Werder (Havel) (official name derived from ''Werder an der Havel'' ("Werder upon Havel"), colloquially just ''Werder'') is a town in the state of

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, located on the Havel river in the

Potsdam-Mittelmark Potsdam-Mittelmark is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the western part of Brandenburg, Germany. Its neighbouring administrative units are (clockwise from the north) the district of Havelland, the free cities of Brandenburg and Potsdam, the state of Berl ...

district, west of the state's capital

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream o ...

. Werder has a long and rich history and is a nationally recognized '' Erholungsort'' – a government designation given to regions of Germany that have been recognized and must be continuously re-certified as having air and

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...

qualities which provide a healthful environment to visitors. Werder is also famous for hosting one of Germany's three largest festivals, the '' Baumblütenfest'', held annually in May.

Etymology

The Werder municipal area stretches along the banks of the Havel, a tributary of the

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...

, and the town's oldest quarter is located on an island in the river. Hence the name, as the landscape term ''Werder'' (like ''Wörth'' in

Upper German Upper German (german: Oberdeutsch ) is a family of High German dialects spoken primarily in the southern German-speaking area (). History In the Old High German time, only Alemannic and Bairisch are grouped as Upper German. In the Middle High ...

) means "river island".

History

Werder has several different specific mentions in the ancient historical records of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, which lies north east. The city "Werdere" is mentioned in 1317, "Wehrder" in 1450 and in its present spelling in 1580. However, in its southwest end pieces of ancient broken glass have been discovered, and on its south end are remains of what may have been an Early Medieval Slavic castle wall. The coin-shaped city island in the Havel river is mentioned as being accessible via a bridge in a 1317 deed, when the ''

ministeriales The ''ministeriales'' (singular: ''ministerialis'') were a class of people raised up from serfdom and placed in positions of power and responsibility in the High Middle Ages in the Holy Roman Empire. The word and its German translations, ''Minist ...

'' of the Brandenburg margraves had to sell the estates to the monks of nearby

Lehnin Abbey Lehnin Abbey (german: Kloster Lehnin) is a former Cistercian monastery in Lehnin in Brandenburg, Germany. Founded in 1180 and secularized during the Protestant Reformation in 1542, it has accommodated the ''Luise-Henrietten-Stift'', a Protestant ...

. The town was devastated by

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

troops during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and prior thereto an airfield existed in the north of the city which, together with an adjacent park, was used during the war as an airplane pilot training area. Werder was the base of

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

general Karl Koller during the Battle of Berlin. After the end of the war,

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

troops were stationed in this area of the city. The last

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

n troops departed in 1993, three years after the reunification of Germany.

Demography

File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung Werder.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 Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

; Red Background: Time of communist

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

) File:Bevölkerungsprognosen Werder.pdf, Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the

Census in Germany A national census in Germany (german: Volkszählung) was held every five years from 1875 to 1910. After the World Wars, only a few full population censuses have been held, the last in 1987. The most recent census, though not a national census, wa ...

in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005-2030 (yellow line); for 2017-2030 (scarlet line); for 2020-2030 (green line)

Politics

Since 1990, Werder's

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

has been Werner Große of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who had previously functioned as the city's deputy. The 29-seat town council (SVV), meets every two months, to represent the interests of the citizenry. The council is composed of 17 CDU members, 4

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Fo ...

members, 3 Action Free Citizens members and various other unaffiliated city delegates. There are a number of committees with appointed citizens delegates who consult with the town council. The central committee, which exists under chairmanship of the mayor, deals with finances in consultation with an auditing board of examiners. The committee for social policy, education, culture and sport, oversees area schools. There is also a special committee responsible for town development, construction and living conditions, which has significant influence over the city's infrastructure.

Economics

Although at one time known for its wine production and fishing industry, both pursuits declined during the 18th century. From early times, the monks of the Cistercian monastery of Lehnin cultivated fruit in the region, and Werder is still particularly well known for this endeavor, which is also the foundation for its famous blossoming season festival. The predominant fruits grown in the area are cherries,

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

s, and strawberries but

raspberries The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...

gooseberries Gooseberry ( or (American and northern British) or (southern British)) is a common name for many species of ''Ribes'' (which also includes currants), as well as a large number of plants of similar appearance. The berries of those in the genu ...

, currants,

blackberries The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus' ...

, apricots,

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...

es,

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the po ...

s, and plums are also cultivated. Vegetables are also grown, especially tomatoes, the bulk of which are cultivated in local greenhouses.

Viticulture

Wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

cultivation is the city's second-oldest trade after fishing, brought to this area before 1300 by monks of the Cistercian Order. The wine of the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe. Brandenburg developed out ...

(''Mark Brandenburg'') was by the end of the 13th century one the region's most important exports to eastern and northern Europe. The Hohenzollern dynasty that came from

Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian languages, Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three Regierungsbezirk, administrative ...

