Prignitz

Prignitz
District
Country  Germany
State Brandenburg
Capital Perleberg
Area
 • Total 2,123 km2 (820 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2013)[1]
 • Total 77,993
 • Density 37/km2 (95/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration PR
Website landkreis-prignitz.de

Prignitz (German pronunciation: [ˈpʁiːɡnɪts]) is a Kreis (district) in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are (from the north clockwise) the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony.

Geography

The term Prignitz originally means the region north of the confluence of the Elbe and Havel rivers. This region is larger than the district. It also includes the town of Havelberg in Saxony-Anhalt and large portions of the neighbouring district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin.

The Elbe river forms the southwestern border of the district.

History

The historical region Prignitz consisted of the following eleven districts, established in the 13th century: Wittenberge, Lenzen, Perleberg, Putlitz, Kyritz, Nitzow, Wittstock, Pritzwalk, Havelberg, Wusterhausen and Grabow.

The present district Prignitz was created in 1993 by merging the previous districts Pritzwalk and Perleberg and a few municipalities from the district Kyritz. The westernmost part of the district was previously part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and changed to be part of Brandenburg on August 1, 1992.

The earlier district of the Prignitz was the buffer between Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. It was resettled by Germans, especially from the Bremen area, following the First Wendish Crusade of 1147. The rate of German settlement increased over the following decades. The eastern half was dominated by the pro-German Counts von Plotho who brought their own vassals such as the von Blumenthal and von Grabow families with them. The western half was dominated by the robber barons, especially the Gans zu Putlitz family and their vassals, the von Quitzows. When Frederick Count of Zollern was appointed Margrave in 1411, he faced an uprising of the Wendish nobility, supported by the Wendish Duke of Mecklenburg. However, he was able to put the revolt down at the battle of the Cremmer Dam, with the support of the German nobility. Families who had stayed loyal were rewarded. Otto von Blumenthal, for example, was made Captain of the Prignitz from 1415–1422 and of Lenzen from 1420.

Demography

Coat of arms

Coat of arms
 The coat of arms shows a goose preparing for flight, the symbol of the Gans zu Putlitz family (Gans is German for goose), who in the 12th century were one of a number of families (such as the von Plotho, von Blumenthal and von Arnim families) who introduced Christianity and German culture to Prignitz. The pearls around the goose symbolize Perleberg (which translates to Mountain of Pearl). The wolf in bottom stands for the former administrative seat Pritzwalk, as walk derives from the Slavonic wolk meaning wolf. The wavy separation between the top and bottom symbolizes the river Elbe, the colors red and white are the same as those of Brandenburg.

Towns and municipalities

Amt-free towns Ämter
  1. Perleberg
  2. Pritzwalk
  3. Wittenberge


Amt-free municipalities

  1. Groß Pankow (Prignitz)
  2. Gumtow
  3. Karstädt
  4. Plattenburg

1. Bad Wilsnack/Weisen

  1. Bad Wilsnack1, 2
  2. Breese
  3. Legde/Quitzöbel
  4. Rühstädt
  5. Weisen

2. Lenzen-Elbtalaue

  1. Cumlosen
  2. Lanz
  3. Lenzen (Elbe)1, 2
  4. Lenzerwische

3. Meyenburg

  1. Gerdshagen
  2. Halenbeck-Rohlsdorf
  3. Kümmernitztal
  4. Marienfließ
  5. Meyenburg1, 2

4. Putlitz-Berge

  1. Berge
  2. Gülitz-Reetz
  3. Pirow
  4. Putlitz1, 2
  5. Triglitz
1seat of the Amt; 2town

References

  1. ↑ "Bevölkerung im Land Brandenburg nach amtsfreien Gemeinden, Ämtern und Gemeinden 31. Dezember 2013 (Fortgeschriebene amtliche Einwohnerzahlen auf Grundlage des Zensus 2011)". Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prignitz.

Coordinates: 53°00′N 12°00′E / 53.000°N 12.000°E / 53.000; 12.000

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.