It was first mentioned in 1353. The town was at various times ruled by Bohemian, Hungarian, Saxon and Polish monarchs, before it was annexed by Prussia in 1815. The coat of arms contains the Czech Lion. From 1815 to 1947, Drebkau was part of the Province of Brandenburg.
During World War II, two forced labour subcamps of the Nazi prison for women in Cottbus were located in the present-day districts of Auras (Huraz) and Schorbus (Skjarbošc), respectively.
After the war, Drebkau was incorporated into the State of Brandenburg from 1947 to 1952 and the Bezirk Cottbus of East Germany from 1952 to 1990. Since 1990, Drebkau has been part of Brandenburg.
Demography
Development of population since 1875 within the current Boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population development in Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of Nazi Germany; Red Background: Time of communist East Germany)
Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the Census in Germany in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005-2030 (yellow line); for 2017-2030 (scarlet line); for 2020-2030 (green line)
Drebkau: Population development within the current boundaries (2020)
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1875
5,799
—
1890
5,453
−0.41%
1910
7,420
+1.55%
1925
7,771
+0.31%
1939
7,286
−0.46%
1950
9,311
+2.25%
1964
8,172
−0.93%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1971
8,261
+0.15%
1981
6,937
−1.73%
1985
6,539
−1.47%
1990
6,068
−1.48%
1995
6,272
+0.66%
2000
6,628
+1.11%
2005
6,324
−0.93%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
2010
5,910
−1.34%
2015
5,626
−0.98%
2016
5,610
−0.28%
2017
5,580
−0.53%
2018
5,538
−0.75%
2019
5,509
−0.52%
2020
5,508
−0.02%
Notable people
Bogumił Šwjela (1873–1948), Sorbian Protestant clergyman, activist and journalist