Müncheberg
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- The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Muencheberg.
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| Country | Germany |
| State | Brandenburg |
| District | Märkisch-Oderland |
| Population | 7,519 (30/6/2005) |
| Area | 151.93 km² |
| Population density | 49 /km² |
| Elevation | 59 m |
| Coordinates | 52°30′ N 14°8′ E |
| Postal code | 15374 |
| Area code | 033432 |
| Licence plate code | MOL |
| Mayor | Klaus Zehm (SPD) |
| Website | stadt-muencheberg.de |
The City of Müncheberg is a small town in Märkisch-Oderland, Germany approximately half-way between the capital of Germany, Berlin, and the German-Polish borderline.
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[edit] Geography
Prior to 2003 the area today covered by the City of Müncheberg was organized as the so-called "Amt Müncheberg". It included the 8 municipalities that were incorporated on March 31, 2002 to form the City of Müncheberg:
(population in parentheses)
- Müncheberg (5,190)
- Obersdorf (253)
- Hermersdorf (273)
- Trebnitz (509)
- Eggersdorf (345)
- Hoppegarten (268)
- Jahnsfelde (295)
- Münchehofe (102)
[edit] Müncheberg
[edit] History
Müncheberg was founded between 1225 and 1232 by some cistercian monks who had been given the land by the Piast Duke of Wroclaw, Henry the Bearded. A citation in a document from June 29, 1232 marks the official date of the founding of Müncheberg. This first settlement was called "Lubes" by the monks in honor of the monastery in Leubus (Polish: Lubiąż), Silesia, where they originally came from. But this name was not kept for long and in February 1233 the settlement was first mentioned as "Munichberc" (Middle High German for "Monk's Hill") in a charter by pope Gregory IX. The settlement grew quickly and gained town privileges in 1245. The increasing prosperity led to the construction of a 7 meter (23 ft) high city wall in 1319.
On April 17, 1432 the city was conquered by the Hussites who marauded the church and set the town on fire. In 1605 a bubonic plague epidemic infested Müncheberg killing 696 inhabitants. But by 1624 about 1300 people were living in the city again. Following the rages of the Thirty Year War (1618-1648) and further epidemics the number of inhabitants dropped to less than 400 in 1655.
Around the year 1700 first French refugee families settled in Müncheberg and the city became a permanent military base. The population increased and by 1800 the town was floorishing again. The first school was constructed in 1852 as well as a new synagogue (1856) for the Jewish community. The first volunteer fire brigade was formed in 1888. The railway between Berlin and the Polish border started operating in 1909 giving Müncheberg a fast connection to the capital. During World War I 129 soldiers from Müncheberg were killed in action. In 1928 the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Züchtungsforschung (Kaiser Wilhelm-Institute for breeding research) was opened. In World War II more than 400 inhabitants of Mücheberg died fighting on various battlefields in Europe. Combat in Müncheberg took place from April 16 to April 19, 1945 and destroyed 85% of the city.
After World War II, Müncheberg was part of the Soviet occupation zone. From 1949 until the German Reunification on October 3, 1990, the city was a municipality in the Bezirk (district) Frankfurt (Oder) of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
[edit] Shopping
Müncheberg is the center of the City of Müncheberg. Several grocery stores are located in the town beside other stores that fulfil the everyday needs of the citizens:
- 2 pharmacies
- 2 gas stations
- several bakeries
- several butchers
- 2 florists
- 2 department stores
- book store
- electric applicances store
[edit] Education, Social Life
Müncheberg serves as a regional center for the area. Facilities include:
- Grundschule Müncheberg (elementary school; grades 1-6)
- Gesamtschule Müncheberg (grades 7-10; with Fachoberschulreife as school-leaving diploma, qualifying for vocational school)
- Gymnasium Müncheberg (grades 7-13; with Abitur as school-leaving exam, qualifying for university)
- Berufsschule Müncheberg (vocational school)
Müncheberg is home to the ZALF - Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (Center for Agriculture Research). Currently there are 318 scientists employed doing research at 7 different institutes including the Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (German Entomological Institute).
Several physicians and dentists have settled in Müncheberg providing medical care for the area. There is also an ambulance based in Müncheberg being responisible for all medical emergencies in the southern area of the county. Firefighting and most of all other emergencies are handled by the volunteer fire brigade of Müncheberg. Besides that there are also 2 police officers assigned to Müncheberg.
[edit] Münchehofe
Münchehofe is the second oldest and smallest township (102 residents) of the City of Müncheberg.
