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Brandenburg (German: [ˈbʁandn̩bʊʁk] ⓘ), officially the State of Brandenburg (see Names), is a state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the fifth-largest German state by area and the tenth-most populous, with 2.5 million ...
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Brandenburg, Land (state), eastern Germany. The current territory of Brandenburg state occupies what were the east-central and eastern portions of former East Germany, extending east-west from the Oder and Neisse rivers to the Elbe region and north-south from the Mecklenburg lake district to lower Lusatia (Lausitz). Brandenburg is bounded by the Ge...
The landscape of present-day Brandenburg is very much the product of glaciation. Most of the state consists of a sandy plain that is interspersed with numerous fertile areas and stretches of pine and fir forests. Because of its sandy soils, it was formerly popularly known as the “sandbox of the Holy Roman Empire.” It is, however, traversed by tributaries of the Elbe and Oder rivers and boasts more than 3,000 lakes. About half of the state’s area is used for agriculture, and roughly another one-third of the region is covered by forests. The Lower Oder Valley National Park, established in 1995 in the northeasternmost part of Brandenburg, is part of a joint Polish-German effort to help preserve the region’s distinctive flora and fauna. Ironically, the ecology of the region benefited from decades of the relative economic neglect of the area. The state lies wholly within the North European Plain (see European Plain) and has a moderate climate, determined both by maritime influences, which predominate in areas to the west, and by continental influences, which affect the east.
Brandenburg is one of Germany’s least densely populated states. It is mostly inhabited by ethnic Germans; a small indigenous Slavic group, the Sorbs (concentrated in the southeastern part of the state); and a relatively small immigrant population. Unlike the other eastern German states, Brandenburg experienced a positive rate of population growth from 1995 to 2000, largely as the result of the suburbanization of the economic activities and population of Berlin. Since 2000, however, the population trajectory for Brandenburg has reversed, though growth has continued in suburban areas near Berlin, which were among the very few areas within eastern Germany that grew early in the century. Potsdam, Cottbus, Brandenburg city, and Frankfurt an der Oder are Brandenburg’s only significant cities, none of which is large.
While still a dominating factor on the landscape, agriculture plays a relatively small role in terms of economic output and employment in Brandenburg. Rye, wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, rapeseed, and fodder crops are the principal crops grown. Livestock raising and the market gardening of fruits and vegetables, especially apples, cherries, asparagus, peas, and cucumbers, are also important. Dairying, especially for the production of butter and cheese, is another significant economic activity.
The major industrial resource in Brandenburg is lignite, which is mined in the Lusatia field, located in the southeastern part of the state and in neighbouring Saxony. Output and employment in this sector burgeoned under the autarkic economic policies of East Germany, but following unification both output and employment plummeted drastically, the latter by some nine-tenths. Still, the Lusatia field produces about one-fifth of all German lignite, which serves as a resource for producing energy, chemicals, and other products. Two positive impacts of reduced coal mining have been ongoing work to revegetate the extensive open-pit mines and greatly improved air quality, resulting from both the closing of many pollution-spewing plants and the fitting of others with filters that reduce airborne exhaust.
Brandenburg is one of Germany’s poorer states. Following unification many factories closed, employment declined, and unemployment increased dramatically, to about one-sixth of the workforce, a level that changed little in the mid- and late 1990s and the first years of the new century. Brandenburg has a varied industrial base, with engineering, steelmaking, metalworking, paper production, food processing, petroleum refining, mining, and the production of energy from lignite most well represented. The Brandenburg-Berlin region, including especially Potsdam in Brandenburg, is the site of an emerging cluster of biotechnology research-and-development activities. Urban-industrial nodes in Brandenburg include Cottbus, Frankfurt an der Oder, Schwedt, Eissenhüttenstadt, Eberswalde, Oranienburg, Potsdam, Fürstenwalde, and Brandenburg city.
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The historic principality of Brandenburg originated as a margravate, or mark, that was an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. Brandenburg was the nucleus of the dynastic power on which the kingdom of Prussia was founded, and it was merged administratively with that kingdom in 1701. It became a province of Prussia in 1815 and remained such after th...
Brandenburg is a state in eastern Germany, bordering Poland and Berlin. It has a sandy plain, many lakes, and a rich cultural heritage, but also faces economic challenges and environmental issues.
Brandenburg was a historical margravate and electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, and the nucleus of the kingdom of Prussia. Learn about its location, history, events, people, and relation to Berlin and other regions of Germany.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
May 22, 2018 · Discover the state of Brandenburg, Germany, with its palaces, gardens, forests, memorials and film studios. Learn about its history, culture and nature with this guide to the best attractions and activities.
- Marion Kutter
Aug 27, 2024 · Brandenburg, city, Brandenburg Land (state), eastern Germany. The city lies on both banks of the Havel River, west of Berlin. It was founded as Branibor (Brennabor, or Brennaburg) by the West Slavic Havelli tribe and was captured by the German king Henry I the Fowler in 928. A bishopric was first.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Brandenburg offers water sports, cycling, nature and culture along its rivers, lakes and wetlands. Visit Brandenburg an der Havel, a town with a cathedral, museums and local cuisine.
Brandenburg, Germany offers a charming mix of rich history, beautiful scenes, and social encounters. Investigate the astonishing Sanssouci Castle and Gardens in Potsdam, witness the famous Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and submerge yourself in the energetic expressions and nightlife scenes.