, made the wine of the Brandenburg Mark part of its court. Until the death of the Great Elector, the wine was drunk in his residence. The first Wine Master Order of Brandenburg was founded in 1598 by the Elector Johann Georg, and at that time it was reported that Havel would also have vineyards just like the ones in the Moselle. However, the

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...

in this area was not trouble-free. The winters could be extremely hard on occasion, when many vines would get frostbite. This happened in the winter of 1739/40, when the frost lasted until June. In the first half of the 18th century, grapes were grown on more than 100 hectares in Werder. The vines at that time were Weißer Elbling, Weißer and Roter Schönedel, and Rotfranke grapes. Nevertheless, more red wine than white wine was grown. The Werderaner Wachtelberg (Quail's Mountain) is the oldest winegrowing location beyond the island of Werder. On the island, vineyards were located on the Muhlenberg hill. The vineyards existed before their envelopment by fruit trees, especially apricots and peaches. The fruits were transported with great care in the '' Obsttienen'' (small wooden transport containers). In 1887 it was reported that 2 vineyards remained. Wine cultivation ended when the last vines in Werder were frostbitten in the winter of 1955/56. In 1985 the Fruit Production Cooperative of Werder was founded on the Werderaner Wachtelberg, with a vineyard covering 4.8 hectares. Today about 30,000 vines grow there on nearly 7 hectares of land.

Dornfelder Dornfelder is a dark-skinned variety of grape of German origin used for red wine.

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

Saphira This is a list of key characters in '' The Inheritance Cycle'', a fantasy adventure series by Christopher Paolini. The series contains several hundred characters, while the following list contains only the most frequently mentioned. Many of the ...

, and

Müller-Thurgau Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety (sp. ''Vitis vinifera'') which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine ...

grapes are grown here, among other varieties. Within the scope of the ''Federal Garden Show'' (Bundesgartenschau) in

, Wine Teaching Paths were established at the Werderaner Wachtelberg. Today 38 red and 40 white wine varieties are grown here. The Werderaner Wachtelberg vineyard lies at a latitude of 52 degrees and 22 minutes north, far to the north of the typical winegrowing areas in Europe. In 1991 the vineyard was given '' Großlagenfreie Einzellage'' classification in the '' Weinanbaugebiet Saale-Unstrut'' (winegrowing area on the Saale and Unstrut rivers) and was also recognised by the EU. It is at the most northern registered position for quality-tested wine cultivation (QbA) in Europe and the world.

Notable people

* Anna Simson (1835–1916), women's rights activist * Karl Hagemeister (1848–1933), landscape painter *

Burglinde Pollak Burglinde Pollak (later Grimm, born 10 June 1951) is a retired German pentathlete. She won bronze medals at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and finished sixth in 1980. At the European championships she won three silver medals, in 1971, 1974 and 1978. ...

(* 1951), pentathlete * Brigitte Ahrenholz (1952–2018), rower * Adolf Damaschke (1865–1935), politician and economist, lived in Werder since 1907 * Bruno Kramm (* 1967), musician

Gallery

File:WerderHavel 04-2016 img07.jpg, The Holy Spirit Church and "Goat's windmill" on the shore of the Havel File:Werder Stadtkern Baumblüte.JPG, Street in bloom on Werder's river island at the end of April, during the blossom festival File:Werder_old_town_hall.jpg, Old town hall File:Petzow_Church.jpg, Church in Petzow File:Petzow_Schloss_O.jpg, Petzow Castle File:Petzow_Waschhaus.jpg, Former wash house in Petzow File:Petzow_Spritzenhaus.jpg, Former fire engine house in Petzow File:Petzow_Fischerhaus.jpg, Fisherman's house in Petzow File:Ploetzin_church.jpg, Church in Plötzin File:Petzow_Loecknitz_Ziegelei.jpg, Former brickyard Löcknitz

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Werder is twinned with: *

Oppenheim Oppenheim () is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The town is a well-known wine center, being the home of the German Winegrowing Museum, and is particularly known for the wines from the Oppenheimer Krötenbru ...

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, Germany * Almdorf,

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

, Germany *

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Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

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Biržai Biržai (, known also by several alternative names) is a town in northern Lithuania. Biržai is famous for its reconstructed Biržai Castle manor, and the whole region is renowned for its many traditional-recipe beer breweries. Names The nam ...

, Lithuania * Muan-gun,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

References

Werder
in: ''

Meyers Konversationslexikon ' or ' was a major encyclopedia in the German language that existed in various editions, and by several titles, from 1839 to 1984, when it merged with the '. Joseph Meyer (1796–1856), who had founded the publishing house in 1826, intended ...

'', 4. Aufl. 1888-89, Bd. 16, S. 534. *Werder News at th
Werder (Havel) Blog
*Thomas's Glassware Tour 2006

Retrieved April 3, 2006. *Werder upon Havel City Council 200

Retrieved April 3, 2006.

External links

Official website of Werder (Havel)
+ {{Authority control Localities in Potsdam-Mittelmark