 The town arose from a forest village ("Waldhufendorf") established in the late 12th century on the western ridge of the Schwarzwasser Valley.The name is recorded over the centuries as "Lawther" (1460), "Lawte" (1501) and "Lauttera" (1590).The town draws this name from a brook called "die Lauter", although this name is now no longer used for any waterway.