Beelitz

Beelitz is a historic town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district of Brandenburg, Germany. It is famous for its white asparagus, called Beelitzer Spargel, which is a special local product. The town has a rich history and is part of the beautiful countryside near Berlin. People visit Beelitz to enjoy its fresh food and peaceful surroundings. For another place with a similar name, see Beelitz, Saxony-Anhalt.

Geography

Beelitz is a town about 18 kilometers south of Potsdam. It is near a big area of pine woods called the Nuthe-Nieplitz Nature Park.

The town is close to important roads, like Bundesstraße 2 and Bundesautobahn 9. Trains stop at Beelitz Stadt and Beelitz-Heilstätten stations, linking the town to Potsdam and Berlin.

History

A document from the year 997 mentions a place called Belizi, which might be the town of Beelitz or a nearby town called Belzig.

In 1247, a report mentioned the Saint Mary and Saint Nicholas parish church in Beelitz. In 1731, King Frederick William I of Prussia stationed a soldier group there, and today Beelitz has an important military base. People have been growing asparagus in Beelitz since 1861.

The village of Kanin joined Beelitz in 2001. Its church, built around 1138, is the oldest in the area.

In 1928, a radio station was built in the area of Schönefeld to talk to North America. It stopped working in 1991 after World War II.

Beelitz-Heilstätten

Beelitz-Heilstätten is part of the town of Beelitz. It has a large hospital area with around 60 buildings. One building makes both heat and electricity and was built in 1898.

During World War I, the hospital was used by the German Army. Even famous people like Adolf Hitler stayed there to get better after being hurt.

In World War II, more buildings were added. Today, part of the old hospital helps people with Parkinson's disease. After the war, it was used by Russian forces until 1994. Some parts of the hospital are still open to help people, while other parts are empty. Many buildings have been fixed up, and more people now live in the area.

In popular culture

The big hospital buildings in Beelitz are popular for visitors and have been used in movies and TV shows. Some of these are The Pianist in 2002, Valkyrie in 2008, Men & Chicken in 2015, A Cure for Wellness in 2016, and the Netflix series 1899 in 2022.

People like to explore these old buildings and take photos there. Some well-known spots are Pavilion B II, the Surgery Pavilion, the Kitchen, the Washhouse, and Pavilion B IV.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Beelitz has friendly links with other towns. It is twinned with:

• Ratingen, North Rhine-Westphalia since 1990
• Alfter, North Rhine-Westphalia

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the city

Beelitz was home to well-known people like Götz Dieter Plage, a nature film-maker who lived from 1936 to 1993. Another person from Beelitz is Falko Steinke, a volleyball player born in 1985.

People connected to the city

Other important people linked to Beelitz include Sally Bein, a teacher who helped children with special needs from 1881 until at least 1942. Wolfgang Schmidt, born in 1966, was another person from Beelitz who became well-known.