View source for Neubrandenburg

{{Short description|City in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany}}
{{about||the painting by Caspar David Friedrich|Neubrandenburg (painting)}}
{{Infobox German place
|type                = City
|image_photo        = Tollensesee-02-06-2008-187.jpg
|image_caption      = Neubrandenburg skyline with [[Tollensesee]]
|image_flag            = Flagge Neubrandenburg.svg
|image_coa             = DEU Neubrandenburg COA.svg
|coordinates        = {{coord|53|33|25|N|13|15|40|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Neubrandenburg in MBS.svg
|state         = Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
|district             = Mecklenburgische Seenplatte
|elevation               = 20
|area             = 86.11
|postal_code                = 17033, 17034, 17036, 17050<ref>[http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/Navigation/Dienststellen/RD-N/Neubrandenburg/Agentur/Agentur-Nav.html Agentur für Arbeit Neubrandenburg] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716123025/http://www.arbeitsagentur.de/Navigation/Dienststellen/RD-N/Neubrandenburg/Agentur/Agentur-Nav.html |date=2011-07-16 }}</ref>
|area_code            = 0395
|licence                = NB
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 13 0 71 107
|divisions         = 10 Stadtteile
|website           = [https://www.neubrandenburg.de/ www.neubrandenburg.de]
|mayor             = Silvio Witt<ref>[https://www.laiv-mv.de/Wahlen/Kommunalwahlen/ Kommunalwahlen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Ergebnisse der Bürgermeisterwahlen], Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Landesamt für innere Verwaltung, accessed 7 March 2022.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2022&ndash;29
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|party = Independent
}}

'''Neubrandenburg''' ({{IPA|de|nɔʏˈbʁandn̩bʊʁk|IPA|audio=De-Neubrandenburg.ogg}}, [[Low German]] ''Niegenbramborg'', both lit. ''New [[Brandenburg an der Havel|Brandenburg]]'') is a city in the southeast of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]], [[Germany]]. It is located on the shore of a lake called [[Tollensesee]] and forms the urban centre of the [[Mecklenburg Lake District|Mecklenburg Lakeland]].

The city is famous for its rich medieval heritage of [[Brick Gothic]] architecture, including the world's best preserved defensive wall of this style as well as a [[Marienkirche, Neubrandenburg|Concert Church]] (Saint Mary), the home venue of the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic. It is part of the [[European Route of Brick Gothic]], a route which leads through seven countries along the [[Baltic Sea]] coast. Neubrandenburg is nicknamed for its four medieval city gates - ''Stadt der Vier Tore'' ("City of Four Gates").

Since 2011, Neubrandenburg has been the capital of the [[Mecklenburgische Seenplatte (district)|Mecklenburgische Seenplatte]] district. It is the [[List of cities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|third-largest city]] and one of the main urban centres of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The city is an economical node of northeastern Germany, featuring one of the highest national ranks in employment density and [[GDP per capita]].<ref>[http://www.neubrandenburg.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127 Facts & numbers about Neubrandenburg] (neubrandenburg.de)</ref> The closest greater urban areas are the [[regiopolis]] of [[Rostock]] and the metropolises of [[Szczecin]], [[Berlin]] and [[Hamburg]]. Since 1991, Neubrandenburg has hosted a [[Fachhochschule|University of Applied Sciences]] that offers international exchanges, guest programs and study programs.

==History==
[[File:NB-Stadtmauer-und-Wiekhaus-02-06-2008-041.JPG|left|thumb|Two of the 25 (formerly 56) typical timbered Wiek houses along the Neubrandenburg city wall]]
The region had been left largely empty during the [[Migration Period]] and was re-settled by [[Slavs]] who then formed the [[Veleti]], starting in the 7th century. [[Francia|Frankish]] and [[Saxons|Saxon]] influence increased since the late 8th century but suffered several setbacks. After final subjugation by the Saxons in the mid-12th century, [[Ostsiedlung|German colonisation]] greatly intensified after 1200. The first Christian monks in the area were [[Premonstratensian|Premonstratensians]] at Broda Abbey, a monastery by the lakeshore (about 1240). The foundation of the city known as of Neubrandenburg took place in 1248, when the Margrave of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] decided to build a settlement in the northern part of his fief, naming it after the older city of [[Brandenburg an der Havel|Brandenburg]] further south. In 1292, the city and the surrounding area became part of [[Mecklenburg]].

