Rathenow is a town in the district of Havelland in Brandenburg, in eastern Germany, with a population of 24,063 (2020).

Overview

The Protestant church of St. Marien Andreas, originally a basilica, and transformed to the Gothic style in 1517-1589, and the Roman Catholic Church of St. George, are noteworthy. Rathenow is known for being the former capital of eyewear manufacturing in East Germany. It is also known for its stones, called Rathenow stones.

History

In 1675, during the Scanian War, it was the site of a battle between Swedish and Brandenburgian forces. During World War II, Rathenow was the location of a forced labour subcamp of the Nazi prison for women and juveniles in Berlin-Lichtenberg and a subcamp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Prisoners of the latter were mostly Dutch, Belgian and French.

Demographics

Twin towns — sister cities

Rathenow is twinned with:

Notable people