Rathenow, District capital in Brandenburg, Germany.
Rathenow is a district capital in Havelland, Brandenburg, that stretches along both banks of the Havel river. The built-up area alternates between older residential quarters near the historic core and newer settlements at the town edges.
In 1675 Swedish and Brandenburg troops fought in the area during the Scanian War, briefly drawing the town into military conflict. Later the settlement developed into a center for optical industry in East Germany.
The town takes its name from a Slavic word related to council or assembly, pointing to early Slavic settlements in the area. Today residents walk along the Havel riverbank and use the parks beside the water for leisure.
Travelers reach the town by regional train or main road, as it lies between Berlin and the Elbe river. A walk through the center takes about half an hour and combines well with a visit to the riverbank.
Workshops for spectacles and lenses emerged here in the 19th century, later growing into the largest production site for optical devices in East Germany. Even today company signs and old factory buildings recall this industrial past.
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