The city flourished as a trade centre until the [[Thirty Years' War]] (1618–48), when this position was lost due to incessant warfare. During the dramatic advance of the [[Sweden|Swedish]] army of [[Gustavus Adolphus]] into Germany, the city was garrisoned by Swedes, but it was retaken by Imperial [[Catholic League (German)|Catholic League]] forces in 1631. During this campaign, it was widely reported that the Catholic forces killed many of the Swedish and Scottish soldiers while they were surrendering. Later, according to the Scottish soldier of fortune [[Robert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis]], when the Swedes themselves adopted a "no prisoners" policy, they would cut short any pleas for mercy with the cry of "New Brandenburg!". The city, therefore, played an unconscious role in the escalation of brutality of one of history's most brutal wars.

Neubrandenburg was one of two ''Vorderstädte'' (lit. primary cities) of the duchy of [[Mecklenburg]], i.e. it represented the interests of the cities and towns at the regional assembly (the ''Landtag'' or diet). From 1701 to 1934, it formed a part of [[Mecklenburg-Strelitz]], a small, primarily rural, and socio-economically backward state of [[East Elbia|northeastern Germany]], being its largest or second-largest city (closely tied with [[Neustrelitz]], the capital). From 1856 to 1863, [[Fritz Reuter]], the most successful author of [[Low German]] literature and one of the best-sold German authors of the 19th century, lived here. In 1864, Neubrandenburg was connected to [[Berlin]] by railway, and developed some modest industry, mostly connected with the needs of the predominant agricultural sector of the region.

Under Nazism, an airbase was built at nearby Trollenhagen and a facility for [[torpedo]] trials was established in Lake Tollense. The city's rural situation far from any borders shielded it from air attacks for some time. During the [[Second World War]], two [[German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II|German prisoner-of-war camps]] for [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] POWs of various nationalities were located in Fünfeichen within the city limits: the large [[Stalag II-A]] and the adjacent Oflag II-E/67 for officers. The same site was operated from 1945 to 1948 as special [[NKVD]]-camp Nr. 9. The town was also the location of a [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] camp for [[Sinti]] and [[Romani people]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=100000133|title=Lager für Sinti und Roma Neubrandenburg|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=20 November 2021|language=de}}</ref> In 1945, a few days before the end of the Second World War, 80% of the old town was burned down by the [[Red Army]] in a great fire that destroyed, inter alia, City Hall (incl. most of the Municipal Archives), the Grand Ducal Palace (incl. the Municipal Arts Collections) and St. Mary's Church. About 600 people committed suicide in fear of or as a result of the Soviet advance.<ref name=lakotta>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/spiegelspecial/d-39863564.html|title=Tief vergraben, nicht dran rühren|last=Lakotta|first=Beate|publisher=[[Der Spiegel|SPON]]|date=2005-03-05|access-date=2010-08-16|language=de}}</ref> 

After the war, within the newly-founded Socialist [[East Germany|GDR]] (East Germany), the city centre was slowly rebuilt in the 1950s and 60s in a simplified neoclassicist and neo-Renaissance style. Large numbers of refugees from [[Former eastern territories of Germany|Germany's former eastern territories]] and from [[Czechoslovakia]] were resettled in the city. Neubrandenburg was designated the centre of a ''[[Administrative divisions of the German Democratic Republic|Bezirk]]'', the highest tier of administrative divisions in East Germany, in 1952. As such, the city was supposed to embody the vision of a "Socialist city" and was to be greatly expanded and industrialised. Population increased from about 20,000 at war's end to about 90,000 in the late 1980s. Large [[Panel building|panel-type housing estates]] were built in several parts of the city. The demolished market square area was reshaped by the ''Haus der Kultur und Bildung'' (House of Culture and Education), a Socialist-style civic centre, complemented by a 56 m highrise. [[Brigitte Reimann]], a prominent GDR writer whose works deal with the attempt at building a Socialist society, spent her last years (1968-1973) in the city.

