Ostprignitz-Ruppin is a Kreis (district) in the northwestern part of 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...

. Neighboring are (from north clockwise) the districts Müritz

Müritz

Müritz is a former Kreis in the southern part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is named after the lake Müritz. Neighboring districts were Demmin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the district-free city Neubrandenburg, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, Parchim and Güstrow...

 and Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district , and the western exclave of the former Bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern...

 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin...

, the districts
Oberhavel

Oberhavel

Oberhavel is a Kreis in the northern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Mecklenburg-Strelitz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the districts Uckermark, Barnim, the Bundesland Berlin, and the districts Havelland and Ostprignitz-Ruppin.-Geography:The district is located along...

 and Havelland

Havelland

Havelland is a geograhical region and district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Oberhavel, the city-state of Berlin, the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark, the city of Brandenburg and the state of Saxony-Anhalt .-History:-Geography:Geographically...

, the district Stendal

Stendal (district)

Stendal is a district in the north-east of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Neighboring districts are Jerichower Land, Börde, Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, and the districts Prignitz, Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Havelland in Brandenburg.- History :In the...

 in Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...

, and the district Prignitz

Prignitz

Prignitz is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower...

.

Geography

The district consists of plain countryside northwest of 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...

. It is densely forested. Many rivers and lakes can be found in its western, its central and its northeastern part. The main river in the district is the Dosse

Dosse

The Dosse is a river in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Havel. The Dosse is 94 km long, with its source on the border between Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg, arising out of three small brooks that unite...

.

History

The district has always been distinguishable from the West Prignitz, having been settled originally by Slavs from a different part of Mecklenburg. It was officially created in 1993 by merging the districts Kyritz, Neuruppin and Wittstock. The district roughly covers the same territory as the two historic districts Ostprignitz and Ruppin. Osprignitz was created in 1815 as one of two districts covering the former county Prignitz, and was split into the districts Kyritz, Pritzwalk and Wittstock in 1952. Also in 1952 the district Ruppin was renamed to Neuruppin and had to give part of its territory to the districts Kyritz and Gransee.

Coat of arms

The eagle in the top of the coat of arms derives from the Counts of Arnstein, who ruled Ruppin in the 13th century. To the left is a fleur-de-lis Fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...  representing the Counts von Plotho Von Plotho The von Plotho family are a German noble family traditionally believed to be of Wendish origin, particularly associated with the Prignitz region in Brandenburg.-History:... , a Wendish family who ruled Kyritz, where they had migrated from the Magdeburg area bringing German families such as the von Blumenthal Von Blumenthal The von Blumenthal family are German nobility from Brandenburg-Prussia. Other, unrelated, families of this name exist in Switzerland and formerly in Russia, and many unrelated families called "Blumenthal" without "von" are to be found worldwide.The family was already noble from earliest times ,... s with them. The mitre Mitre The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...  to the right symbolizes Wittstock, as Bishop Heinrich I made Wittstock the capital of the Prince-Bishopric of Havelberg Bishopric of Havelberg The Bishopric of Havelberg was a Roman Catholic diocese founded by King Otto I, King of the Germans, in 946. The diocese was suffragan to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Its most famous bishop was Anselm of Havelberg. Its seat was in Havelberg in the Northern March and it roughly covered the... .

Towns and municipalities

Amt-free towns	Ämter
Kyritz Kyritz Kyritz is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 28 km west of Neuruppin and 28 km southeast of Pritzwalk.There are 9,900 inhabitants .-Overview:... 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:... Rheinsberg Rheinsberg Rheinsberg is a town and a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Rhin, approx. 20 km north-east of Neuruppin and 75 km north-west of Berlin.-History:... Wittstock Wittstock Wittstock is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in north-western Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Dosse, 20 km east of Pritzwalk, and 95 km northwest of Berlin. It was the location of the 1636 Battle of Wittstock between Sweden and an alliance of the Holy Roman... Amt-free municipalities Fehrbellin Fehrbellin Fehrbellin is a municipality in Germany, located 60 km NW of Berlin. It has 9310 inhabitants as of 2005.-History:In 1675, the Battle of Fehrbellin was fought there, in which the troops of Brandenburg defeated those of occupying Sweden... Heiligengrabe Heiligengrabe Heiligengrabe is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.-Geography:The munciipality counts 13 villages : Blandikow, Blesendorf, Blumenthal, Grabow bei Blumenthal, Herzsprung, Jabel, Königsberg, Liebenthal, Maulbeerwalde, Papenbruch, Rosenwinkel, Wernikow and... Wusterhausen Wusterhausen Wusterhausen is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in northwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Dosse, 7 km southeast of Kyritz, and 75 km northwest of Berlin....	1. Lindow (Mark) Lindow (Amt) Lindow is an Amt in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin, in Brandenburg, Germany. Its seat is in Lindow.The Amt Lindow consists of the following municipalities:#Herzberg#Lindow#Rüthnick#Vielitzsee... Herzberg Herzberg, Ostprignitz-Ruppin Herzberg is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Lindow Lindow Lindow in der Mark, short: Lindow , is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located 14 km northeast of Neuruppin, and 29 km northwest of Oranienburg... 1, 2 Rüthnick Rüthnick Rüthnick is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.-References:... Vielitzsee Vielitzsee Vielitzsee is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... 2. Neustadt (Dosse) Neustadt (Amt) Neustadt is an Amt in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin, in Brandenburg, Germany. Its seat is in Neustadt an der Dosse.The Amt Neustadt consists of the following municipalities:#Breddin#Dreetz... Breddin Breddin Breddin is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Dreetz Dreetz Dreetz is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Neustadt an der Dosse Neustadt an der Dosse Neustadt an der Dosse is a town in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Brandenburg, Germany with a population of 4013 . It has a total area of 75.62km², and lies close to the river Dosse.-History:... 1, 2 Sieversdorf-Hohenofen Sieversdorf-Hohenofen Sieversdorf-Hohenofen is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Stüdenitz-Schönermark Stüdenitz-Schönermark Stüdenitz-Schönermark is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.-References:... Zernitz-Lohm Zernitz-Lohm Zernitz-Lohm is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany....	3. Temnitz Temnitz Temnitz is an Amt in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin, in Brandenburg, Germany. Its seat is in Walsleben.The Amt Temnitz consists of the following municipalities:#Dabergotz#Märkisch Linden#Storbeck-Frankendorf... Dabergotz Dabergotz Dabergotz is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Märkisch Linden Märkisch Linden Märkisch Linden is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.-References:... Storbeck-Frankendorf Storbeck-Frankendorf Storbeck-Frankendorf is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Temnitzquell Temnitzquell Temnitzquell is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Temnitztal Temnitztal Temnitztal is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... Walsleben Walsleben Walsleben is a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany.... 1
1seat of the Amt; ²town

External links

• Official website (German)