Luhe‑Wildenau is a market town (Markt) in the district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, located in the Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) region of the German state of Bavaria. As of 31 December 2024 the municipality covers an area of 38.66 km², lies at an elevation of 389 m above sea level, and has a population of 3,419 inhabitants, resulting in a density of about 88 persons per km². The town’s postal code is 92706, the telephone area code 09607, and the vehicle registration codes are NEW, ESB and VOH.
Geography
Luche‑Wildenau is situated in the Naab valley, surrounded by extensive forests of the Upper Palatine Forest. The confluence of the Waldnaab and Haidenaab rivers occurs near the locality of Unterwildenau, forming the Naab River, into which the smaller Luhe River flows at the town of Luhe. The valley is traversed by the Regensburg–Weiden railway line, the Bundesautobahn 93, and the former Bundesstraße 15 (now St 2657).
Administrative structure
The municipality consists of 14 distinct localities (Gemeindeteile), including the former market town of Luhe, the villages of Oberwildenau and Neudorf bei Luhe, and several smaller hamlets and farmsteads such as Gelpertsricht, Grünau, and Sperlhammer. An additional residential settlement, Haselhöhe, is also part of the municipal area.
History
Archaeological evidence indicates settlement in the area before the 6th century BC, with a Slavic presence documented from the early 1st millennium AD. A deed from 905 AD mentions a land grant near the Luhe River. The town of Luhe developed at the intersection of three historic trade routes: the medieval Magdeburg Road (running north‑south along the Naab), a north‑south route from Nürnberg to Eger, and an older east‑west road from Sulzbach to Tachau.
Luhe received market rights before 1280, with formal confirmations by Emperor Ludwig IV in 1331 and by Archbishop Johannes VI of Prague in 1383. The market town prospered as a trading hub, hosting two annual fairs and a weekly market. In the 17th century a post‑coach line linked Regensburg and Eger via Luhe, and the railway arrived in 1863. A major fire in 1928 destroyed much of the historic market square.
During the municipal reforms of the 1970s, the present municipality of Luhe‑Wildenau was created on 1 May 1978 by merging the former market of Luhe with the villages of Oberwildenau, Neudorf bei Luhe, and parts of several dissolved communities. The name “Luhe‑Wildenau” was adopted on 1 June 1979, and the new entity was granted market status on 1 August 1980.
Demographics
Population development has been modestly positive; the town grew from 3,022 residents in 1988 to 3,397 in 2018, an increase of roughly 12 %.
Politics
Sebastian Hartl (Christian Social Union, CSU) has served as the first mayor (Erster Bürgermeister) since May 2020, following a municipal election in March 2020 in which he received 74.4 % of the vote. The market council (Marktgemeinderat) comprises 16 members representing the CSU, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Christian‑Social Union of Bavaria (CSU), the Free Voters (Freie Wähler), and an independent citizen’s list.
Coat of arms
The municipal coat of arms is divided vertically (per pale) gold and silver. The dexter (gold) half bears a black eagle, half‑displayed and red‑armed, symbolising historic royal ownership. The sinister (silver) half features an upright red stag antler (Hirschstange) with two golden hunting horns hanging from green straps, referencing the region’s forest heritage and historic hunting rights.
References
Information summarized from the German‑language Wikipedia article “Luhe‑Wildenau” (accessed April 2026).