Biesenthal

Summary

Biesenthal is a town in the district of Barnim in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Amt ("collective municipality") Amt Biesenthal-Barnim.

Biesenthal
Parish church
Parish church
Coat of arms of Biesenthal
Location of Biesenthal within Barnim district
AhrensfeldeAlthüttendorfBernau bei BerlinBiesenthalBreydinBritzChorinEberswaldeFriedrichswaldeHohenfinowJoachimsthalLiepeLunow-StolzenhagenMarienwerderMelchowNiederfinowOderbergPanketalParsteinseeRüdnitzSchorfheideSydower FließWandlitzWerneuchenZiethenBrandenburg
Biesenthal is located in Germany
Biesenthal
Biesenthal
Biesenthal is located in Brandenburg
Biesenthal
Biesenthal
Coordinates: 52°46′N 13°38′E / 52.767°N 13.633°E / 52.767; 13.633
CountryGermany
StateBrandenburg
DistrictBarnim
Municipal assoc.Biesenthal-Barnim
Subdivisions2 Ortsteile
Government
 • Mayor (2019–24) Carsten Bruch[1] (CDU)
Area
 • Total60.48 km2 (23.35 sq mi)
Elevation
50 m (160 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total6,101
 • Density100/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
16359
Dialling codes03337
Vehicle registrationBAR
Websitewww.biesenthal.de

Geography edit

 
Finow river

The town is located on the Finow river, about 31 km (19 mi) northeast of Berlin (centre). The surrounding Biesenthal Basin is part of the Barnim Plateau and the Barnim Nature Park, characterised by numerous kames and glacial lakes stemming from the Weichselian glaciation.

History edit

In the early Middle Ages, the region was settled by Polabian Slavs. Conquered by the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg, Bizdal was first mentioned in a 1258 deed. A local parish was already documented in 1265; the present-day fieldstone church was probably erected at this time. The settlement on the Via Imperii trade route to Berlin was vested with market rights by Margrave John V in 1315.

A castle was mentioned in 1337, it was purchased by the Hohenzollern elector John George of Brandenburg in 1577. Its ruins were cleared away after the Thirty Years' War, only ground walls remained. In 1907, a view tower (Kaiser-Friedrich-Turm) was erected on the castle hill.

During the 18th century, the townscape was devastated by several blazes. From 1815 to 1947, Biesenthal was part of the Prussian Province of Brandenburg. The economic development was decisively promoted by the opening of the Berlin–Stettin railway line in 1843. In World War II, a subcamp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was located here. The town was occupied by Red Army forces in 1945 and became part of the Soviet occupation zone. From 1947 to 1952, Biesenthal was part of the State of Brandenburg, from 1952 to 1990 of the Bezirk Frankfurt of East Germany and since 1990 again of Brandenburg.

Demography edit

 
Development of population since 1875 within the current boundaries (Blue line: Population; Dotted line: Comparison to population development of Brandenburg state; Grey background: Time of Nazi rule; Red background: Time of communist rule)
Biesenthal: Population development
within the current boundaries (2017)[3]
YearPop.±% p.a.
1875 2,632—    
1890 2,732+0.25%
1910 3,370+1.05%
1925 3,556+0.36%
1933 3,879+1.09%
1939 4,529+2.62%
1946 4,598+0.22%
1950 5,120+2.72%
1964 4,910−0.30%
1971 4,801−0.32%
1981 4,730−0.15%
1985 4,892+0.85%
1989 4,815−0.40%
1990 4,668−3.05%
1991 4,624−0.94%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1992 4,695+1.54%
1993 4,846+3.22%
1994 4,911+1.34%
1995 4,869−0.86%
1996 4,923+1.11%
1997 5,058+2.74%
1998 5,183+2.47%
1999 5,220+0.71%
2000 5,272+1.00%
2001 5,340+1.29%
2002 5,394+1.01%
2003 5,454+1.11%
2004 5,509+1.01%
2005 5,625+2.11%
2006 5,621−0.07%
YearPop.±% p.a.
2007 5,637+0.28%
2008 5,507−2.31%
2009 5,563+1.02%
2010 5,543−0.36%
2011 5,498−0.81%
2012 5,525+0.49%
2013 5,564+0.71%
2014 5,632+1.22%
2015 5,679+0.83%
2016 5,671−0.14%
2017 5,734+1.11%
2018 5,791+0.99%
2019 5,869+1.35%
2020 6,029+2.73%

Politics edit

 
Town hall

Seats in the town's assembly (Stadtverordnetenversammlung) as of 2014 local elections:

Notable people edit

References edit

  1. ^ Landkreis Barnim Wahl der Bürgermeisterin / des Bürgermeisters, accessed 30 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerungsentwicklung und Flächen der kreisfreien Städte, Landkreise und Gemeinden im Land Brandenburg 2021" (PDF). Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg (in German). June 2022.
  3. ^ Detailed data sources are to be found in the Wikimedia Commons.Population Projection Brandenburg at Wikimedia Commons

External links edit

  • Municipal site (in German)