The old lime kilns at Wriezen harbor
Wriezen is a ten-minute drive from Bad Freienwalde. The devastating consequences of the Thirty Years' War marked a turning point in the town's development. When the Oderbruch was drained in the middle of the 18th century, fishing lost importance and was replaced by agriculture. The town went through a series of ups and downs until shipping was established in 1861 and rail transport was established a little later. The rail link to Berlin supplied the city with fish and vegetables from 1898, which Wriezen profited enormously from. Not much of the town's former economic power has been preserved. Located on the very eastern edge of the republic, Wriezen has since fallen into a deep sleep.
This is probably what happened to his old port. It was still in operation until the 1960s, says Eckhard Brennecke. He is the current owner of the former port site on the Wriezener Alte Oder. Anyone who sees the small, slowly flowing river can hardly believe that barges once docked there. "There used to be a lot going on here, everything was being transshipped - all building materials, stones, gravel and fertilizer. The steamer Paul was constantly transporting barges, first to the Finow Canal, then to Berlin and back," says Brennecke. As a young boy, he helped his stepfather, who operated the gantry crane in the port. All ships that docked were Finow-sized, the first standardized inland vessel size, adapted to the locks of the Finow Canal. At the end of the 1960s, the port basin was filled in. At least the site was still a central transshipment point, although only railway wagons were unloaded. The port railway shunted the wagons from the Wriezen train station over here and further to the lumber yard. "Every large company in Wriezen had a rail connection back then - now everything is gone, irretrievably," Brennecke sums up.
Of the former buildings of the port, the lime kiln, built in 1902, and the factory owner's villa, as well as the port warehouse and dairy, have been preserved. The lime kilns, a registered industrial monument, were important for the industrial development of the Oderbruch. Eckhard Brennecke, who bought a commercial property at the port in the early 1980s, also bought the historic lime kilns and the factory owner's villa at an auction in 2005 more by chance. If you're lucky, the sprightly pensioner will tell you about his spontaneous purchase of the historic property and the subsequent adventurous renovation of the lime kilns during a visit. Together with the "Interessengemeinschaft Hafen Wriezen eV" association, he repaired the lime kilns to such an extent that, in addition to events, hundreds of historical photos from the history of the town of Wriezen, especially of the port, can be presented there in the future. While the lime kilns are once again accessible to visitors after registration, the factory owner's villa remains dreamily in a deep sleep. A residential use planned by Brennecke is currently not permitted.
Anyone approaching Wriezen from the Oderbruch will notice a rectangular tower towering above everything in the town's skyline. It is the tower of St. Mary's Church. The ruins of this church are the town's second cultural heritage site. The church building dates back to a fieldstone building from the 13th century. It was moved over the centuries and often rebuilt and rebuilt. The inward-facing facade of the tower clearly shows the different building periods. In the last days of the Second World War, during the storming of Berlin, the parish church and the town center of Wriezen were severely damaged.
During the GDR era, courageous people prevented the demolition of the church ruins. Reconstruction is laborious and requires a lot of effort from the Protestant community and the city. For more than 25 years, a support association has been collecting donations to rebuild the church. Some parts of the ruins have already been renovated so that they can be used by the Protestant community. The apse was given a roof a few years ago and plans for the entire roof of the nave are ready to be implemented. Concerts are held irregularly in the uncovered nave. On certain occasions, for example at city festivals, visitors are able to climb the church tower. This opportunity should not be missed, as it offers a wide view over the Oderbruch.
For more information about the Oderbruch Museum and the cultural heritage in the Oderbruch, please see here.