Neubrandenburg

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Neubrandenburg


Country	Germany
State	Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
District	urban district
Population	68,583 source (2005)
Area	85.65 km²
Population density	800 /km²
Elevation	19 m
Coordinates	53°34′ N 13°16′ E
Postal code	17033-17036
Area code	0395
Licence plate code	NB
Mayor	Paul Krüger (CDU)
Website	neubrandenburg.de

Neubrandenburg is a city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated in the southeastern part of the state, at the shore of a lake called the Tollensesee (18 km²).

1 History
2 Sights and monuments
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] History

The first settlers at the place were Premonstratensian monks in a monastery at the shore (about 1240). The foundation of the town of Neubrandenburg took place in 1248, when the margrave of Brandenburg decided to build a town in the northern part of his fief. In 1292 the town and the surrounding area became part of Mecklenburg.

The town flourished as a trade center until the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), when this position was lost. During the dramatic advance of the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus into Germany, the town was garrisoned by Swedes, but it was retaken by storm by Imperial-Catholic League forces in 1631. During this operation it was widely reported that the Catholic forces killed many of the Swedish and Scottish soldiers while they were surrendering. Later, according to the Scottish soldier of fortune Robert Munro, when the Swedes themselves adopted a "no prisoners" policy, they would cut short any pleas for mercy with the cry of "New Brandenburg!". The town, therefore, played an unconscious role in the escalation of brutality of one of history's most brutal wars.

During World War II, a large prisoner-of-war camp Stalag II-A was located close to the town. In 1945, few days before the end of World War II, a great fire destroyed 80% of the old town. Since then, most buildings of historical relevance have been rebuilt.

[edit] Sights and monuments

Neubrandenburg has preserved its medieval city wall in its entirety. The wall, 7 m high and with a perimeter of 2.3 km has four Gothic town gates, dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Of these, the most impressive is the Stargarder Tor, with a characteristic gable-like form.

Another place of interest is the Marienkirche (Church of the Virgin Mary), completed 1298. The church was nearly destroyed in 1945, but it has been restored since 1975 to house a concert hall (opened 2001).

The tallest building in the city is the 56-m Haus der Kultur und Bildung (HKB, House of Culture or Education), opened in 1965. Its slender appearance has earned it the nickname Kulturfinger ("culture finger").