Schönefeld Explained

Image Coa:Wappen Schoenefeld.png
Coordinates:52.3883°N 13.5047°W
Image Plan:Schönefeld in LDS.png
Schönefeld
State:Brandenburg
District:Dahme-Spreewald
Elevation:44
Area:81.57
Postal Code:12529
Area Code:030, 03379, 033762
Licence:LDS
Gemeindeschlüssel:12 0 61 433
Divisions:6 Ortsteile
Mayor:Christian Hentschel[1]
Leader Term:2019 - 27

Schönefeld (meaning beautiful field) is a suburban municipality in the Dahme-Spreewald district, Brandenburg, Germany. It borders the southeastern districts of Berlin. The municipal area encompasses the old Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF) and the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).

Geography

It is located about 22km (14miles) southeast of the Berlin city centre, next to Berlin's only airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).

In the north, Schönefeld adjoins to the Berlin boroughs of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Neukölln, and Treptow-Köpenick with the localities of Lichtenrade, Gropiusstadt, Buckow, Rudow, Altglienicke, and Bohnsdorf. In the south, it borders Mittenwalde, in the west, Blankenfelde-Mahlow and in the east, Schulzendorf and Zeuthen.

Civil parishes

The Schönefeld municipal area comprises six districts (Ortsteile), former municipalities in their own right which were incorporated in 2003:

The settlement of Kienberg, part of Waltersdorf, was cleared of residents to permit expansion of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport and is to be developed as a commercial area.

History and monuments

The first preserved mention of Schönefeld in the Mittelmark territory dates back to 1242. Sconenfelde, then a possession held by the Lords of Selchow, is documented in the 1375 Landbuch (domesday book) of Emperor Charles IV, when he also ruled as Elector of Brandenburg. The village church, rebuilt in 1904/05 according to plans designed by Franz Heinrich Schwechten, includes a large Baroque altar. Waltersdorf and Waßmannsdorf also have village churches dating to the first half of the 13th century.

From 1933 onwards the Henschel aircraft company moved from Johannisthal Air Field to Schönefeld and had three runways laid out next to the village. More than 14,000 warplanes were built at the site until 1945, when the premises were occupied by the Red Army. In the Großziethen cemetery is a memorial to 200 prisoners of war and forced laborers who died during World War II. The Soviet Air Forces used the air field from 1946, one year later the Soviet Military Administration ordered the buildup of a civil air service supplying East Berlin.

Before German reunification, Schönefeld shared its borders partly with boroughs of former West Berlin (present-day Neukölln and Tempelhof-Schöneberg[2]), and so from 1961 to 1990 it was separated from it by the Berlin Wall.[3] [4]

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Business

The Airport-Center, an industrial area in Waltersdorf, and Berlin Brandenburg Airport are important sources of revenue for Schönefeld.

The head office of Private Wings is located in the General Aviation Terminal (Allgemeine Luftfahrt) on the property of Schönefeld Airport.[5] [6] [7] Before its disestablishment, the East German airline company Interflug had its head office on the grounds of the airport.[8] Bremenfly also had its head office in Schönefeld.[9]

Politics

Seats in the municipal council (Gemeinderat):

Twin towns — Sister cities

Schönefeld is twinned with Bayangol, a district of Ulaanbataar, since 1999.[10]

Education

Primary schools in the municipality:

There is a private secondary school, Evangelische Schule Schönefeld.[13]

Notable people

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. https://wahlen.brandenburg.de/wahlen/de/kommunalwahlen/bm-wahlen/ergebnisse/~12061000 Landkreis Dahme-Spreewald Wahl der Bürgermeisterin / des Bürgermeisters
  2. Source: "ADAC StadtAtlas – Berlin-Potsdam". ed. 2007 – pages 232, 233, 234 –
  3. http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/maps/berlinwallmap_01.htm Map and info about the wall on "Berlin Wall Online"
  4. http://www.fahrradmonteur.de/mauerradweg-berlin-2.php Info, maps and pictures
  5. "Anfahrt GAT Schönefeld." Private Wings. Retrieved on 7 January 2013.
  6. "Access Business Aviation Center/GAT." Private Wings. Retrieved on 7 January 2013.
  7. "Imprint." Private Wings. Retrieved on 7 January 2013. "Postal adress: PRIVATE WINGS Flugcharter GmbH Chief executive officers: Peter Paul Gatz und Andreas Wagner Flughafen Berlin – Schönefeld 12521 Berlin, Germany" and "Delivery address: Private Wings Flugcharter GmbH Waßmannsdorfer Straße 12529 Schönefeld (ehemals Diepensee)"
  8. "World Airline Directory," Flight International, 26 March 1988, p. 82. (pdf)
  9. "Kontakt." Bremenfly. 27 August 2010. Retrieved on 7 January 2012. "Zeppelinstr. 1 Berlin-Schönefeld 12529 Deutschland"
  10. http://www.gemeinde-schoenefeld.de/partnerstadt-Bayangol.html Partnerstadt Bayangol
  11. "Astrid-Lindgren-Grundschule Schönefeld." Schönefeld. Retrieved on September 13, 2016.
  12. "Paul-Maar-Grundschule Großziethen." Schönefeld. Retrieved on September 13, 2016.
  13. "Evangelische Schule Schönefeld – Gymnasium." Schönefeld. Retrieved on September 13, 2016.