As in all of East Germany, the [[German reunification|reunification of Germany]] in 1990 brought an improvement of political and social freedoms but also a deep socio-economic crisis with large-scale unemployment and emigration. The population sharply dropped, stabilising at about 65,000 people (2023), with some of those losses, however, just going to surrounding bedroom communities. The economic situation finally slowly improved, many historical buildings were renovated, e.g. St. Mary's Church that was refurbished as a concert hall. The University of Applied Sciences was founded in 1991, focusing on social work, health, agriculture and food industry. After 1990, Neubrandenburg lost its position as a ''Bezirk'' centre and remained an autonomous district-level city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') within the state of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]. In 2011, it emerged as the capital of a huge new district [[Mecklenburgische Seenplatte (district)|Mecklenburgische Seenplatte]], the largest in Germany, with an area slightly more than half that of its former ''Bezirk''.

==Sights and monuments==
Neubrandenburg has preserved its medieval [[city wall]] in its entirety. The wall, 7 m high with a perimeter of 2.3&nbsp;km, has four [[Brick Gothic]] [[city gate]]s, dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Of these, one of the most impressive is the ''Stargarder Tor'' (pictured), with its characteristic gable-like shape and the filigree [[tracery]] and rosettes on the outer defence side.

Another place of interest is the [[Brick Gothic]] [[Marienkirche, Neubrandenburg|Marienkirche]] (Church of the Virgin Mary or St. Mary's Church, ''Konzertkirche''), completed 1298. The church was nearly destroyed in 1945, but it was restored in 1975 and now houses a concert hall (opened 2001).

The tallest highrise in the city is the 56 m tower of the [[Haus der Kultur und Bildung]] (HKB, House of Culture & Education), opened in 1965. Its slender appearance has earned it the nickname ''Kulturfinger'' ("culture finger").

Other attractions include [[Neubrandenburg Regional Museum]].

<gallery mode=packed widths="120px" heights="120px">
File:NB-St-Marien-Kirche-26-VIII-2007-57.jpg|[[Marienkirche, Neubrandenburg|St. Mary's Church]] (used for concerts)
File:NB-Treptower-Tor-11-IV-2007-060.jpg|Treptow Gate with [[Neubrandenburg Regional Museum]]
File:NB-Stargarder-Tor-11-IV-2007-109.jpg|Stargard Gate
File:NB-Neues-Tor-26-VIII-2007-46.jpg|New Gate
File:Friedländer Tor Neubrandenburg Haupttor Stadtseite-Carschten.jpg|Friedland Gate
File:Tollensesee-02-06-2008-202.jpg|[[Tollensesee]]
File:Broda's Belvedere.jpg|Belvedere
</gallery>

==Education==
* [http://www.hs-nb.de/en Hochschule Neubrandenburg] (''University of Applied Sciences'')
* Three large secondary schools

==Sports==
Neubrandenburg is known as city of sports (''Sportstadt''). The city is famous for being home to various Olympic medal winners and talents in sports, especially in canoeing ([[Andreas Dittmer]], [[Martin Hollstein]]), discus throwing and shotputting ([[Astrid Kumbernuss]], [[Ralf Bartels]], [[Franka Dietzsch]]) and running ([[Katrin Krabbe]]). Neubrandenburg was the location of both of the world record throws in [[Discus]], by [[Jürgen Schult]] in 1986 and by [[Gabriele Reinsch]] in 1988. The ''Jahnstadion'', the ''Jahnsportforum'' stadium, the ''Stadthalle'' and adjacent sport parks offer vast options for large sport and culture events. The city is also home to a dedicated sports elite school, the ''Sportgymnasium Neubrandenburg''.

