Boizenburg | ||
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Town hall (2008)
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Coordinates: 53°22′N 10°43′E / 53.367°N 10.717°ECoordinates: 53°22′N 10°43′E / 53.367°N 10.717°E | ||
Country | Germany | |
State | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | |
District | Ludwigslust-Parchim | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Harald Jäschke (Ind.) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 47.26 km2 (18.25 sq mi) | |
Population (2015-12-31) | ||
• Total | 10,379 | |
• Density | 220/km2 (570/sq mi) | |
Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
Postal codes | 19258 | |
Dialling codes | 038847 | |
Vehicle registration | LWL | |
Website | www.boizenburg.de |
Boizenburg is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, 53 km west of Ludwigslust, 25 km northeast of Lüneburg and 50 km east of Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Boizenburg's historical old town stretches along the Elbe, has a harbour and offers heritage baroque timberframe and brick buildings.
As per the dictates of the Yalta Conference, Boizenburg was placed just a few kilometers behind the perimeter of the Iron Curtain, otherwise known as the 'Inner German Border'.
The German name Boyceneburg was first documented in 1158. The written form changed to Boiceneburg (1171) and then Boizeneburg (1195). The old Low German name for the town and river (Boize) likely stems from the Slavic boj for war (boj-burg = war-castle).
Boizenburg suffered during the Thirty Years' War and its old castle was burnt down by Swedish troops in 1628. In 1709 the church and 160 or more medieval dwellings were incinerated by a fire. The Town Hall was rebuilt in 1712 and the layout of the town was redesigned by Prussian architects sent from Schwerin. They focused on incorporating efficiency of movement with fire-resistance, better sanitation and public space.
During the Napoleonic Wars French troops were quartered in Boizenburg in 1807. A battle was fought with the retreating French army near Boizenburg in 1813.
From 1815 to 1918, Boizenburg was part of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. In 1826 a highway was built, connecting Hamburg, Berlin and subsequently Boizenburg (Highway "B5"). In 1846 the railway between Berlin and Hamburg was constructed. Boizenburg was included with its own train station along this important route.