The name Uhyst derives from the Sorbian language (Delni Wujězd) and denotes a gateway from the Bautzener Gefilde (Upper Lusatian Gefilde) to the forest or heathland. The village was first mentioned in 1342. The salt road in its immediate vicinity was its lifeline. The Uhyst knight’s manor was created in the 15th century and had a determining influence on the village’s development. The church was built between 1711 and 1716 and stands to this day. It was followed by the construction of the Schloss (stately home) with its Baroque park from 1738 to 1742. The Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum; German: Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine) ran a boarding school here in the 18th century. One of its pupils was Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, the creator of the landscape gardens of Muskau and Branitz.
Uhyst/Spree was moreover home to the forester and poet Gottfried Unterdörfer. A permanent exhibition by the local heritage association is dedicated to this lover of nature and literature and can be visited upon request (enquires at the Gasthof inn).
Bärwalder See, which constitutes the south-eastern cornerstone of the Lusatian Lake District and measures just over 5 square miles (13 km2), extends north of Uhyst/Spree. The lake has its origins in the Bärwalde opencast mine, where coal was extracted from 1976 to 1992. Now fully flooded, the lake and its three beaches enjoy great popularity amongst local people and tourists alike. The tourism infrastructure is in the process of being developed.
More information is available at www.boxberg-ol.de and www.baerwalder-see.eu.