Wittstock | |
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 Town centre | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Wittstock within Ostprignitz-Ruppin district  | |
 Location of Wittstock | |
  Wittstock  Wittstock | |
| Coordinates:53°9′49″N12°29′8″E / 53.16361°N 12.48556°E /53.16361; 12.48556 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Brandenburg |
| District | Ostprignitz-Ruppin |
| Subdivisions | 19 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2023–31) | Phillipp Wacker[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 420.24 km2 (162.26 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 65 m (213 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 13,994 |
| • Density | 33.300/km2 (86.247/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 16909 |
| Dialling codes | 03394 |
| Vehicle registration | OPR, KY, NP, WK |
| Website | www.wittstock.de |
Wittstock/Dosse (German pronunciation:[ˈvɪtˌʃtɔk]ⓘ) is atown in theOstprignitz-Ruppin district, in north-westernBrandenburg,Germany.
It is located in the easternPrignitz region on theDosse River near the confluence with itsGlinze tributary, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) east ofPritzwalk and 95 kilometres (59 mi) northwest ofBerlin. Wittstock is situated in aterminal moraine landscape south of theMecklenburg Lake District.
After the incorporation of several suburban villages in December 1993 and again in October 2003, Wittstock became the 6th largest town in Germany by area. However, the former independent districts Herzsprung and Königsberg, which were forced to be integrated in 2003, regained their independence in 2004, claiming that the compulsive integration was void because of a clerical error. Both districts were still under the overview of the department of Wittstock. Since 2005, Herzsprung and Königsberg are parts of the commune Heiligengrabe, so the size of the town decreased.
The current districts of Wittstock/Dosse:
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Wittstock resulted from aSlavic settlement and was first mentioned in the deed of formation for theBishopric of Havelberg in 946. The name is possibly derived fromvysoka ("high-lying") in the language of the localPolabian tribes, it was laterGermanized intoWiztok (1271),Witzstock (1284) andWitstock (1441), adapted folk-etymologically toLow Germanwitt ("white") andstock ("rootstock").
Obtaining theStendal town charter on 13 September 1248 from the hands of the HavelbergPrince-bishop Henry I, it is one of the oldest towns ofBrandenburg. In 1251, Wittstock received an imprint of the town seal, which was one of the oldest in Brandenburg, too. Wittstock Castle, which had been built from 1244 onwards onto a Slavic foundation, served as the residence of the Havelberg Prince-bishops from 1271; it is therefore also designated Old Bishop Castle (Alte Bischofsburg). The Havelberg era ended with theProtestant Reformation and the death of the lastCatholic Prince-bishop Busso von Alvensleben at Wittstock Castle in 1548.
Up to theThirty Years' War, the fortress was a secure stronghold—until it became the site of the 1636Battle of Wittstock, when the troops of theSwedish Empire under Field MarshalsJohan Banér andAlexander Leslie defeated the alliedImperial andSaxon forces under ElectorJohn George I of Saxony. Followed by the outbreak of aplague epidemic two years later, Wittstock remained devastated and lost about half of its population.
The redevelopment of the town was launched by the "Great Elector"Frederick William in 1658. About 1750, numerous colonists descending fromWürttemberg and thePalatinate settled the region.
Seats in the town's assembly (Stadtverordnetenversammlung) as of 2019 local elections:[4]
Wolfe Wittstock is amotorcycle speedway club that competes in Polish 2nd Division (3rd level of the Polish league system)
Wittstock istwinned with:
The town's main historic monument is theBrick Gothic St Mary's Church, dating back to c. 1240. Significantly enlarged as ahall church in the late 13th century and repleted with a carved altar byClaus Berg, it was used as a cathedral by the Havelberg bishops.
The Bishop's Castle was greatly restored in the 1990s and today houses a Thirty Years' War museum. Much of the elaborate late medieval defences still surround the old centre, including a 13th-century gate tower, the Daberburgbergfried north of the town, and a 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) long city wall. The wall's height, originally 11 metres (36 ft), today is about 4 to 7 metres.
TheMedal of Honor Wittstock was awarded to:
(in German)Towns and municipalities inOstprignitz-Ruppin | ||
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