Bresegard bei Picher

Summary

Bresegard bei Picher is a small municipality in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Often it is simply referred to simply as Bresegard. There is another municipality within Mecklenburg also called Bresegard and to differentiate the two 'bei Picher' is added, signifying a close proximity to the town of Picher. The other Bresegard is near the town of Eldena and is called Bresegard bei Eldena. Bresegard bei Picher, part of the Amt of Hagenow-Land and the district (Landkreis) of Ludwigslust, is near the main highway between Berlin and Hamburg.

Bresegard bei Picher
Flag of Bresegard bei Picher
Coat of arms of Bresegard bei Picher
Location of Bresegard bei Picher within Ludwigslust-Parchim district
Bresegard bei Picher is located in Germany
Bresegard bei Picher
Bresegard bei Picher
Bresegard bei Picher is located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Bresegard bei Picher
Bresegard bei Picher
Coordinates: 53°21′N 11°17′E / 53.350°N 11.283°E / 53.350; 11.283
CountryGermany
StateMecklenburg-Vorpommern
DistrictLudwigslust-Parchim
Municipal assoc.Hagenow-Land
Government
 • MayorKlaus Weinreich
Area
 • Total16.57 km2 (6.40 sq mi)
Elevation
37 m (121 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[1]
 • Total283
 • Density17/km2 (44/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
19230
Dialling codes038751
Vehicle registrationLWL
Websitewww.amt-hagenow-land.de

History edit

This area of Germany (Mecklenburg) had once been inhabited by Slavic peoples, and the suffix 'gard' in the name Bresegard reflects this.[2] The place name, originally from the Slavic, later as 'Birkenbirge', and finally as Bresegard, had the root meaning of "birch tree mountain". The Bresegard crest depicts a birch tree on a mound, the seed pods represent the number of roads leading into the village.

The first known mention of Bresegard was in 1421 by Albrecht V. of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in his compilation of land ownership, and was known then as "Brezegure". There are some indications that in the 15th and 16th centuries there may have been windmills in place. During the Thirty Years War much of the area surrounding Bresegard was devastated. By the 17th and 18th centuries small farmers began to populate the area.

Bresegard bei Picher was part of the area initially captured or occupied by American troops at the end of World War II. Bresegard was on the American side of the line of contact between American and Soviet forces. Due to previous agreements by the Allied powers, this part of Germany was transferred to Soviet control several weeks after American occupation. As a small remote village, Bresegard did not suffer wartime destruction.

References edit

  1. ^ "Bevölkerungsstand der Kreise, Ämter und Gemeinden 2022" (XLS) (in German). Statistisches Amt Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 2023.
  2. ^ Slavic towns may often have the suffix 'grad', which means town or city. Although the suffix 'gard' may be spelled differently the root link to the Slavic languages can be discerned.