Löbtau is today a district of Dresden and belongs to the Dresden local authority area of Cotta. The first mention of Löbtau dates back to 1068 as "Liubituwa" ("lovely meadow"), when the German King Henry IV granted two hides from his estate to the Diocese of Meissen. Thus, Löbtau is one of the oldest documented settlements in the Elbe Valley. Its history likely goes back to the time of the Sorbs. The area was under the jurisdiction of the Meissen Cathedral Chapter but was handed over to the Electorate of Saxony during the Reformation. In the 19th century, the growth of the neighboring city of Dresden spread to the suburbs; while Löbtau had only 163 inhabitants in 1834, the population multiplied in the following decades - Löbtau became the largest rural community in Saxony. In 1875, the New Annen Cemetery was established, and in 1881, Löbtau received a horse-drawn tram connection.