Buckow

For the locality in the Berlin borough of Neukölln, see Buckow (Berlin).

Buckow
Town
View from Buckowsee
Coat of arms
Location of Buckow within Märkisch-Oderland district <imagemap>File: Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) in MOL.png | 240x240px poly 59 214 65 192 88 188 94 186 93 171 69 169 67 181 39 182 32 195 18 198 19 214 Altlandsberg poly 263 236 270 230 273 228 282 225 272 222 264 217 261 209 246 212 240 212 239 230 247 224 258 224 262 228 258 234 Alt Tucheband poly 131 128 141 118 145 108 141 99 150 86 148 75 158 58 154 45 142 42 125 51 135 62 137 65 129 70 108 76 104 85 109 88 106 104 115 112 114 126 117 129 Bad Freienwalde poly 47 158 73 141 73 135 61 139 54 134 42 135 Beiersdorf-Freudenberg poly 288 195 285 184 248 164 247 176 252 181 248 191 274 186 276 198 286 205 Bleyen-Genschmar poly 157 169 165 155 174 152 179 144 169 141 166 138 146 143 143 160 Bliesdorf poly 130 215 142 209 150 204 147 198 138 203 130 200 124 204 115 204 113 208 Buckow poly 83 127 69 122 73 112 76 104 95 94 98 86 106 86 107 99 112 113 114 122 106 123 96 113 88 116 Falkenberg poly 205 285 190 273 193 258 199 259 212 257 213 265 216 279 Falkenhagen poly 244 264 245 250 236 253 223 243 215 254 224 263 239 268 Fichtenhöhe poly 41 241 28 235 41 228 40 217 35 216 35 212 47 216 46 224 Fredersdorf-Vogelsdorf poly 93 222 91 216 97 214 101 215 108 216 110 205 117 206 126 212 118 229 Garzau-Garzin poly 238 211 253 213 263 206 262 191 245 198 Golzow poly 213 216 218 200 228 195 225 187 216 187 199 180 194 192 196 208 Gusow-Platkow poly 75 143 85 133 85 125 69 122 71 116 55 123 50 120 39 126 43 136 67 137 Heckelberg-Brunow poly 81 156 99 149 108 140 110 132 104 121 95 115 87 115 83 136 73 143 70 156 Höhenland poly 20 249 26 234 15 225 18 217 19 207 9 203 2 212 7 222 15 224 7 237 5 253 Hoppegarten poly 289 222 288 210 295 203 289 200 277 196 275 185 261 190 260 211 269 224 280 226 Küstriner Vorland poly 240 284 252 284 266 288 269 282 272 264 287 256 266 261 256 258 254 243 244 248 Lebus poly 227 192 235 179 236 169 249 166 234 148 217 126 207 115 208 126 192 137 186 148 200 154 188 171 Letschin poly 192 259 187 253 196 246 208 241 215 238 221 250 214 261 Lietzen poly 222 249 211 236 231 229 244 224 259 227 257 237 252 248 236 256 Lindendorf poly 145 203 162 197 162 184 156 174 149 166 138 177 Märkische Höhe poly 135 260 135 245 119 252 116 263 105 257 109 252 101 247 113 235 118 227 124 230 138 223 139 208 150 200 159 194 172 197 173 212 180 218 185 231 180 240 167 239 164 253 Müncheberg poly 30 234 36 229 37 215 27 215 19 217 13 221 15 228 Neuenhagen bei Berlin poly 181 216 173 199 153 192 160 177 158 169 167 158 184 168 199 175 197 192 193 207 Neuhardenberg poly 193 137 203 131 208 124 208 120 192 111 188 102 174 106 176 120 184 120 179 128 179 132 177 137 Neulewin poly 186 165 161 155 170 155 178 147 170 138 180 138 191 136 189 146 203 154 189 170 Neutrebbin poly 117 203 115 190 107 199 94 201 95 185 121 184 126 178 141 176 139 191 145 202 Oberbarnim poly 162 129 167 113 180 121 178 100 185 102 169 89 146 84 143 97 148 122 Oderaue poly 46 232 48 218 51 215 62 214 65 211 67 212 59 226 65 230 Petershagen-Eggersdorf poly 271 260 280 255 273 240 270 233 255 234 254 245 255 259 Podelzig poly 94 185 90 171 70 168 69 157 98 153 106 145 118 142 123 147 116 168 127 177 125 185 Prötzel poly 105 248 113 240 119 227 94 224 89 213 79 216 74 229 78 236 86 237 86 251 Rehfelde poly 137 176 120 173 123 166 117 166 124 157 134 159 144 155 147 166 Reichenow-Möglin poly 283 255 295 242 288 225 269 233 Reitwein poly 54 264 73 256 86 248 87 241 80 237 75 224 59 233 46 230 40 243 Rüdersdorf poly 219 231 231 223 237 216 246 198 231 194 221 200 217 215 208 216 Seelow poly 71 228 79 214 90 213 103 213 109 207 117 207 125 203 117 199 114 187 108 194 94 203 94 189 84 189 66 190 62 209 66 212 59 227 Strausberg poly 231 294 233 283 233 279 217 280 218 288 Treplin poly 189 250 197 242 214 236 228 231 238 225 240 218 240 218 222 228 212 232 210 209 195 207 183 210 181 222 179 237 174 246 Vierlinden poly 123 232 137 225 140 214 128 212 115 232 Waldsieversdorf poly 123 159 121 146 114 143 104 143 111 130 108 125 126 131 139 124 144 108 162 131 167 119 184 123 179 139 171 139 166 133 151 144 147 155 Wriezen poly 244 201 226 193 237 180 237 169 247 167 250 182 252 189 266 191 Zechin poly 211 294 217 288 219 283 223 280 235 280 240 278 243 265 227 266 218 255 212 261 215 267 217 277 207 275 202 293 Zeschdorf poly 297 110 296 0 189 0 189 101 199 107 Brandenburg desc bottom-right </imagemap>
Buckow Buckow
Coordinates: 52°34′N 14°05′E
Country	Germany
State	Brandenburg
District	Märkisch-Oderland
Municipal assoc.	Märkische Schweiz
Subdivisions	2 Ortsteile
Government
• Mayor (2024–29)	Thomas Mix (SPD)
Area
• Total	14.31 km2 (5.53 sq mi)
Highest elevation	40 m (130 ft)
Lowest elevation	27 m (89 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	1,503
• Density	110/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	15377
Dialling codes	033433
Vehicle registration	MOL
Website	www.buckow-online.de

