600 years of history: anniversary celebrations in Potsdam-Mittelmark 2025

600 years of history: anniversary celebrations in Potsdam-Mittelmark 2025

On June 29, 2025, there are some anniversaries in Potsdam-Mittelmark that have washed: a total of 31 locations celebrate their 650th anniversary. These include charming cities such as Michendorf, Elsholz, Wildenbruch, Seddin, Kemnitz and Kleinmachnow. The celebrations are colorful and diverse, from parades to services to services to fire brigade competitions, exhibitions and stirring stage programs. Some of the places have even created special hymns to celebrate. There is something! These festivals are not only an occasion to celebrate, but also remind of the historical importance of the regions, which were mentioned in the famous Landbuch in 1375 by Emperor Charles IV. The RBB reports that this landbook represents one of the earliest records of income and taxes in the region, which is why it is still of great interest.

The importance of the landbook, which was created in 1375, cannot be assessed high enough. It served to record hundreds of settlements and was a significant contribution to researching social and economic structures of the Middle Ages. The landbook not only devotes itself to the villages, but also gives insights into church structures and administrative organizations. The story tells that Emperor Charles IV acquired the Mark Brandenburg for 500,000 guilders from Otto V. But he was much more important to him the course vote associated with the acquisition. One reason for the purchase was also the desire for more power in northern Germany, which in previous years led to a conflict with Otto V.

historical meaning and origin

The creation of the land register is a significant moment in regional history. As early as 1371, a conflict between Charles IV and Otto V, which finally resulted in the contract of Fürstenwalde. This agreement assured Karl IV. As Wikipedia reports, the landbook was mainly launched for the purpose of an orderly state administration. Margravial writers were supported by land riders and birds in order to collect the necessary data. This survey was not always easy and was occasionally exposed to threats of landlords who wanted to hinder the records.

The extensive recording of the region comprised over 700 villages, many of them founded before 1375, but mostly without older documentary evidence. In the Brandenburg Museum in Potsdam, an extract of the land book is exhibited, which is not only of interest to historians, but also everyone who is interested in the development of the region.

a valuable heir

The inheritance of the land book is still important to this day, even if the first comprehensive statistical overview has only been implemented by Charles IV. In fact, the landbook experienced several editions that were based on various manuscripts. Ewald Friedrich von Hertzberg presented the first edition in 1781, followed by Ernst Fidicin in 1856, and finally Johannes Schultze 1940.

Nowadays, the Landbuch der Mark Brandenburg is viewed as a valuable document in German history that not only gives an insight into the administration, economy and society of the 14th century, but has also paved the way for future research. The historical context and the celebrations around the 650 year old communities impressively show how deeply rooted the story is in the present.