Hennigsdorf () is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, in eastern Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river.
History
The town was first mentioned in 1375, when it was part of the Bohemian Crown. Afterwards it was part of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, then of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701, and of the German Empire from 1871. During World War II, in 1944, a subcamp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was established, in which some 650 women, mostly Polish, were imprisoned and subjected to forced labour. In April 1945, the subcamp was dissolved and the surviving prisoners were sent on a death march to the Ravensbrück concentration camp.Megargee, p. 1317
After the war, it formed part of East Germany. The municipality shared its borders with the former West Berlin, and so during the period 1961–1990 it was separated from it by the Berlin Wall.
In 1951/2, the Havel Canal was constructed to link Hennigsdorf with Paretz, thus avoiding a passage through the reach of the River Havel, between Spandau and Potsdam, that was under the political control of West Berlin. The canal is still in use, providing a shorter route for shipping from west of Berlin to the Oder–Havel Canal and Poland.
Geography
Subdivision Hennigsdorf consists of 3 districts: Hennigsdorf Nieder Neuendorf (since 1923) Stolpe-Süd (since May 1, 1998)
Neighbouring places Velten Hohen Neuendorf Berlin Schönwalde-Glien Oberkrämer
Twin towns – sister cities
Hennigsdorf is twinned with:
Alsdorf, Germany Choisy-le-Roi, France Kralupy nad Vltavou, Czech Republic Środa Wielkopolska, Poland
Economy Located in Hennigsdorf is the (Bombardier until 2021) Stadler LEW Hennigsdorf train factory and a steel smelter.
Sport Hennigsdorf is home to Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby, a rugby union club. The team, formed in 1948 under the leadership of Erwin Thiesies, was the most successful side during the East German era of the town, having won 27 national championships from 1952 to 1990.Rugby in Hennigsdorf - Eine Chronologie Stahl Hennigsdorf website - club history, accessed: 10 April 2010
Demography
Notable people
Michael Hartmann (born 1974), footballer Frank Klawonn (born 1966), rower Dirk Kummer (born 1966), actor, director, writer Martin Männel (born 1988), footballer Erich Muhsfeldt (1913–1948), SS officer at Auschwitz and Majdanek concentration camps executed for war crimes Erich Priebke (1913–2013), Nazi war criminal Karsten Schmeling (born 1962), rower Erwin Thiesies (1908–1993), rugby union player who died in Hennigsdorf
See also LEW Hennigsdorf, large rail vehicle factory located in Hennigsdorf
References
External links