Brandenburg

Brandenburg is a state (Bundesland) in Germany. It has been a state since 1990. It is 29,056 km² in area. It has about 2.6 million inhabitants.

Until 1945 it was the biggest province in Prussia, with 38,278 km² and 3 million inhabitants. From 1949 to 1952 it was a state in the German Democratic Republic. In 1952 it became divided into three Bezirke (Potsdam, Frankfurt and Cottbus). The capital of Brandenburg is Potsdam.

Berlin is in the middle of Brandenburg. But it is not part of Brandenburg. It is a city state.

History of Brandenburg

 * 1373 Karl IV bought Brandenburg for his sons from the Wittelsbacher
 * 1539 Protestant Reformation
 * 1618 United with Prussia
 * 1815 Brandenburg became a province in Prussia
 * 1945 Brandenburg lost 32% to Poland
 * 1949 State in East Germany
 * 1952 Divided into three Bezirke (Districts)
 * 1990 State of the reunited Germany

Administration
Brandenburg is divided into fourteen Kreise (districts):
 * Prignitz
 * Ostprignitz-Ruppin
 * Oberhavel
 * Uckermark
 * Havelland
 * Barnim
 * Märkisch-Oderland
 * Potsdam-Mittelmark
 * Teltow-Fläming
 * Oder-Spree
 * Dahme-Spreewald
 * Elbe-Elster
 * Oberspreewald-Lausitz
 * Spree-Neiße

Also Brandenburg has four Kreisfreie Städte (district-free city):
 * Brandenburg
 * Cottbus
 * Frankfurt an der Oder
 * Potsdam

List of Minister-Presidents of Brandenburg

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

Cities and counties in Brandenburg
Brandenburg is divided into fourteen (rural) counties (Landkreise),



and four urban districts (kreisfreie Städte),


 * 1) Brandenburg an der Havel
 * 2) Cottbus
 * 3) Frankfurt (Oder)
 * 4) Potsdam