Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve, often shortened to Schorfheide, is a nature reserve
in the German State
of Brandenburg
near the Polish
border. The reserve was established in 1990 following the German Reunification
and is under the protection of the UNESCO
Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme. It stretches over the German districts
of Barnim
, Uckermark
, Märkisch-Oderland
and Oberhavel
and incorporates an area of 1291 square kilometers. Notable towns are Eberswalde
, Joachimsthal and Friedrichswalde
. The core area of the reserve is formed by the Schorfheide forest, one of the largest cohesive woodlands of Germany.
until the period of the Thirty Years' War
, the area fell under the responsibility of the cloister of Chorin
which led to a cultivation of suitable spaces. Forest clearances took place for the sake of producing weapons for the Prussia
n army, but the woods were usually afforested. Large parts of the woodland were left untouched as hunting area for the nobility, which marked the creation of today's wilderness. During the Third Reich, Hermann Göring
chose the spot for his countryside residence Carinhall
. After World War II
, the forests were again used as an exclusive hunting and leisure area for the East German
leaders. The title of a Biosphere Reserve was awarded in 1990 following an initiative of then East German head of state Lothar de Maizière
.
. Today it is a cultural landscape
composed of extensive woodlands (most of which are dominated by either oak
s or pine
s), a wide range of bodies of standing water like lakes (most notably Werbellinsee
, Grimnitzsee
and Parsteiner See
), ponds and renaturated bog
s, as well as heathlands
. Some parts of the Schorfheide are left as a wilderness
.
The Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve is home of many forest-living animals like red deer
or wild boars. Of special interest and goal of protection are those animals whose habitats are endangered elsewhere in Germany like beaver
s, otters
, pond tortoises
and fire-bellied toads
. Due to its waterbodies, the area serves as an important breeding and resting ground for birds like white-tailed eagle
s and cranes
.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in the German State
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
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...
near the Polish
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...
border. The reserve was established in 1990 following 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...
and is under the protection of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme. It stretches over the German districts
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
of Barnim
Barnim
Barnim is a district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is bounded by Poland, the district of Märkisch-Oderland, the city state of Berlin and the districts of Oberhavel and Uckermark.- History :...
, Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
, 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...
and 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 incorporates an area of 1291 square kilometers. Notable towns are Eberswalde
Eberswalde
Eberswalde is a major town and the administrative seat of the district Barnim in the German Federal State of Brandenburg, about 50 km northeast of Berlin. Population 42144 , geographical location . The town is often called Waldstadt , because of the large forests around it, including the...
, Joachimsthal and Friedrichswalde
Friedrichswalde
Friedrichswalde may refer to the following places in Germany:*Friedrichswalde, a municipality in the Barnim district, Brandenburg*A part of Sternberg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in the Parchim district...
. The core area of the reserve is formed by the Schorfheide forest, one of the largest cohesive woodlands of Germany.
History
From the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
until the period of the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the area fell under the responsibility of the cloister of Chorin
Chorin
Chorin is a municipality in the district of Barnim in Brandenburg, Germany. It is most famous for its cloister and for being situated within the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve. It is famous for its medieval Brick Gothic Chorin Abbey ....
which led to a cultivation of suitable spaces. Forest clearances took place for the sake of producing weapons for the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n army, but the woods were usually afforested. Large parts of the woodland were left untouched as hunting area for the nobility, which marked the creation of today's wilderness. During the Third Reich, Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
chose the spot for his countryside residence Carinhall
Carinhall
Carinhall was the country residence of Hermann Göring, built on a large hunting estate northeast of Berlin in the Schorfheide forest between the Großdöllner See and the Wuckersee in the north of Brandenburg....
. After 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...
, the forests were again used as an exclusive hunting and leisure area for the East German
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...
leaders. The title of a Biosphere Reserve was awarded in 1990 following an initiative of then East German head of state Lothar de Maizière
Lothar de Maizière
Lothar de Maizière is a German christian democratic politician. In 1990, he served as the only democratically elected Prime Minister of the German Democratic Republic, and as such was the last leader of an independent East Germany....
.
Nature and Biology
The Schorfheide was formed during the last ice ageQuaternary glaciation
Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, the current ice age or simply the ice age, refers to the period of the last few million years in which permanent ice sheets were established in Antarctica and perhaps Greenland, and fluctuating ice sheets have occurred elsewhere...
. Today it is a cultural landscape
Cultural landscape
Cultural Landscapes have been defined by the World Heritage Committee as distinct geographical areas or properties uniquely "..represent[ing] the combined work of nature and of man.."....
composed of extensive woodlands (most of which are dominated by either oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s or pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s), a wide range of bodies of standing water like lakes (most notably Werbellinsee
Werbellinsee
Werbellinsee is a lake in the Barnim district of Brandenburg, Germany. It is located south of Joachimsthal in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve. The southern shore belongs to the Schorfheide municipality...
, Grimnitzsee
Grimnitzsee
Grimnitzsee is a lake in Landkreis Barnim, Brandenburg, Germany. At an elevation of 64 m, its surface area is 7.8 km². It is situated in the municipality of Joachimsthal.- External links :...
and Parsteiner See
Parsteiner See
Parsteiner See is a lake in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve in Brandenburg, Germany. At an elevation of 44 m, its surface area is 10.03 km². It is located in the municipality of Parsteinsee, Barnim district.- External links :...
), ponds and renaturated bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, as well as heathlands
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
. Some parts of the Schorfheide are left as a wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
.
The Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve is home of many forest-living animals like red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
or wild boars. Of special interest and goal of protection are those animals whose habitats are endangered elsewhere in Germany like beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s, otters
European Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
, pond tortoises
European pond terrapin
The European pond turtle , Emys orbicularis is a long-living freshwater species of turtle.-Geographic range:It is found in southern and central Europe, West Asia and North Africa...
and fire-bellied toads
European Fire-bellied Toad
The European Fire-bellied Toad Bombina bombina is a fire-bellied toad native to mainland Europe. These toads are slightly toxic sometimes to humans...
. Due to its waterbodies, the area serves as an important breeding and resting ground for birds like white-tailed eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
s and cranes
Common Crane
The Common Crane , also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130 cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight of 4.5–6 kg...
.