Belzig

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Belzig


Country	Germany
State	Brandenburg
District	Potsdam-Mittelmark
Population	11,808 (2005)
Area	234.83 km²
Population density	50 /km²
Elevation	90 m
Coordinates	52°8′ N 12°36′ E
Postal code	14806
Area code	033841
Licence plate code	PM
Mayor	Peter Kiep (SDP)
Website	stadt-belzig.de

Belzig is a town in Brandenburg, Germany with a population of 11,808. It is located approximately 70 km south-west from Berlin. Belzig is the capital of Potsdam-Mittelmark district.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Politics
4 Twinning
5 Places of Interest
6 Economy
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Since 2003, when 14 surrounding villages were incorporated into Belzig, some of them voluntarily, others by State Parliament legislation, Belzig has an area of 234.83 km². Belzig is located in the region and hill chain Fläming and the central town in the High Fläming Nature Park.

These villages became districts (Ortsteile) of Belzig:

Bergholz
Borne
Dippmannsdorf
Fredersdorf
Groß Briesen
Hagelberg
Kuhlowitz
Lübnitz
Lüsse
Lütte
Neschholz
Ragösen
Schwanebeck
Werbig

[edit] History

Eisenhardt castle

997 first written mention of Belzig
1532 Martin Luther preached in St. Mary´s church
1636 Thirty Years' War: Eisenhard Castle was destroyed by Swedish soldiers
1813 Battle of Hagelberg
1815 Belzig became Prussian, after having belonged to Saxony for centuries
1818 Belzig became capital of Zauch-Belzig District
Between 1940 and 1945 there was a subcamp of Ravensbrück in the town.
1993 Belzig became capital of Potsdam-Mittelmark District
1995 Belzig was awarded the title "climatic spa"
2002 Opening of SteinTherme spa

[edit] Politics

Town hall

Peter Kiep (SPD) is mayor of Belzig. In 2002 he was elected for a second term with a support of 77,4 % of the vote.

The town council has 22 members. The Social Democrats SPD have 7 seats, the christian democrats CDU and the liberals FDP have 3 seats each. The remaining seats went to small local groups.

[edit] Twinning

historic district administration building

Belzig is twinned with Ritterhude, a town in the German state of Niedersachsen.

[edit] Places of Interest

Main attractions are medieval Eisenhardt castle and the thermal bath SteinTherme. There is also a pittoresque historic town centre with the town hall and the market place in the middle.

Places of interest in the incorporated villages include Glien Manor in Hagelberg and the windmill in Borne.

Belzig is also located in the center of High Fläming Nature Park.

[edit] Economy

The district administration is the major employer in Belzig. Belzig is the central town of rural High Fläming area. Thus there are schools, shops, supermarkets, a hospital and a cinema that are used by folk from the surrounding villages and towns. There is a successful rehabilitation clinic in Belzig. After 1989, Belzig has started an ambitious programme to become a spa town and to bring forward tourism.