Buckow (German pronunciation: [ˈbʊkoː] or [ˈbuːkoː] ) is a town in the Märkisch-Oderland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. The water cure resort is the administrative seat of the Amt (municipal association) Märkische Schweiz and located in the centre of the eponymous hill range, which has been part of the Märkische Schweiz Nature Park protected area since 1990.

Geography

Buckow beach on Schermützelsee

Buckow is located about 8 km (5.0 mi) northwest of Müncheberg and 45 km (28 mi) east of the Berlin city centre. The town is situated in a glacial trough between the Berlin Urstromtal in the southwest and the Oder Valley in the northeast, crossed by the Stobber River with its source in the Rotes Luch lowland. The trough comprises several lakes, of which the Schermützelsee west of the town centre is the largest.

Overview

The town arose at the site of a former Slavic (Wendish) settlement which according to archaeological findings possibly was founded in the mid 9th century, its name referring to the Slavic: buk, "beech". The Märkische Schweiz area was part of Lubusz Land held by Prince Mieszko I of Poland in the late 10th century, which later formed the northwestern part of the Duchy of Silesia. In 1224 the Piast duke Henry I the Bearded granted large estates to the Cistercian monks of Lubiąż (Leubus) and Trzebnica (Trebnitz) Abbeys and had the lands settled with German-speaking colonists.

