Kyritz (ˈkyːʁɪts) is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin

Ostprignitz-Ruppin

Ostprignitz-Ruppin is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the districts Müritz and Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the districts...

 district, in Brandenburg

Brandenburg

Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It is situated 28 km west of Neuruppin

Neuruppin

Neuruppin is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. Located on the shore of Ruppiner See , it is the capital of the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin. Population: 32,800 .-Overview:...

 and 28 km southeast of Pritzwalk

Pritzwalk

Pritzwalk is a town in the district of Prignitz, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 20 km west of Wittstock, and 33 km northeast of Wittenberge....

.

There are 9,900 inhabitants (2007).

Overview

The town is situated near the Kyritzer Seenkette, a chain of lakes. The town is nicknamed "Kyritz an der Knatter" (Kyritz at the Rattle). The noise of lots of water mills at a channel parallel to the river Jäglitz

Jäglitz

Jäglitz is a river of Brandenburg, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Brandenburg...

 was the reason for this nickname. This channel is not existing anymore.

In the Kyritz-Ruppiner Heathland the "Bombodrom" is situated, which is a former military training area. The Bundeswehr

Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...

 wants to use this training area for low level flights and bomb dropping trainings.

The town includes the districts Berlitt, Bork, Drewen, Gantikow, Ganz, Holzhausen, Kötzlin, Lellichow, Mechow, Rehfeld and Teetz.

History

• In the year 946 Kyritz was first mentioned in writing.
• In the year 1237 Kyritz (originally Chorizi) received the Stendal town right. The town is situated in the area Prignitz, slavic pregynica (means "inaccessible woods").
• In the 14th century Kyritz became a member of the Hanse. At this time the parish church St. Marien and the city wall were built. The church and rests of the city wall are still existing today.
• In the year 1488 the first Kyritzer Beer named "Mord und Totschlag" (Murder and Manslaughter) was brewed. The Beer is still brewed in the village Dessow.
• In the year 1626 800 Kyritzer people died due to the pest
  Bubonic plague
  Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
  
  .
• In the 17th and 18th century half-timbered houses were built which still dominate the town center.
• From 1806 to 1814 french occupation. In 1814 the "Peace oak" was planted which ist still on the market place in front of the town hall.