Müncheberg
Encyclopedia
Müncheberg is a small town
in Märkisch-Oderland
, Germany
approximately half-way between Berlin
and the border with Poland
.
Müncheberg". It included eight municipalities
that were incorporated on March 31, 2002 to form the town of Müncheberg:
(population in parentheses)
Duke of Lower Silesia
, Henry I the Bearded
. A citation in a document from June 29, 1232, marks the official date of the founding of Müncheberg. This first settlement was called "Lubes" by the monks in honor of the monastery in Leubus (Lubiąż)
, Silesia
, where they originally came from. This name was not kept for long and in February 1233 the settlement was first mentioned as Munichberc (Middle High German
for "Monk's Hill") in a charter
by Pope Gregory IX
. The settlement grew quickly and gained town privileges
in 1245. The increasing prosperity led to the construction of a 7 meter (23 ft) high city wall in 1319.
On April 17, 1432, the town was conquered by the Hussites who plundered the church and set the town on fire. In 1605 an epidemic of bubonic plague
infested Müncheberg, killing 696 inhabitants. By 1624 about 1,300 people were living in the town again. Following the Thirty Year War (1618–1648) and further epidemics, the number of inhabitants dropped to less than 400 in 1655.
Ca. 1700 the first Huguenot
refugee
s settled in Müncheberg and the town became a permanent military base. The population increased and by 1800 the town was flourishing again. The first school was constructed in 1852 as well as a new synagogue
(1856) for the Jewish community. The railway between Berlin
and the eastern Germany
started operating on October 1, 1867 giving Müncheberg a fast connection to the capital. The first volunteer fire brigade was formed in 1888. During World War I
, 129 soldiers from Müncheberg were killed in action. In 1928 the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Züchtungsforschung ("Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Breeding Research") was opened. In World War II
, more than 400 inhabitants of Müncheberg died fighting on various battlefields in Europe
. Combat in Müncheberg between the Wehrmacht
and the Red Army
took place from April 17 to April 19, 1945 and destroyed 85% of the town.
After World War II, Müncheberg was part of the Soviet occupation zone. From 1949 until the German Reunification
on October 3, 1990, the town was a municipality in the Bezirk (district) Frankfurt (Oder)
of the German Democratic Republic
(East Germany).
The Gymnasium
Müncheberg (grades 7-13; with Abitur
as school-leaving exam, qualifying for university) which was established on the foundation walls of a former military barracks in 1991 - as a sign of the dawning of a new age - was closed in July 2007 in the aftermath of the 1990s decline in the birth rate. Between August 22, 1991 and July 11, 2007, up to 750 pupils per year were finishing their secondary education at this grammar school.
Müncheberg is home to the ZALF - Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research). Currently there are 318 scientists and technicians employed doing research at seven different institutes including the German Entomological Institute.
Several physicians and dentists have settled in Müncheberg providing medical care for the area. There is also an ambulance based in Müncheberg being responsible for all medical emergencies in the southern area of the county. Firefighting and most of all other emergencies are handled by the volunteer fire brigade of Müncheberg. Besides that there are also two police officers assigned to Müncheberg.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Märkisch-Oderland
Märkisch-Oderland
Märkisch-Oderland is a Landkreis in the eastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Barnim, the country Poland, the district-free city Frankfurt , the district Oder-Spree and the Bundesland Berlin...
, 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...
approximately half-way between Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and the border with Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Geography
Prior to 2003 the area today covered by Müncheberg was organized as the so-called "AmtAmt (subnational entity)
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only found in Germany, but formerly also common in northern European countries. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to a U.S...
Müncheberg". It included eight municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
that were incorporated on March 31, 2002 to form the town of Müncheberg:
(population in parentheses)
- Müncheberg (5,190)
- Obersdorf (253)
- Hermersdorf (273)
- Trebnitz (509)
- Eggersdorf (345)
- Hoppegarten (268)
- Jahnsfelde (295)
- Münchehofe (102)
History
Müncheberg was founded between 1225 and 1232 by Cistercian monks who had been given the land by the PiastPiast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
Duke of Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
, Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded
Henry I the Bearded , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201 and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland - internally divided - from 1232 until his death.-Heir of Wroclaw:...
