View source for Schwedt

{{Expand German|topic=geo|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox German place
|type               = Stadt
|image_coa          = Wappen der Stadt Schwedt.svg
|image_photo        = Schwedt.jpg
|image_caption      = Old town
|coordinates        = {{coord|53|03|N|14|16|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan         = Schwedt-Oder in UM.png
|state              = Brandenburg
|district           = Uckermark
|elevation          = 6
|area               = 360.73
|Gemeindeschlüssel  = 12073532
|postal_code        = 16303
|area_code          = 03332, 033336
|licence            = UM, SDT
|website            = {{URL|http://www.schwedt.eu}}
|mayor              = Annekathrin Hoppe<ref>[https://wahlen.brandenburg.de/wahlen/de/kommunalwahlen/bm-wahlen/ergebnisse/~12073000 Landkreis Uckermark Wahl der Bürgermeisterin / des Bürgermeisters], accessed 7 March 2022.</ref>
|leader_term        = 2021&ndash;29
|party              = SPD
}}
'''Schwedt''' (or '''Schwedt/Oder'''; {{IPA|de|ˈʃveːt|lang|De-Schwedt.ogg}}) is a town in [[Brandenburg]], in northeastern [[Germany]]. With the official status of a ''[[Große Kreisstadt|Große kreisangehörige Stadt]]'' (major district town), it is the largest town of the [[Uckermark (district)|Uckermark district]], located near the river [[Oder]], which forms the border with [[Poland]].
==Overview==
The formerly agrarian town today has one of the largest [[oil refinery|oil refineries]] (''PCK Raffinerie GmbH'') in Germany, established in 1958 and connected to the Russian [[Druzhba pipeline]] network.<ref>{{cite web |title=Möbel statt Braunkohle: Die größten Unternehmen in Brandenburg |url=https://www.manager-magazin.de/fotostrecke/brandenburg-die-groessten-unternehmen-fotostrecke-170356-3.html |website=manager magazin |date=2019-08-28}}</ref> The refinery uses 20 million cubic meters of water<!--Oder?--> per year for the process.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Heisterkamp |first1=Lucia |title=Wo Brandenburger Industrie Millionen Kubikmeter Wasser verbraucht |url=https://www.rbb24.de/studiofrankfurt/wirtschaft/tesla/2021/09/tesla-wasser-arcelor-stahlwerk-gruenheide-eisenhuettenstadt.html |website=www.rbb24.de |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210919214735/https://www.rbb24.de/studiofrankfurt/wirtschaft/tesla/2021/09/tesla-wasser-arcelor-stahlwerk-gruenheide-eisenhuettenstadt.html |archive-date=19 September 2021 |language=de |date=16 September 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>
A large [[Pulp and paper industry|paper factory]] (''[[UPM (company)|UPM]]'') is located near Schwedt.<ref>{{cite web |title=Möbel statt Braunkohle: Die größten Unternehmen in Brandenburg |url=https://www.manager-magazin.de/fotostrecke/brandenburg-die-groessten-unternehmen-fotostrecke-170356-8.html |website=manager magazin}}</ref> Most industries were located in the remote area during [[East Germany|communist rule]] in the 1960s and 1970s.
Large residential areas were built for the workers moving to Schwedt. About 9% of the town's flats are in prefab concrete buildings (''[[Plattenbau]]'') dating from the era. As many jobs were lost after [[German reunification]] and the return to market economy, Schwedt has lost a quarter of its population since 1990. In recent decades, Schwedt became a model town for the demolition of ''Plattenbau'' housing to combat [[urban decay]].
==Geography==
Schwedt is situated in the east of the historic [[Uckermark]] region stretching from the Oder to the [[Havel]] River. It is situated on a [[outwash plain|sandur]] at the western edge of the Oder [[floodplain]] running along the [[German-Polish border]], which in 1995 was declared as the [[Lower Oder Valley National Park]] nature reserve. Across the river and the border, about {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the southeast, is the Polish town of [[Chojna]]. The nearest German towns are [[Angermünde]] (about {{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the west) and [[Gartz]] ({{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=on}} down the Oder).
