Prenzlau (, formerly also Prenzlow) is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, the administrative seat of Uckermark District. It is also the centre of the historic Uckermark region.

Geography

The town is located on the Ucker river, about north of Berlin. Prenzlau station—which opened in 1863—is a stop on the Angermünde–Stralsund railway line.

History

Settled since Neolithic times, the Prenzlau area from the 7th century AD was the site of several gords erected by the Polabian Slavs. In the late 12th century, the Dukes of Pomerania had the region colonized by

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...

settlers. Prenzlau itself, named after Slavic ''Premyslaw'' was first mentioned in 1187. It received town privileges by Duke Barnim I of Pomerania in 1234. When Duke Barnim signed the

Treaty of Landin The Treaty of Landin was signed in Landin, Germany in 1250 between Barnim I of Pomerania-Stettin, the Ascanian margraves Johann I and Otto III of Brandenburg. Barnim I was accepted as co-ruler of Wartislaw III of Pomerania-Demmin by the Margravi ...

with the

Ascanian The House of Ascania (german: Askanier) was a dynasty of German rulers. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession, Anhalt. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, known as ''Schloss ...

margraves of Brandenburg in 1250, Prenzlau was already a fortified town with walls and moats, four parish churches and a monastery. Together with Berlin-

Cölln Cölln () was the twin city of Old Berlin (Altberlin) from the 13th century to the 18th century. Cölln was located on the Fisher Island section of Spree Island, opposite Altberlin on the western bank of the River Spree, until the cities we ...

, Frankfurt and Stendal, it ranked among the largest towns in the margraviate. The Prenzlau and the Uckermark region were devastated during the Thirty Years' War. From the late 17th century onwards French Huguenot refugees settled here and an economic recovery started. Also a

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...

town, Prenzlau was again ravaged by passing troops during the Seven Years' War and the Napoleonic Wars. In the mid 19th century, several citizens emigrated to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, where they founded the town of

Prenzlau, Queensland Prenzlau is a rural locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Prenzlau had a population of 427 people. Geography Prenzlau is situated in the Lockyer Valley at the southern end of the Somerset Region LGA in southeastern Qu ...

west of Brisbane. In World War II the Oflag II-A prisoner-of-war camp was located just south of Prenzlau on the main road to Berlin. The town centre was largely destroyed. The East German authorities had it rebuilt with large panel Plattenbau buildings.

Demography

Bevölkerungsentwicklung Prenzlau.pdf, Development of population since 1875 within the current Boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population development in Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of Nazi Germany; Red Background: Time of communist East Germany) Bevölkerungsprognosen Prenzlau.pdf, Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the Census in Germany in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005–2030 (yellow line); for 2017–2030 (scarlet line); for 2020–2030 (green line)

Politics

Seats in the town's assembly (''Stadtverordnetenversammlung'') as of 2014 local elections: * Christian Democratic Union (CDU): 7 *

Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...

(SPD): 7 * The Left: 6 *''Bürgerfraktion'' ( Independent): 4 *''Wir Prenzlauer'' (Independent): 2 *

Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party ideologically based on liberalism. Current parties with that name include: *Free Democratic Party (Germany), a liberal political party in ...

(FDP): 1 * National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD): 1

Twin towns – sister cities

Prenzlau is twinned with: * Barlinek, Poland * Pokhvistnevo, Russia * Uster, Switzerland *

Varėna Varėna (; pl, Orany; yi, אוראַן ''Oran'') is a city in Dzūkija, Lithuania. History The town was founded in 1862 near the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway, south of Sena Varėna (Old Varėna). At that time it was a small settleme ...

, Lithuania

Notable people

* René Bielke (born 1962), ice hockey player *

Oscar Florianus Bluemner Oscar Bluemner (June 21, 1867 – January 12, 1938), born Friedrich Julius Oskar Blümner and after 1933 known as Oscar Florianus Bluemner, was a Prussian-born American Modernism, American Modernist painter. Early life Bluemner was born as Fried ...

(1867–1938), American painter * Wilhelm Grabow (1802–1874), civil servant, judge, and politician *

Jacob Philipp Hackert Jacob Philipp Hackert (15 September 1737 – 28 April 1807) was a landscape painter from Brandenburg, who did most of his work in Italy. Biography Hackert was born in 1737 in Prenzlau in the Margraviate of Brandenburg (now in Germany). He t ...

(1737–1807), landscape painter * Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (1751–1805), queen consort of Prussia * Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse (1753–1830) * Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1754–1832) * Princess Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (1755–1776) * Paul Hirsch (1868–1940), politician *

Hans Felix Husadel Hans Felix Husadel (18 May 1897 – 25 July 1964) was a German composer and conductor, particularly noted for modernizing the military band and for his march compositions. Early life Husadel, born in Prenzlau, Uckermark, took Piano lessons from a ...

(1897–1964), composer and conductor * Otto Kaiser (born 1924), scholar *

Brigitte Rohde Brigitte Köhn ( Rohde; born 8 October 1954 in Prenzlau, Bezirk Neubrandenburg) is a retired East German sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres and later 400 metres hurdles. She won a gold medal in 4 × 400 metres relay at the 1974 E ...

(born 1954), sprinter * Max von Schenckendorff (1875-1943), general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany *

Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering (31 May 1824 – 27 December 1889) was a German apothecary and industrialist who created the Schering Corporation. The company split into Schering AG and Schering-Plough after US assets were seized during W ...

(1824–1889), apothecary and industrialist * Johannes Schmidt (1843–1901), linguist *

Christian Friedrich Schwan Christian Friedrich Schwan (12 December 1733, Prenzlau – 29 June 1815, Heidelberg) was a German publisher and bookseller. After studies of theology in Halle and Jena, he worked as a proofreader at the Academy in St. Petersburg. In 1762 he was a ...

(1733–1815), publisher and bookseller *

Adolf Wilhelm Theodor Stahr Adolf Wilhelm Theodor Stahr (; 22 October 18053 October 1876) was a German writer and literary historian. Life Stahr was the son of the preacher and pastor Johann Adam Stahr (1768–1839). He attended grammar school in Prenzlau. In 1825 at the ...

(1805–1876), writer and literary historian *

Christiane Wartenberg Christiane Wartenberg ( Stoll, born 27 October 1956 in Prenzlau) is a German athlete who competed mainly in the 1500 metres. She competed for East Germany in the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, Russia Russia (, , ), or the ...

(born 1956), athlete *

Carola Zirzow Carola Zirzow (born 15 September 1954, in Prenzlau) is an East German sprint canoer who competed in the mid-1970s. She won two medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal with a gold in the K-1 500 m and a bronze in the K-2 500 m even ...

(born 1954), sprint canoer

Gallery

Prenzlau_Mitteltorturm.jpg, Gate Tower of the

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...

'Mitteltor' Prenzlau_Heiliggeistkirche.jpg, War memorial ruin of the Holy Spirit Church Prenzlau St Marien.jpg, Marienkirche Altes Rathaus Prenzlau.jpeg, Old town hall Schloss Dedelow Sammlung Duncker.jpg, Historical painting of the Dedelow Castle Dominikanerkloster Prenzlau2.JPG, Dominican abbey Unteruckersee Prenzlau.JPG, Unterucker Lake River de Ucker Prenzlau Schleuse2.JPG, Ucker canal watergate Bahnhof Prenzlau Baustelle10.JPG, Platform of the train station Lutherdenkmal Prenzlau.JPG, Martin Luther memorial Prenzlau 10-2016 photo02.jpg, Medieval town wall, gate tower

References

External links

Municipal website
{{Authority control Localities in Uckermark (district)