In the late 19th century Brandenburg an der Havel became a very important industrial center in the German Empire.
Steel industries settled there, and several world-famous bicycle brands such as Brennabor, Corona and Excelsior were manufactured in the city.
A world-famous toy industry was also established.
With a giant industrial complex, the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Imperial Railways) was located in Brandenburg-Kirchmöser during the time between the two world wars and the time of the former GDR.
The city's excellent transport infrastructure was a big advantage.

In 1933/34, a concentration camp, one of the first in Nazi Germany, was located on Neuendorfer Straße in Brandenburg Old Town.

After closing this inner city concentration camp, the Nazis used the Brandenburg-Görden Prison, located in the suburb of Görden.
Later the old gaol became the Brandenburg Euthanasia Centre where the Nazis killed people with mental diseases, including children.
They called this operation "Action T4" because of the Berlin address, Tiergartenstraße 4, the headquarters of this planned and well-organized forced euthanasia organisation.
Brandenburg an der Havel was one of the very first locations in the Third Reich where the Nazis experimented with killing their victims by gas.
Here, they prepared the mass killings in Auschwitz and other extermination camps.

After complaints by local inhabitants about the smoke, the mobile furnaces used to burn the corpses ceased operation.
Shortly after this, the Nazis closed the old prison.

In 1934, the Arado Aircraft Company (Arado Flugzeugwerke), which originated in Warnemünde, built a satellite factory in Brandenburg that began producing planes in 1935.
The factory was expanded over the next five years, and produced trainers and other aircraft for the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The existence of this factory was one of the reasons Brandenburg was heavily bombed in later stages of the war; by 1945, 70%  of the city was destroyed.

Friedrich Fromm, a German officer involved in the July 20 plot to assassinate Hitler, was executed here in March 1945 for his part in the plot, even though Fromm betrayed those conspirators he knew and ordered their execution.

On July 25, 1952, Plaue and Kirchmöser were incorporated in the city of Brandenburg an der Havel.

After German reunification the city's population declined from around 100,000 in 1989 to roughly 75,000 in 2005 through emigration.
The migration was mainly by young people.
In the late 19th century Brandenburg an der Havel became a very important industrial center in the German Empire. Steel industries settled there, and several world-famous bicycle brands such as Brennabor, Corona and Excelsior were manufactured in the city. A world-famous toy industry was also established. With a giant industrial complex, the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Imperial Railways) was located in Brandenburg-Kirchmöser during the time between the two world wars and the time of the former GDR. The city's excellent transport infrastructure was a big advantage.
In 1933/34, a concentration camp, one of the first in Nazi Germany, was located on Neuendorfer Straße in Brandenburg Old Town. 
After closing this inner city concentration camp, the Nazis used the Brandenburg-Görden Prison, located in the suburb of Görden. Later the old gaol became the Brandenburg Euthanasia Centre where the Nazis killed people with mental diseases, including children. They called this operation "Action T4" because of the Berlin address, Tiergartenstraße 4, the headquarters of this planned and well-organized forced euthanasia organisation. Brandenburg an der Havel was one of the very first locations in the Third Reich where the Nazis experimented with killing their victims by gas. Here, they prepared the mass killings in Auschwitz and other extermination camps. 
After complaints by local inhabitants about the smoke, the mobile furnaces used to burn the corpses ceased operation. Shortly after this, the Nazis closed the old prison.
In 1934, the Arado Aircraft Company (Arado Flugzeugwerke), which originated in Warnemünde, built a satellite factory in Brandenburg that began producing planes in 1935. The factory was expanded over the next five years, and produced trainers and other aircraft for the Luftwaffe during World War II. The existence of this factory was one of the reasons Brandenburg was heavily bombed in later stages of the war; by 1945, 70%  of the city was destroyed.
Friedrich Fromm, a German officer involved in the July 20 plot to assassinate Hitler, was executed here in March 1945 for his part in the plot, even though Fromm betrayed those conspirators he knew and ordered their execution.
On July 25, 1952, Plaue and Kirchmöser were incorporated in the city of Brandenburg an der Havel.
After German reunification the city's population declined from around 100,000 in 1989 to roughly 75,000 in 2005 through emigration. The migration was mainly by young people.
Brandenburg an der Havel