 1265 gave permission to erect a water mill and stipulated that no further mill should be built between Lastau and Colditz. Margrave Frederick the Serious placed part of the possessions of the monastery under his protection, including Lastau which was then known as Lostowe. In 1378 the parishes of Lastau and Zettlitz were joined because of a lack of funds for the church of the latter. From then on until the Protestant Reformation Lastau was a filial church of Zettlitz. The village remained under the jurisdiction of the monastery in Buch.

In 1548 Lastau numbered 23 besessene Mann (land-owning farmers), owing allegiance to Kloster Buch which had by then been transferred into the hands of prince-elector Johann the Steadfast. The mill burned down in 1710, but was rebuilt.