- Prignitz
Infobox German district noregbez
name=Prignitz
state=Brandenburg
capital=Perleberg
area=2,123
population=92,646
population_as_of=2002
density=44
carsign=PR
url= [http://www.landkreis-prignitz.de landkreis-prignitz.de]Prignitz (IPA2|ˈpʁiːgnɪts) is a "Kreis" (district) in the northwestern part of
Brandenburg ,Germany . Neighboring are (from the north clockwise) the districts Ludwigslust and Parchim inMecklenburg-Western Pomerania , the districtOstprignitz-Ruppin , the district Stendal inSaxony-Anhalt and the districtLüchow-Dannenberg inLower Saxony .Geography
The term Prignitz originally means the region north of the confluence of the
Elbe andHavel rivers. This region is larger than the district and also includes large portions of the neighbouring district ofOstprignitz-Ruppin .The Elbe river forms the western border of the district.
History
The historical region Prignitz consisted of the following eleven districts, established in the 13th century:
Wittenberge ,Lenzen ,Perleberg ,Putlitz ,Kyritz ,Nitzow ,Wittstock ,Pritzwalk ,Havelberg ,Wusterhausen andGrabow .The present district Prignitz was created in
1993 by merging the previous districts Pritzwalk and Perleberg and a few municipalities from the district Kyritz. The westernmost part of the district was previously part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and changed to be part of Brandenburg onAugust 1 ,1992 .The earlier district of the Prignitz was the buffer between Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. It was resettled by Germans, especially from the Bremen area, following the First Wendish Crusade of 1147. The rate of German settlement increased over the following decades. The eastern half was dominated by the pro-German Counts von Plotho who brought their own vassals such as the
von Blumenthal andvon Grabow families with them. The western half was dominated by the robber barons, especially theGans zu Puttlitz family and their vassals, thevon Quitzow s. When Frederick Count of Zollern was appointed Margrave in 1411, he faced an uprising of the Wendish nobility, supported by the Wendish Duke of Mecklenburg. However, he was able to put the revolt down at the battle of theCremmer Dam , with the support of the German nobility. Families who had stayed loyal were rewarded. Ottovon Blumenthal , for example, was made Captain of the Prignitz from 1415-1422 and ofLenzen from 1420.Coat of arms
Towns and municipalities
External links
* [http://www.landkreis-prignitz.de Official website]
* [http://www.prignitzportal.de.vu Portal site for Prignitz]
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