DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Brandenburg
Landkreis: Oberhavel

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Birkenwerder is situated at an elevation of 52 m in the Briese valley north of Berlin.

The earliest document mentioning Bergkenwerder dates from 1335. During the mid-19th century brickyards became an important factor for the town's economy. The bricks ('Gelber Birkenwerder Klinker') were transported by ships on the neary Havel river all over the country, especially to Berlin. In 1877 it was connected to the Nordbahn, the Prussian Northern Railway.

The Sanatorium [left] was built in 1897/1898. The sanatorium had a turbulent history. Plans in 1904 to open a tuberculosis hospital met the fierce resistance of the population. The "Sanatorium Bad Birkenwerder GmbH" (Ltd.) opened in 1905, but could only be afforded by the rich. During World War I, the sanatorium served as a military hospital. After the war it was bought by the owners of the "Russian Medical Calender", and offered treatment also for patients with tuberculosis, which again caused serious discussions. In 1934 the sanatorium was forced to close because it was owned since 1924 by a Jewish physician. In 1935 it was sold by a compulsory auction and reopened as "Krankenhaus Birkenwerder". During World War II it served as a satellite hospital of the St.-Hedwigs-Hospital of Berlin. In 1945 it was severly damaged and was for a few months was used as a military hospital by the Russian and Polish armies. In 1948 the hospital was bought by the state of Brandenburg and was used for the treatment of patients suffering from bone and joint tuberculosis. Since 1952 it operated under the name "Orthopädische Heilstätte". Over the years the numbers of patients with tuberculosis decreased while those of orthopaedic patients increased. In 1963 the hospital obtained the status of a clinic, and a secondary school was added to the premises. The hospital was renamed "Bezirksklinik für Orthopädie" in 1970, the school was named "Olga-Benário-Prestes-Schule" in 1983.