===Local districts===
In a 1974 municipal reform, the neighbouring village of Heinersdorf was incorporated into Schwedt, followed by Blumenhagen, Gatow and Kunow in 1993, by Kummerow in 1998, by Criewen and Zützen in 2001, Stendell in 2002, the former town [[Vierraden]] in 2003, [[Schöneberg, Brandenburg|Schöneberg]] in January 2021 and [[Berkholz-Meyenburg]], [[Mark Landin]] and [[Passow, Brandenburg|Passow]] in April 2022.<ref>[https://www.landesrecht.brandenburg.de/dislservice/disl/dokumente/9601/dokument/15211 Gesetz über die Gebietsänderung der amtsangehörigen Gemeinden des Amtes Oder-Welse, Berkholz-Meyenburg, Mark Landin, Passow und Pinnow (Uckermark)], Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für das Land Brandenburg, 25 March 2022.</ref> With {{convert|360.73|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} Schwedt is among the 10 largest German municipalities by area (9th as of Nov. 2023).
===Nearest cities and towns===
[[Gartz]] (Germany), [[Penkun]] (Germany), [[Szczecin]] (Poland), [[Gryfino]] (Poland), [[Cedynia]] (Poland), [[Chojna]] (Poland), [[Mieszkowice]] (Poland), [[Moryń]] (Poland), [[Trzcińsko-Zdrój]] (Poland), [[Myślibórz]] (Poland), [[Pyrzyce]] (Poland).
==History==
After the [[Migration Period]], the area had been settled by [[Polabian Slavs]]. From 937 onwards the lands of the Slavic [[Ukrani]] tribes in the west were subdued by the [[Duchy of Saxony|Saxon]] forces of Margrave [[Gero]] and incorporated into his vast ''[[Marca Geronis]]'', while the lands east of the Oder were held by [[Pomeranians (Slavic tribe)|Pomeranian]] tribes under sovereignty of the newly formed [[Duchy of Poland (c. 960–1025)|Duchy of Poland]] ruled by Duke [[Mieszko I of Poland|Mieszko I]]. The Saxon [[Northern March]] was lost in the [[Great Slav Rising]] of 983, and not before 1147 the Saxon count [[Albert the Bear]] again invaded the lands on the Oder river, which remained disputed between the newly established [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] and the [[Duchy of Pomerania|Pomeranian dukes]].
The settlement of Schwedt was first mentioned in a 1265 deed. In the course of the [[Brandenburg–Pomeranian conflict]], the Brandenburg margrave [[Louis II, Elector of Brandenburg|Louis II the Roman]] ceded it to Duke [[Barnim III, Duke of Pomerania|Barnim III of Pomerania]] in 1354. It was again besieged by the first [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]] margrave [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick I]] in 1434, but to no avail. In 1481 the [[Thuringia]]n counts of [[Hohnstein Castle|Hohnstein]] acquired the estates; they granted town privileges to Schwedt as well as to neighbouring Vierraden and introduced the [[Protestant Reformation]].
The rise of Schwedt came to an end with the extinction of the Hohnstein counts in 1609 and the disastrous [[Thirty Years' War]], when the town on the road from [[Stettin]] to [[Berlin]] was plundered several times. In 1631 King [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden]], after landing in Pomerania, camped here on his way to the [[Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)|Battle of Breitenfeld]]. Six years later the Swedish field marshal [[Johan Banér]] set the town on fire, after its citizens refused to capitulate.
During the [[Great Northern War]], the [[Treaty of Schwedt]] was signed in the town.
From 1815 to 1945, Schwedt was part of the [[Prussia]]n [[Province of Brandenburg]].
