Brandenburg

Brandenburg is a state in northeastern Germany that does not touch the sea. It shares borders with Poland and several German states, including Berlin, which it surrounds. Potsdam is the capital city, and other important towns include Cottbus, Brandenburg an der Havel, and Frankfurt (Oder).

Together, Brandenburg and Berlin form a large area known as the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, which is the third-largest metropolitan area in Germany. There was an attempt in 1996 to combine Berlin and Brandenburg, but it did not succeed. Even so, the two states work together on many issues.

The history of Brandenburg dates back to the 900s when it began as part of the Northern March. Over time, it grew into the Margraviate of Brandenburg and became important in the Holy Roman Empire. Later, it was ruled by the House of Hohenzollern and became part of Brandenburg-Prussia, which helped form the Kingdom of Prussia. After World War II, Brandenburg became a state again, was broken up during the time of East Germany, and then restored after Germany reunited in 1990. Some parts of southeastern Brandenburg are home to the Sorbs, who speak both German and Lower Sorbian.

Names

Brandenburg gets its name from a place called Brandenburg an der Havel. Exactly where the name comes from is not known, but some think it might mean "marshy" or "boggy" land, or perhaps "fire" in old German. Others have suggested it could mean "defensive forest" or "pine forest" from old Slavic words. In German, "Burg" means "castle". In the old local language called Polabian, the name was Branibor.

Today, people in the area call it different ways depending on their language:

• In German: Brandenburg and Land Brandenburg
• In Low German: Brannenborg and Land Brannenborg
• In Lower Sorbian: Bramborska and Kraj Bramborska

History

Brandenburg has a long and interesting history. In medieval times, it was one of the important regions of the Holy Roman Empire. It was ruled by the Hohenzollern family starting in 1415, and later became part of Prussia.

In the early days, Slavic people lived in the area, but German control began in the 10th century. Over time, German settlers moved in, and the region became more connected to the rest of Germany. Brandenburg played a key role in forming the German Empire and became the core of the Kingdom of Prussia.

During the 20th century, Brandenburg faced many changes. It was part of East Germany after World War II and was dissolved as a state in 1952. When Germany reunited in 1990, Brandenburg became a state again. There were talks about combining Brandenburg with Berlin, but the people of Brandenburg voted against it, preferring to keep their own identity.

Main article: Northern March

Main article: Margraviate of Brandenburg

Main articles: Kingdom of Prussia and Province of Brandenburg

The present State of Brandenburg was re-established on 3 October 1990 upon German reunification.

Main article: Fusion of Berlin and Brandenburg

Geography

See also: Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region and List of cities in Brandenburg by population

Brandenburg is a state in northeastern Germany. It shares borders with Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to the north, Poland to the east, the Freistaat Sachsen to the south, Saxony-Anhalt to the west, and Lower Saxony to the northwest.

The land is crossed by important rivers. The Oder river marks part of the eastern edge, while the Elbe river runs along part of the western side. Inside Brandenburg, the Spree and Havel rivers flow through the region. In the southeast, there is a special wetlands area called the Spreewald, which is the northernmost part of Lusatia.

Further information: Mathiasberg

Protected areas

Brandenburg cares deeply for its natural spaces. Since the 1990s, it has created many protected areas to keep the environment safe and beautiful. These areas have special staff and visitor centers to help people enjoy nature while keeping it protected.

Further information: Tree-top walk Beelitz-Heilstätten

National parks

• Lower Oder Valley National Park (106 km²)

Biosphere reserves

• Spreewald Biosphere Reserve (474 km² or 183 sq mi)
• Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve (1,291 km² or 498.46 sq mi)
• River Landscape Elbe-Brandenburg Biosphere Reserve (533 km² or 206 sq mi)

Nature parks

• Barnim Nature Park (750 km² or 290 sq mi)
• Dahme-Heideseen Nature Park (594 km² or 229 sq mi)
• High Fläming Nature Park (827 km² or 319 sq mi)
• Märkische Schweiz Nature Park (204 km² or 79 sq mi)
• Niederlausitzer Heidelandschaft Nature Park (490 km² or 189 sq mi)
• Niederlausitzer Landrücken Nature Park (580 km² or 224 sq mi)
• Nuthe-Nieplitz Nature Park (623 km² or 241 sq mi)
• Schlaube Valley Nature Parke (225 km² or 87 sq mi)
• Uckermark Lakes Nature Park (895 km² or 346 sq mi)
• Westhavelland Nature Park (1,315 km² or 507.72 sq mi)
• Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park (1,080 km² or 416.99 sq mi)

Demographics

Brandenburg has one of the smallest number of people living close together among the states in Germany. Most people in Brandenburg are not officially part of any church. About 17% belong to a Protestant church, and about 3% belong to the Roman Catholic Church. The rest, almost 80%, are not registered with any church.

