Hennigsdorf


Hennigsdorf is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river.

History

The municipality shared its borders with the former West Berlin, and so during the period 1961–1990 it was separated from it by the Berlin Wall.
In 1951/2, the Havel Canal was constructed to link Hennigsdorf with Paretz, thus avoiding a passage through the reach of the River Havel, between Spandau and Potsdam, that was under the political control of West Berlin. The canal is still in use, providing a shorter route for shipping from west of Berlin to the Oder–Havel Canal and Poland.

Geography

Subdivision

Hennigsdorf consists of 3 districts:
Hennigsdorf is twinned with:
Located in Hennigsdorf is the Bombardier LEW Hennigsdorf train factory and a steel smelter.

Sport

Hennigsdorf is home to Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby, a rugby union club. The team, formed in 1948 under the leadership of Erwin Thiesies, was the most successful side during the East German era of the town, having won 27 national championships from 1952 to 1990. The Yu-Gi-Oh! duelist Leon Schreit has also won the Yu-Gi-Oh! National Championship 2013 in Amsterdam.

Demography

Notable people