Perleberg Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Perleberg

Market place of Perleberg with town hall, St James's church and Roland statue

Coat of arms

Country

Elevation

31 m (102 ft)

Population

(2022-12-31)

• Total

12,108

CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)

19348

03876

Website

www.stadt-perleberg.de

Perleberg is a city in Germany, found in the northwest part of the state of Brandenburg. It is the main city of the Prignitz district. Perleberg was given official city rights in 1239. Today, about 12,000 people live there. The area around the city is mostly farmland. Perleberg has a long history of being a place where soldiers were based, especially from Prussia. It has also always been an important center for local government.

Where is Perleberg Located?
A Look at Perleberg's History
Images for kids
See also

Where is Perleberg Located?

A 16th-century Roland statue in Perleberg.

Perleberg is right in the middle of the Prignitz district. It's about halfway between Germany's two biggest cities, Berlin and Hamburg.

The city is surrounded by several other towns and areas:

To the northwest is Karstädt.
To the northeast is Gross Pankow (Prignitz).
To the southeast is Plattenburg.
To the south are the Ämter (groups of smaller towns) of Bad Wilsnack/Weisen.
To the west is Lenzen-Elbtalaue.
To the southwest is the town of Wittenberge.

The Stepenitz River flows through Perleberg from the northeast to the southwest. The old part of the city is actually built on an island between two parts of this river.

A Look at Perleberg's History

Perleberg has a rich history with many interesting events.

St. James's Church

One of the oldest buildings in the city is St. James's Church. It was first mentioned in records in 1294. Over the years, it was changed many times. It was greatly rebuilt in the 1850s. In German, the church is called Jakobikirche. Because of this, it is sometimes wrongly called St. Jacob's in English.

The Hanseatic League and Wars

In the 1300s, Perleberg was very important. It was part of the Hanseatic League, which was a powerful group of trading cities in Northern Europe.

In 1523, Perleberg was a meeting point for an army. Elector Joachim I gathered soldiers here to help his brother-in-law, Christian II of Denmark, get his throne back.

The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) caused a lot of damage to Perleberg. Before the war, about 3,500 people lived in the city. After the war, only 300 people were left. The mayor who helped rebuild the city after this terrible time was Georg Krusemarck.

The Disappearance of Benjamin Bathurst

On November 25, 1809, a diplomat named Benjamin Bathurst disappeared in Perleberg. What happened to him is still a mystery. Over time, stories about his disappearance became very dramatic. Some people even claimed that strange or supernatural things caused him to vanish.