The [[Günter Harder Stadion]] was a multi purpose stadium that existed from 1949 to circa 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/neubrandenburg/neubrandenburger-ddr-stadion-in-bronze-gegossen-2142538#google_vignette |title=Neubrandenburger DDR-Stadion in Bronze gegossen  | website=Nordkurier |date=21 December 2023 |access-date=26 January 2024}}</ref> It hosted football and [[motorcycle speedway]] and held qualifying rounds of the [[Speedway World Championship]] in 1964 and 1965.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dlprezes.pl.tl/64_World-Speedway-Championship-_-1964.htm|title=1964 World Championship |website=Metal Speedway |access-date=26 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/65.htm#1965 |title=1965 World Championship  | website=Speedway.org |access-date=26 January 2024}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
[[File:Luise_Mühlbach.jpg|thumb|167x167px|[[Luise Mühlbach]], {{Circa|1850}}]]
* [[Wenceslaus Johann Gustav Karsten]] (1732–1787), German mathematician; did [[complex logarithm]]s.
* [[Fritz Reuter]] (1810-1874), most successful writer in the Low German language, spent important parts of his middle age here.
* [[Luise Mühlbach]] (1814-1873), German writer of historical fiction.<ref>{{Cite NIE |wstitle= Mühlbach, Luise |volume= XIV | page= |short=1}}</ref>
* [[Theodor Leipart]] (1867–1947), German trades unionist.
* [[Theodor Estermann]] (1902–1991), American mathematician, worked on [[analytic number theory]].
* [[Otto Remer]] (1912-1997), Nazi German military officer who helped put down the [[20 July plot|20th July plot]], post-war far-right activist.
* [[Brigitte Reimann]] (1933-1973), East German writer closely tied to Socialist ''Ankunftsliteratur'', spent her last years here.
* [[Jürnjakob Timm]] (born 1949), German cellist; played for over 40 years in the [[Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra]]
* [[Annegret Rosenmüller]] (born 1967), German musicologist.

=== Sport ===
[[File:ViolaOdebrecht2008.jpg|thumb|110px|[[Viola Odebrecht]], 2008]]
* [[Hans-Jürgen Wallbrecht]] (1943–1970), German rower; team silver medallist at the [[1964 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Rüdiger Helm]] (born 1956), East German sprint canoeist; multiple team gold and bronze Olympic medallist
* [[Ulf Hielscher]] (born 1967), German bobsledder; team bronze medallist at the [[1994 Winter Olympics]]
* [[Jana Sorgers]] (born 1967), German rower, team gold medallist at the [[1988 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Tim Borowski]] (born 1980), football manager and former player; played 294 games and 33 for [[Germany national football team|Germany]]
* [[Sebastian Zbik]] (born 1982), German boxer; former [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] middleweight World Champion
* [[Viola Odebrecht]] (born 1983), former footballer, played over 120 games and 49 for [[Germany women's national football team|Germany women]]
* [[Martin Hollstein]] (born 1987), German sprint canoer; gold and bronze Olympic medallist

==Governance==
The current mayor of Neubrandenburg is [[independent politician]] Silvio Witt since 2015. The most recent mayoral election was held on 16 January 2022, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Candidate
! Party
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| 
| align=left| Silvio Witt
| align=left| [[Independent politician|Independent]] ([[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]/[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]/[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]])
| 16,325
| 87.5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Gunar Mühle
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 2,327
| 12.5
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 18,652
! 99.5
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 93
! 0.5
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 38,745
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 52,941
! 35.4
|-
| colspan=5| Source: [https://www.neubrandenburg.de/Politik-Verwaltung/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/index.php?object=tx,3330.5173.1&NavID=2751.22.1 City of Neubrandenburg]
|}

