Beeskow

Beeskow (Bezkow, ) is a town in Brandenburg, in eastern Germany, and capital of the Oder-Spree district. It is situated on the river Spree, 30 km southwest of Frankfurt an der Oder.

History
In 1518 the town was purchased by the Diocese of Lubusz, and it was the place of death of the last bishop in 1555. The town was a fief of the Kingdom of Bohemia until 1742, when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. From 1815 to 1947, it was part of the Province of Brandenburg. One of the main escape routes for insurgents of the unsuccessful Polish November Uprising from partitioned Poland to the Great Emigration led through the town.

After World War II, Beeskow was incorporated into the State of Brandenburg from 1947 to 1952 and the Bezirk Frankfurt of East Germany from 1952 to 1990. Since 1990, Beeskow is again part of Brandenburg.

Sons and daughters of the city

 * Karl August Otto Hoffmann (1853–1909), botanist
 * Max Seiffert (1868–1948), musicologist, editor of ancient music
 * Hans Sohnle (1895–1976), art director
 * Otto Holzapfel (born 1941), folklorist and researcher of traditional German folk song (folk music, Lied)
 * Joachim Mattern (born 1948), canoeist
 * Judith Zeidler (born 1967), rower
 * Jana Thieme (born 1970), rower
 * Ronny Ostwald (born 1974), sprint athlete