Brandenburg on the Havel - The Town in the State
Brandenburg is the four seasons town. The oldest place in the State of Brandenburg is proving itself to be an enchanting one almost each month in a different manner. Of course, spring and autumn represent the hiker’s period. A third of the 207 square kilometers town area being wooded, makes nature-lover’s hearts beat faster when a gentle spring is coming in the March. Summer belongs to the enthusiastic people of water sports. Rarely towns may present like Brandenburg so many lakes, rivers and channels. The river Havel joins up the town with the lakes in Mecklenburg, the administrative quarter of Berlin and the Baltic Sea. The ubiquitous watercourses turn Brandenburg into a paradise of ice-skaters in winter.
German king Henry captured the Slavic castle Hevellerburg for first time in 928/29. At this place we find the cathedral today. Nevertheless the first document is dated 948. Although the cathedral was built later, its continuous pedestal rests on the old Slavic castle and the moat. Since then the soil was yielding under the pressure of the massive church, and that almost resulted to the cathedral’s being caved in. But still honest champions have appealed, well attented by federal VIP’s, to a spectacular national relief action. Never before a church of these dimensions was saved by some donation running into millions. The cathedral houses enormous treasures, and among them valuable altars, a rare collection of ecclesiastical vestments and the first document with the mention of a small hamlet called Berlin.
Some side streets away, near the Old Market, in the year 2000 the most important German archives of Fouqué will return to the poet’s native. And from there not far away, the tourist of culture ends up beside the town museum »Museum im Frey-Haus« with an other rare collection: Here are exposed the products of Brandenburg’s toys industries since 1900.
The town of Brandenburg is the masterpiece of the March. The admirer of medieval urban planning will be received by a unique city of well preserved streets and places. Since during the age of GDR a lack of financial funds did inhibit from brutally rebuilding the town centre, Brandenburg escaped the destiny of other towns. Therefore the venerable churches of St Goddard, of St Nicolas, of St Catherine and the cathedral do not presently appear as abandoned witnesses of an exhausted past but are harmoniously fitting in with the silhouette of the city.
Brandenburg an der Havel - From the Cradle of the State to Modern Industrial Location - Strong by nature
Brandenburg an der Havel is an economic location on the development axis Berlin-Hanover.
The city of Brandenburg, only half an hour’s drive from Berlin, is the third largest city in the state of Brandenburg and a regional development centre.
Brandenburg an der Havel, the town with a past of over 1000 years, doesn’t only live from the history and its scenic attractively surroundings. It’s a location with a appreciable industrial development.
Where previously steel produktion and metalworking companies primarily determined the character and image of the city, today a centre is developing which has made a name for itself as an entrepreneurial location for renowned investors from home and abroad, in particular due to its infrastructural preconditions.The existing infrastructure is the most important advantage from which investors profit here.
At present in Brandenburg there live some more than 72.500 inhabitants in an area of 228,81 km².
The rate of foreigners is 2,7 % and the years average age is 46,6 years.
Geographical Information
Maximum limits N - S (Without Beetzsee) 18 km
Maximum limits W - E 22 km
Average height above sea level 32 m
Highest point above sea level ( Marienberg) 68 m
Buildings and parks 30 km²
Woods 64,5 km²
Water areas 41,1 km²
Agriculture areas 68,5 km²
Total No. of employees 25.752 ( 7.224 total processing industry / 18.336 total services ) [31.12.2007]
Infrastructure data
Comprehensive schools (2008/2009) 24
Childgardens and creches (2008) 47
Hospitals (2008) 3
Doctors / dentists with private practices (2008) 188
Old people’s homes and residential care centres (2007) 630
Hotels (2008) 5
Bus lines 14
Tram lines 3
Total sales area approx. 150.674 m²
Registered factories at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade (2008) =3.684
Number of registered factories of the Chamber of Handicrafts (2008) = 849
Locational adventages at a glance
Favourable traffic connection via road, rail and water
Connection to the federal motorway 2 Berlin-Hanover an a distance of about 8 km to Brandenburg city; north-south-connection over the near motorway-junctions Werder and Potsdam; local connection over the B 1 in east-west-direction and over the B 102 in north-south-direction;
Direct position at the main navigation line „Lower-Havel-Waterway", connection to the inner-german channel system;
Improvement of the logistical conditions by a new, public harbour at the Silo-Channel;
The railway system of Brandenburg is a local railway junction. For example Berlin is attainable in approx. 35 minutes.
The town Brandenburg has with the Technology, Research and Economics Centre an interesting offer for creative and technology-fixed firm-founder as well as small and medium-sized companies.
The College Brandenburg is a young, newly founded college. It was opened in 1992.
Natural permanent workforce due to the historical development as industrial location.
Location of various companies operating on a worldwide basis:
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Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (settlement 1992 in the Industry and Trade Park Hohenstücken, production of parts of printing machines)
ZF Getriebe GmbH (subsidiary of the Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen, car-gear production, biggest supplier for the car industry in the state Brandenburg)
Brandenburger Elektrostahlwerke GmbH ( in 1992 assumtion of the electrical steel mill from the former VEB Stahl- und Walzwerk Brandenburg)
BWG GmbH Co.KG (most technical level at the complete offer in the development, construction, produktion and fitting of points, switch-crossings, over-head constructions)
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The town Brandenburg has created necessary and good conditions by the development of industry and trade parks. So the town was able to place at investments disposal in settlements, transfer and extension of firms.
Taxes, rates of the tax levied
Rate of trade tax levied: 350 %
Real estate tax B - Rate of the tax levied: 450 % ( for real estates, buildings and build constructions)
Real estate tax A - Rate of the tax levied: 300 % ( for agricultural areas and areas for the forestry)
Important autorities and institutions in the town:
- Office of the IHK Potsdam (Chamber of Commerce and Trade)
- Chamber of Handicrafts of Brandenburg-Belzig
- State office for the regulation of unclaritied property problems
- Bord of works of the state Brandenburg
- Regional Appeal court of the state Brandenburg
- Revenue Office
- Chief Public Prosecution office of the state
- Office for real Estates and Properties
- Labour Exchange
- District court
- Chamber of Lawyers of the state
- State registration office
Information about locational as well as marketing and development potentials can be obtained in City administration of Brandenburg an der Havel
Office for promotion of economic development and tourism
Senior officer: Hans-Joachim Freund
Friedrich-Franz-Street 19
14770 Brandenburg an der Havel
Phone: + 49 (0) 3381 / 382001
Fax.: + 49 (0) 3381 / 382004
