Cuxhaven, city, Lower Saxony Land (state), northwestern Germany. The port city lies at the mouth of the Elbe estuary. Conquered by Hamburg in 1394, it remained the foreport of that city (83 miles [134 km] east-southeast) until it passed to Hanover province in 1937. It was chartered in 1907. It was frequently bombed in World War II and was captured by the Allies in May 1945.
Cuxhaven is one of the largest fishing ports of Germany and the headquarters of the country’s fish-processing industry; shipping and shipbuilding are also important. It is also a North Sea beach resort, a health spa, and a base for sailing expeditions to the Frisian Islands, including the nearby Lower Saxony and Hamburg Wadden Sea national parks. Historic buildings include the 14th-century Ritzebüttel Castle, containing a regional museum, and a 14th-century lighthouse, the oldest on the German coast, on the island of Neuwerk. Kugelbake Fort, built in 1869 to protect Elbe shipping, is now a museum. Pop. (2003 est.) 52,876.