The coat of arms for Rath and Gmaind of Marckhts Vetzschew was issued to the town on 17 March 1548 by King Ferdinand I in Augsburg.

In the years 1929 to 1932, the Spreewald Folk and Traditional Costume Festivals took place here at the beginning of August.

They were organized by the then mayor Otto Rohde and the Lower Sorbian scientific society Maśica Serbska in Cottbus.

The power plant's chimneys were the city's landmarks, but also caused considerable sulfur dioxide pollution.

1952-1993 the town was part of the district of Calau (until 1990 in the GDR Bezirk Cottbus, 1990-1993 again in the state of Brandenburg).