. A citation in a document from June 29, 1232, marks the official date of the founding of Müncheberg. This first settlement was called "Lubes" by the monks in honor of the monastery in Leubus (Lubiąż)
Lubiaz
Lubiąż is a village on the east bank of the Odra River, in the administrative district of Gmina Wołów, within Wołów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Wołów, and west of the regional capital Wrocław. The village has a population of...
, Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, where they originally came from. This name was not kept for long and in February 1233 the settlement was first mentioned as Munichberc (Middle High German
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
for "Monk's Hill") in a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
by Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
. The settlement grew quickly and gained town privileges
German town law
German town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...
in 1245. The increasing prosperity led to the construction of a 7 meter (23 ft) high city wall in 1319.
On April 17, 1432, the town was conquered by the Hussites who plundered the church and set the town on fire. In 1605 an epidemic of bubonic plague
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...
infested Müncheberg, killing 696 inhabitants. By 1624 about 1,300 people were living in the town again. Following the Thirty Year War (1618–1648) and further epidemics, the number of inhabitants dropped to less than 400 in 1655.
Ca. 1700 the first Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s settled in Müncheberg and the town became a permanent military base. The population increased and by 1800 the town was flourishing again. The first school was constructed in 1852 as well as a new synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
(1856) for the Jewish community. The railway between Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and the eastern Germany
Historical Eastern Germany
The former eastern territories of Germany are those provinces or regions east of the current eastern border of Germany which were lost by Germany during and after the two world wars. These territories include the Province of Posen and East Prussia, Farther Pomerania, East Brandenburg and Lower...
started operating on October 1, 1867 giving Müncheberg a fast connection to the capital. The first volunteer fire brigade was formed in 1888. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, 129 soldiers from Müncheberg were killed in action. In 1928 the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Züchtungsforschung ("Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Breeding Research") was opened. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, more than 400 inhabitants of Müncheberg died fighting on various battlefields in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Combat in Müncheberg between the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
took place from April 17 to April 19, 1945 and destroyed 85% of the town.
After World War II, Müncheberg was part of the Soviet occupation zone. From 1949 until the German Reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
on October 3, 1990, the town was a municipality in the Bezirk (district) Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
of the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
(East Germany).
Businesses
Several grocery stores are located in the town beside other stores that fulfill the everyday needs of the citizens:- 2 pharmacies
- 2 gas stations
- several bakeries
- several butchers
- 2 florists
- 2 department stores
- book store
- electric appliances store
Education and social life
Müncheberg serves as a regional center for the area. Facilities include:- Grundschule Müncheberg (elementary school; grades 1-6)
- Gesamtschule mit gymnasialer Oberstufe Müncheberg (grades 7-10; with Fachoberschulreife as school-leaving diploma, qualifying for vocational school; - since 2005: grades 11-13; with AbiturAbiturAbitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
as school leaving exam, qualifying for university) - Berufsschule Müncheberg (vocational school)
The Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
Müncheberg (grades 7-13; with Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
as school-leaving exam, qualifying for university) which was established on the foundation walls of a former military barracks in 1991 - as a sign of the dawning of a new age - was closed in July 2007 in the aftermath of the 1990s decline in the birth rate. Between August 22, 1991 and July 11, 2007, up to 750 pupils per year were finishing their secondary education at this grammar school.
Müncheberg is home to the ZALF - Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research). Currently there are 318 scientists and technicians employed doing research at seven different institutes including the German Entomological Institute.
Several physicians and dentists have settled in Müncheberg providing medical care for the area. There is also an ambulance based in Müncheberg being responsible for all medical emergencies in the southern area of the county. Firefighting and most of all other emergencies are handled by the volunteer fire brigade of Müncheberg. Besides that there are also two police officers assigned to Müncheberg.