Near the end of [[World War II]], over two months of heavy fighting destroyed an estimated 85 percent of the town, including the Schwedt Castle. The [[Soviet Army]] occupied Schwedt on April 26, 1945, two weeks before the final defeat of Nazi Germany.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080922164541/http://www.moz.de/index.php/Moz/Article/category/Uckermark/id/55826 ''Schwedt war menschenleer.'' In: ''Märkische Oderzeitung.'' 27. April 2005]</ref> From 1945 to 1952, Schwedt was part of the state of [[Brandenburg]] and from 1952 to 1990 of the [[Bezirk Frankfurt]] of [[East Germany]]. During the 1960s, the government of the DDR expanded housing and encouraged people to move to Schwedt, a trend that ended with [[German reunification]]. Since 1990, Schwedt is again part of the State of Brandenburg.
==Demography==
<gallery widths="250" heights="200">
Bevölkerungsentwicklung Schwedt.pdf|Development of population since 1875 within the current Boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population development in Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of [[Nazi Germany]]; Red Background: Time of communist [[East Germany]])
Bevölkerungsprognosen Schwedt.pdf|Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the [[Census in Germany]] in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005–2030 (yellow line); for 2017–2030 (scarlet line); for 2020–2030 (green line)
</gallery>
{{historical populations
|align=none | cols=3 | percentages=pagr
|title = Schwedt/Oder: Population development <br>within the current boundaries (2020)<ref>Detailed data sources are to be found in the Wikimedia Commons.[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Population_projection_Brandenburg Population Projection Brandenburg at Wikimedia Commons]</ref>
| 1875 | 15127
| 1890 | 14709
| 1910 | 14125
| 1925 | 13640
| 1939 | 13512
| 1950 | 12418
| 1964 | 23441
| 1971 | 38211
| 1981 | 54933
| 1985 | 54142
| 1990 | 53628
| 1995 | 49371
| 2000 | 42261
| 2005 | 37259
| 2010 | 34035
| 2015 | 30262
| 2016 | 30182
| 2017 | 30075
| 2018 | 29920
| 2019 | 29680
| 2020 | 29433
}}
==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Schwedt is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstadt|url=https://www.schwedt.eu/de/stichwortverzeichnis/partnerstadt/109781|website=schwedt.eu|publisher=Schwedt/Oder|language=de|access-date=2021-03-09}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Gmina Chojna|Chojna]], Poland
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Gmina Gryfino|Gryfino]], Poland
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Koszalin]], Poland
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Leverkusen]], Germany
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Gmina Moryń|Moryń]], Poland
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Tuapse]], Russia
{{div col end}}
==Notable people==
[[File:General von Schmidt.jpg|thumb|140px|General von Schmidt]]
*[[Heinrich Schmelka]] (1777–1837), stage actor
*[[Leonhard von Blumenthal|Leonhardt von Blumenthal]] (1810–1900), Prussian Field Marshal
*[[Karl von Schmidt]] (1817–1875), Prussian cavalry commander
*[[Paul von Hintze]] (1864–1941), naval officer, diplomat and politician
*[[Max Lemke]] (1895–1985), officer, Major-General last in World War II
*[[Heinz von Cleve]] (1897–1984), actor
*[[Horst Wendlandt]] (1922–2002), film producer
*[[Jörg Hoffmann (swimmer)|Jörg Hoffmann]] (born 1970), freestyle swimmer
*[[Britta Steffen]] (born 1983), freestyle swimmer
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons category|Schwedt/Oder|Schwedt}}
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Schwedt}}
*{{Official website|URL=http://www.schwedt.eu/}} {{in lang|de}}
*{{Official website|URL=http://www.schwedt.eu/cms/detail.php/land_bb_boa_01.c.58897.de?_lang=en}} {{in lang|en}}
*[http://www.unteres-odertal.de/ official website of National Park "Unteres Odertal"] {{in lang|de}}
*[http://www.pck.de official website of PCK Raffinerie GmbH] {{in lang|de}}
{{Cities and towns in Uckermark (district)}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Schwedt| ]]
[[Category:Localities in Uckermark (district)]]
[[Category:Germany–Poland border crossings]]
[[Category:Socialist planned cities]]