Strausberg was founded around 1240 and in 1333 its first town hall was built. Today an historic defensive wall borders the old town. In the 19th century industrialization took place and the town developed a local labour movement, including union structures and a local branch of both the Social Democratic and the Communist Party of Germany. After 1945, the town became part of East Germany. Strausberg was the administrative seat of the Strausberg district until a 1993 merger with Bad Freienwalde and Seelow formed "Märkisch-Oderland" with Seelow becoming the new administrative seat of the district.
The town is divided into nine boroughs : Fasanenpark, Gartenstadt, Hegermühle, Neue Mühle, Postbruch, Schillerhöhe, Strausberg Nord, Strausberg Stadt and Vorstadt. The municipality has three hamlets :
Gladowshöhe
Hohenstein
Ruhlsdorf
Demography
After an increase of population since the Second World War, Strausberg has stopped its "growth" remaining at almost 26,000 inhabitants in last one, with a little decrease in early years of 2000. Forecasts, however, show a considerable decline within the next two decades. Details see sources of the following graphics.
Tourism
Strausberg covers an area of 68 km2. Over 750 years old, it has a population of approx. 26,300. There are over 1500 businesses and 100 km of footpath. It is known as "Die grüne Stadt am See". Strausberg's forest and lakes are attractive, family friendly, and great for sporting. Its biggest lake is the "Straussee", located between the town and the biggest forest, the "Strausberger Wald". The forest and water protection nurtures a unique environment.
Transport
The town is served by Strausberg railway station, situated some to the south of the city, which is on the Berlin S-Bahn Line 5 and Deutsche Bahn's Berlin Lichtenberg - Kostrzyn service. There are three other stops on the S5 line within the city, these being Strausberg Hegermühle, Strausberg Stadt and Strausberg Nord. Strausberg is also served by the Strausberg Railway, a light rail line with 9 stops, which connects the main railway station to the centre of town. Besides the main railway station, the other 8 stops are: Landhausstraße, Schlagmühle, Stadtwald, Hegermühle, Wolfstal, Käthe-Kollwitz-Straße, Elisabethstraße and Lustgarten, the northern terminus. The Strausberg Railway also operates the Straussee Ferry, an unusual electrically operated passenger cable ferry across the Straussee. The town has also a small aerodrome, opened in 1927, with a runway of 1.200 m × 28 m, and situated 2 kilometers in the east of town center.
Sport
The localfootball representative is the FC Strausberg, competing in "NOFV Oberliga Nordost". Home games of FCS are played at the "Energiearena" stadium.
