Picher, Mecklenburg

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Picher


Country	Germany
State	Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
District	urban district
Population	748 (2006)
Area	39.09 km²
Elevation	55 m
Coordinates	53°20′ N 11°21′ E
Postal code	19230
Area code	038751
Licence plate code	LWL
Mayor	Detlef Christ

Picher is a small municipality in the county of Ludwigslust in the province (Lander) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the nation of Germany. Picher's population is 748 (as of June 2006).

[edit] Geography

Picher lies in northern end of the Griesen area, a forested zone that is between the rivers Sude, Elde and Elbe. The closest full size city is Ludwiglust, some 12 km away. Picher is close to the A 24 freeway linking Berlin and Hamburg. A smaller nearby town called Bresegard takes part of its full name (Bresegard bei Picher) from Picher. This town has traditionally been associated with Picher, first being part of Picher's eclessiastical territory, and also as a way of differentiating itself from the other Bresegard (Bresegard bei Eldena).

[edit] History

It is worth noting that this area of Germany (Mecklenburg) had once been occupied by Slavic peoples. Starting in the 11th century the local western Slavic populace began intermixing with incoming German settlers. Several centuries later the area was considered completely 'germanized'.

Picher was part of the area initially captured or occupied by American troops at the end of World War Two. In other words Picher was on the American side of the line of contact between American Soviet forces. Due to previous agreements by the Allied powers, this part of Germany was transferred to Soviet control some several weeks after American occupation. As a remote village Picher did not suffer war time destruction. Still standing and operating in Picher is a large Brick Gothic revival Lutheren church, which was built in the 1870's. During Picher's time as a town in East Germany the cemetery surrounding the Picher church had most of its headstones removed and/or destroyed under authority from local government officials. Since German Reunification some families have restored markers, some using a single family name headstone as a catch-all replacement.

Click on the following link to the German language Wikipedia article on Picher for more detailed information: [1]