Brandenburg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandenburg
State of Germany
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Brandenburg in Germany
Country	Germany
Capital	Potsdam
Area
• Total	29,479 km2 (11,382 sq mi)
Population
• Total	2,548,200
• Density	86.4412/km2 (223.882/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Website	brandenburg.de

Brandenburg is a state in Germany. It became a state again in 1990. It covers about 29,000 square kilometers. Around 2.6 million people live there.

Before 1945, Brandenburg was a large province in Prussia. It had about 3 million people. From 1949 to 1952, it was a state in East Germany. Then, it was split into three smaller areas called Bezirke. The main city of Brandenburg is Potsdam.

Berlin is right in the middle of Brandenburg. But Berlin is its own special city state. It is not part of Brandenburg.

Brandenburg's Journey Through Time

Brandenburg has a long and interesting past. Here are some key moments in its history:

• 1373: Karl IV bought Brandenburg for his sons from the Wittelsbacher family.
• 1539: The Protestant Reformation brought big changes to the region.
• 1618: Brandenburg joined with Prussia.
• 1815: Brandenburg became a province within Prussia.
• 1945: Brandenburg lost about a third of its land to Poland.
• 1949: It became a state in East Germany.
• 1952: It was divided into three Bezirke (districts).
• 1990: Brandenburg became a state again when Germany reunited.

How Brandenburg is Organized

Brandenburg is divided into different areas to help manage it. These include fourteen rural counties and four major cities.

Rural Counties of Brandenburg

Brandenburg has fourteen Kreise, which are like rural counties:

• Prignitz
• Ostprignitz-Ruppin
• Oberhavel
• Uckermark
• Havelland
• Barnim
• Märkisch-Oderland
• Potsdam-Mittelmark
• Teltow-Fläming
• Oder-Spree
• Dahme-Spreewald
• Elbe-Elster
• Oberspreewald-Lausitz
• Spree-Neiße

Major Cities of Brandenburg

Brandenburg also has four Kreisfreie Städte. These are cities that manage themselves and are not part of a county:

• Brandenburg
• Cottbus
• Frankfurt an der Oder
• Potsdam

Leaders of Brandenburg

The head of the government in Brandenburg is called the Minister-President. Here are the people who have held this important role:

• 1945 - 1949: Karl Steinhoff
• 1949 - 1952: Rudi Jahn
• 1990 - 2002: Manfred Stolpe (SPD)
• 2002 - 2013: Matthias Platzeck (SPD)
• Since 2013: Dietmar Woidke (SPD)

Images for kids

• 

  The capital city, Potsdam

• 

  A map showing Brandenburg's counties and cities

• 

  Eisenhardt Castle in Bad Belzig

• 

  Brandenburg's victory over Swedish forces at the Battle of Fehrbellin in 1675

• 

  The Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, a beautiful former summer palace. It is now a World Heritage Site.

• 

  Glienicke Bridge, famous for spy exchanges during the Cold War.

• 

  The Spreewald, a special nature area protected by UNESCO.

• 

  The University of Potsdam.

• 

  Spreewald gherkins, a local specialty.

See also

In Spanish: Brandeburgo para niños