From about 1249/50 the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg took control over Lubusz Land, initially rivalling with the Prince-Archbishops of Magdeburg. Buchowe was first mentioned in a 1253 deed issued by Archbishop Rudolf von Dingelstädt. It is also mentioned in the 1375 land register of Emperor Charles IV and was already called an oppidum in a 1405 purchase contract.

Castle grounds

Buckow was devastated during a Hussite campaign on 17 April 1432. The House of Hohenzollern elector Frederick II of Brandenburg vested the farming citizens with market rights in 1465. During early modern times, Buckow evolved as a centre of hop growing and brewing. The town privileges were officially confirmed in 1550.

In the 17th century the estates were held by the Pfuel noble family and in 1688 were acquired by the Brandenburgian field marshal Heino Heinrich von Flemming, who had the Baroque Buckow Castle erected, which, rebuilt in a 19th-century Neoclassical style according to plans designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, was heavily damaged in World War II and demolished in 1948. The extended English landscape gardens have been preserved.

Brecht-Weigel-Haus

With the opening of the Prussian Eastern Railway station at neighbouring Müncheberg in 1865, followed by a direct narrow gauge railway connection to Buckow in 1897, the picturesque setting of the town made it become a popular destination for daytrippers from Berlin and several well-off families had summer cottages erected. The writer Egon Kisch spent holidays there, as did the artist John Heartfield. From 1952 Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel had their summer residence in Buckow, where Brecht wrote his Buckow Elegies in response to the Uprising of 1953 in East Germany. The villa today is a memorial site and a place for readings.

Politics

Seats in the municipal assembly (Stadtverordnetenversammlung) as of 2019 local elections:

• Christian Democratic Union (CDU): 3
• Bürger für Buckowç 2
• Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD): 2
• The Left (Die Linke): 1
• Bürger.Dialog.Buckow: 1
• Pro Zukunft (Independent): 1

Demography

Changes in population since 1875 within the current boundaries (Blue line: Population; Dotted line: Comparison to population development of Brandenburg state; Grey background: Time of Nazi rule; Red background: Time of communist rule)

Buckow (Märkische Schweiz): Population development
within the current boundaries (2013)

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1875 1,709 —     1890 1,871 +0.61% 1910 2,127 +0.64% 1925 2,414 +0.85% 1933 2,399 −0.08% 1939 2,302 −0.69% 1946 2,467 +0.99% 1950 2,863 +3.79% 1964 2,537 −0.86% 1971 2,477 −0.34% 1981 2,197 −1.19% 1985 2,093 −1.21% 1989 2,019 −0.90% 1990 1,994 −1.24% 1991 1,930 −3.21% 1992 1,899 −1.61% 1993 1,871 −1.47% 1994 1,886 +0.80% 1995 1,855 −1.64% 1996 1,829 −1.40%

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1997 1,800 −1.59% 1998 1,785 −0.83% 1999 1,779 −0.34% 2000 1,713 −3.71% 2001 1,691 −1.28% 2002 1,692 +0.06% 2003 1,655 −2.19% 2004 1,683 +1.69% 2005 1,685 +0.12% 2006 1,659 −1.54% 2007 1,642 −1.02% 2008 1,610 −1.95% 2009 1,633 +1.43% 2010 1,602 −1.90% 2011 1,508 −5.87% 2012 1,487 −1.39% 2013 1,500 +0.87% 2014 1,466 −2.27% 2015 1,510 +3.00% 2016 1,490 −1.32%

International relations

Town hall

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Buckow is twinned with:

• Brilon, Germany
• Łagów, Świebodzin County, Poland
• Adare (Áth Dara), Ireland

Personalities

Helene Weigel 1967

• Theodor Fontane (1819–1898), author, wrote in the Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg in volume 2 "The Oderland" about Buckow
• Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956), writer, lived in Buckow in 1952-1956
• Helene Weigel, (1900–1971), actress, lived in Buckow in 1952-1971
• Ralf Dahrendorf (1929–2009), sociologist and politician, attended a boarding school in Buckow from 1941 to 1944

External links

Media related to Buckow at Wikimedia Commons

• (in German) Brecht-Weigel-Haus