The most recent city council election was held on 9 June 2024, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 17,473
| 21.5
| {{increase}} 5.4
| 9
| {{increase}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 14,597
| 17.9
| {{decrease}} 7.4
| 8
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance}}| 
| align=left| [[Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance]] (BSW)
| 13,037
| 16.0
| New
| 7
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 9,238
| 11.4
| {{decrease}} 5.1
| 5
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| 
| align=left| Project Neubrandenburg (Projekt-NB)
| 7,218
| 8.9
| New
| 4
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 6,411
| 7.9
| {{decrease}} 15.9
| 3
| {{decrease}} 7
|-
| 
| align=left| Citizens for Neubrandenburg (BfN)
| 5,195
| 6.4
| New
| 3
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 4,131
| 5.1
| {{decrease}} 6.2
| 2
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
| 
| align=left| Strong Citizens Neubrandenburg (SBNB)
| 1,866
| 2.3
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 827
| 1.0
| {{decrease}} 2.4
| 0
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| 
| align=left| [[Independent politician|Independent]] Sandmann
| 695
| 0.9
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany|dieBasis]]
| 485
| 0.6
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|National Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[National Democratic Party of Germany|The Homeland]] (HEIMAT)
| 245
| 0.3
| New
| 0
| New
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 81,408
! 100.0
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid ballots
! 1,001
! 1.2
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total ballots
! 28,124
! 100.0
! 
! 43
! ±0
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 51,927
! 54.2
! {{increase}} 2.2
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://votemanager.kdo.de/20240609/13071107/praesentation/ergebnis.html?wahl_id=701&stimmentyp=0&id=ebene_-2170_id_2465 City of Neubrandenburg]
|}

In October 2024 Mr. Witt announced on Facebook that he would step down as Lord Mayor effective May 2025. 

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Neubrandenburg is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.neubrandenburg.de/Leben-Wohnen/Vier-Tore-Stadt/Partnerst%C3%A4dte|website=neubrandenburg.de|publisher=Neubrandenburg|language=de|access-date=2021-03-01}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Collegno]], Italy (1965)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Flensburg]], Germany (1987)
*{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Gladsaxe Municipality|Gladsaxe]], Denmark (1990)
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Koszalin]], Poland (1974)
*{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Nazareth]], Israel (1998)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nevers]], France (1973)
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Petrozavodsk]], Russia (1983)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Villejuif]], France (1966)
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Yangzhou]], China (1999)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
;Chronicles
* {{in lang|de}} Gottlob von Hacke: ''Geschichte der Vorderstadt Neubrandenburg''. Vol. I: ''Vom Jahr 1248 bis 1711'' (no further volume did appear). Neubrandenburg 1783 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=Wd4-AAAAcAAJ&pg=PP5 online])
* {{in lang|de}} Franz Boll: ''Chronik der Vorderstadt Neubrandenburg''. Neubrandenburg 1875. (Reprinted several times)
* {{in lang|de}} Wilhelm Ahlers: ''Historisch-topographische Skizzen aus der Vorzeit der Vorderstadt Neubrandenburg''. Neubrandenburg 1876. (Reprinted several times)
* {{in lang|de}} Karl Wendt: ''Geschichte der Vorderstadt Neubrandenburg in Einzeldarstellungen''. Neubrandenburg 1922. (Reprinted in 1984)
;Art and architectural history
* {{in lang|de}} Brigitte Raschke: ''Der Wiederaufbau und die städtebauliche Erweiterung von Neubrandenburg in der Zeit zwischen 1945 und 1989'' [The Reconstruction and Expansion of Neubrandenburg, 1945-1989]. München 2005.
* {{in lang|de}} Elke Pretzel: ''Eine gebrochene Sammlung. Die Städtische Kunstsammlung in Neubrandenburg (1890-1945)'' [A Broken Collection. The Municipal Arts Collection of Neubrandenburg, 1890-1945] (originally Ph.D. thesis at [[University of Greifswald|Greifswald University]] 2019). S.l. 2020.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Neubrandenburg}}
* {{wikivoyage inline|Neubrandenburg}}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Neu-Brandenburg |volume=19 |page=423}}
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de|en}}
* https://www.britannica.com/place/Brandenburg-Germany

{{Towns and municipalities in Mecklenburgische Seenplatte (district)}}
{{Germany Districts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}}
{{Bezirke DDR Seats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Neubrandenburg| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 1240s]]
[[Category:1240s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:1248 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:Cities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]