Contact Admin. Archaeological excavations of Mesolithic prove the fact that this area has been inhabited since about BC. The city was first mentioned in The true reasons of its founding are not known. According to a legend Albert I of Brandenburg permitted the founding of the city in because of the good beer which was offered to him. It is true that beer has been brewed with the water of the river Panke.
Therefore, it was forbidden by law to pollute this river with waste and excrement before the days the brewing took place. Bernau had its boom years before the Thirty Years' War. Large parts of the defensive wall with town gate and wet moats are relics of that time.
These helped Bernau defend itself successfully against attackers, e. Following the plague and war Bernau was poor and bleak. Frederick I of Prussia settled 25 Huguenotic families craftsmen, farmers, traders and scientists in In a railway line was opened. One of the first electrical suburban railway lines in the world began operation in Time of Nazi rule; Red Background: Time of Communist rule.
Recent Population Development and Projections Population Development before Census blue line ; Recent Population Development according to the Census in Germany in blue bordered line ; Official projections for yellow line ; for red line ; for scarlet line. The museum of local history has two locations. One is the town gate with the former prison Hungerturm engl. It is one of formerly three town gates, that were part of the defensive wall. Today armours and instruments of torture of the Middle Ages are shown there.
Common furniture of several epochs and utensils of the executioner are exhibited in the Henkerhaus engl. In Annelie Grund created the monument for the victims of witch-hunt. Marien Late Gothic style dominates the skyline of the town. The nave was built in the 15th century. Large parts of the defensive walls and wet moats of the Middle Ages are preserved. The defensive wall is supplemented by several lookout houses, the Pulverturm armoury and a town gate.
