The first Christian monks in the area were Premonstratensian in Broda Abbey, a monastery at the shore. The foundation of the city known as of Neubrandenburg took place in 1248, when the Margrave of Brandenburg decided to build a settlement in the northern part of his fief, naming it after the older city ofBrandenburg further south. In 1292 the city and the surrounding area became part of Mecklenburg. The city flourished as a trade centre until the Thirty Years' War, when this position was lost due to incessant warfare. During the dramatic advance of the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus into Germany, the city was garrisoned by Swedes, but it was retaken by Imperial Catholic League forces in 1631. During this campaign, it was widely reported that the Catholic forces killed many of the Swedish and Scottish soldiers while they were surrendering. Later, according to the Scottish soldier of fortuneRobert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis, when the Swedes themselves adopted a "no prisoners" policy, they would cut short any pleas for mercy with the cry of "New Brandenburg!". The city, therefore, played an unconscious role in the escalation of brutality of one of history's most brutal wars. During the Second World War, a large prisoner-of-war camp, Stalag II-A, was located close to the city. In 1945, few days before the end of the Second World War, 80% of the old town was burned down by the Red Army in a great fire, and about 600 people committed suicide as a result. Since then, most buildings of historical relevance have been rebuilt. Neubrandenburg was a bezirk centre between 1952 and 1990.
Sights and monuments
See also: Neubrandenburg has preserved its medieval city wall in its entirety. The wall, 7 m high with a perimeter of 2.3 km, has four Brick Gothic city gates, dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Of these, one of the most impressive is the Stargarder Tor, with its characteristic gable-like shape and the filigree tracery and rosettes on the outer defence side. Another place of interest is the Brick Gothic Marienkirche, completed 1298. The church was nearly destroyed in 1945, but it was restored in 1975 and now houses a concert hall. The tallest highrise in the city is the 56m Haus der Kultur und Bildung, opened in 1965. Its slender appearance has earned it the nickname Kulturfinger. Other attractions include Neubrandenburg Regional Museum.
Education
Three large secondary schools
Sports
Neubrandenburg is known as city of sports. The city is famous for being home to various Olympic medal winners and talents in sports, especially in canoeing, discus throwing and shotputting and running. Neubrandenburg was the location of both of the world record throws in Discus, by Jürgen Schult in 1986 and by Gabriele Reinsch in 1988. The Jahnstadion, the Jahnsportforum stadium, the Stadthalle and adjacent sport parks offer vast options for large sport and culture events. The city is also home to a dedicated sports elite school, the Sportgymnasium Neubrandenburg.