Politics

See also: List of rulers of Brandenburg

In Brandenburg, a big party called the Social Democratic Party has been very strong for many years. They have won the most votes in every election for the state and have provided all the leaders of the state government. This is different from most other places in Germany.

On a bigger scale, like in elections for the whole country, the Social Democratic Party is also often the strongest, especially in some parts of Brandenburg. But sometimes other parties, like the Christian Democratic Union or The Left, have won the most votes in certain elections. Famous leaders from Brandenburg include Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who became President of Germany, and Olaf Scholz, who is the Chancellor of Germany.

Brandenburg has a small number of votes in the country's important decision-making groups.

Subdivisions

Brandenburg is divided into 14 rural areas and four cities.

Government

Main articles: List of minister-presidents of Brandenburg and Landtag of Brandenburg

Further information: Land Brandenburg Commissioner for the Study of the Repercussions of the Communist Dictatorship

Election of 2024

The 2024 Brandenburg state election happened in September. After this election, only four parties had seats in the state parliament. A new party called the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) won some seats. This party was formed by people who left another party. They have different views on some topics compared to most other parties.

The leader of the government, Woidke, needed more votes to stay in his position. He didn’t get enough votes the first time, but he won the second time with help from some members of other parties.

Election of 2019

Main article: 2019 Brandenburg state election

In 2019, an election happened in September. A new group of parties formed the government, including the Social Democrats, The Greens, and the Christian Democratic Union. The leader of this group was Dietmar Woidke from the Social Democrats.

Economy

The economy of Brandenburg makes up a small part of Germany's overall economy. In 2018, the total value of goods and services produced in the state was 72.9 billion euros, which is about 2.2% of all that Germany produced that year.

Brandenburg has many different industries. Important sectors include making and fixing metal, creating plastics and chemicals, producing food, and building vehicles. A big factory owned by Tesla is also located here. The unemployment rate in 2024 was 6.1%, which is higher than the rest of Germany but lower than in other parts of eastern Germany.

Transport

Berlin Schönefeld Airport was the largest airport in Brandenburg. It was located southeast of Berlin and served many passengers. Today, it is part of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport, which opened in 2020 and can handle many more travelers each year. The airport is used by many different airlines.

Education and research

Higher education

In 2016, about 49,000 students studied at universities and other higher education places in Brandenburg. The biggest school is the University of Potsdam, found near Berlin. In 2019, Brandenburg decided that its universities should share their knowledge with everyone, making it easy for all people to learn from them.

Universities in Brandenburg:

• University of Potsdam
• Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus and Senftenberg
• European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder)
• Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg
• Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane
• Medizinische Universität Lausitz – Carl Thiem

Culture

Music

The Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six beautiful pieces of music. Bach wrote them for Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721. These concertos are very famous and are considered some of the best music from the Baroque era.

Cuisine

One special food from Brandenburg is the Spreewald gherkins. The wet soil in the Spreewald area is perfect for growing cucumbers. These gherkins are protected by the EU as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and are one of Brandenburg's biggest exports.

Notable people

• Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835), philosopher, linguist, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin
• Heinrich von Kleist (1777–1811), poet, dramatist, and novelist
• Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781–1841), architect, city planner, and painter
• Peter Joseph Lenné (1789–1866), gardener and landscape architect
• Theodor Fontane (1819–1898), novelist and poet
• Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960), politician, first President of the German Democratic Republic
• Wolfgang Joop (born 1944), fashion designer, founder of JOOP!
• Matthias Platzeck (born 1953), politician, Minister President of Brandenburg from 2002 to 2013
• Henry Maske (born 1964), professional boxer
• Paul van Dyk (born 1971), DJ, record producer, and musician
• Britta Steffen (born 1983), competitive swimmer, former Olympic, World, and European champion
• Robert Harting (born 1984), discus thrower, former Olympic, World, and European champion
• Roehl brothers, Charles (1857–1927) and William (1890–1968), businessmen and pioneers of Washington state.
• Mike David Ortmann (born 1999), racing driver