Treuenbrietzen

Treuenbrietzen

Saint Mary Church

Coat of arms
Treuenbrietzen

Coordinates: 52°05′50″N 12°52′16″E / 52.09722°N 12.87111°E / 52.09722; 12.87111Coordinates: 52°05′50″N 12°52′16″E / 52.09722°N 12.87111°E / 52.09722; 12.87111
Country Germany
State Brandenburg
District Potsdam-Mittelmark
Government
  Mayor Michael Knape (Treuenbrietzener Bürgervereins)
Area
  Total 211.33 km2 (81.59 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
  Total 7,406
  Density 35/km2 (91/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 14929
Dialling codes 033748
Vehicle registration PM
Website Treuenbrietzen

Treuenbrietzen is a town in the Bundesland of Brandenburg, Germany.

History

The town has existed since the Middle Ages and the first written evidence about it is from 1217. From 1348 to 1350 the town remained loyal to the Wittelsbach Louis V the legitimate Margrave of Brandenburg since 1323 against the revolt of the False Waldemar. This event was the origin of the town's name "true" or "faithful" Brietzen. During the Reformation, Martin Luther came in 1537 to preach in the town, but his way to the church was blocked. He preached instead under a basswood, or lime tree, which is called to this day the Lutherlinde.

During the Industrial Revolution, several textile factories were founded in the town.

After the opening of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 1936, a sub-camp was opened in the town, where slave labourers were forced to work in a weapons plant. With the approach of the Red Army, on April 23, 1945, the Wehrmacht executed 127 Italian POWs, who were interned in the camp.[2] Between April 24 and May 1, 1945, the region was the scene of the Battle of Halbe between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army.

The town was first occupied by the 5th Guards Mechanised Corps on April 21, 1945 but German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS troops managed to return for a short time, finally retreating on April 23. Subsequently Red Army soldiers murdered an estimated 1000 civilian inhabitants of the town during the last days of April and early days of May in a nearby forest. In addition many women were raped.[3] Relatives registered some 251 deaths with the municipal register office, while eyewitnesses, ordered to bury the victims at the local cemetery, stopped counting after they had buried 721 dead,[4] today 125 known graves exist.[5]

The town suffered considerable damage during the war, although the historic town centre remained intact. Since 1945, the town's economy has been concentrated on cattle farming. In 2005, it had 8,548 residents. The mayor of Treuenbrietzen is Michael Knape, of the Treuenbrietzener Bürgerverein (Treuenbrietzen Civic Association).

Church in Pechüle

Demography

Treuenbrietzen:
Population development within the current boundaries (2013)
[6]
Year Population
1875 9 422
1890 8 939
1910 9 226
1925 9 815
1933 10 118
1939 12 239
1946 13 985
1950 13 554
1964 11 114
1971 10 961
Year Population
1981 9 749
1985 9 626
1989 9 371
1990 9 251
1991 9 139
1992 9 093
1993 9 116
1994 9 272
1995 9 240
1996 9 155
Year Population
1997 9 116
1998 9 066
1999 9 006
2000 8 908
2001 8 760
2002 8 734
2003 8 706
2004 8 590
2005 8 475
2006 8 207
Year Population
2007 8 108
2008 8 001
2009 7 911
2010 7 776
2011 7 569
2012 7 487
2013 7 406

Famous residents

See also

Notes

External links

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