Ruppiner See draws visitors to Prussian garrison town

By Andreas Heimann Jun 28, 2011, 3:07 GMT

Neuruppin, Germany - The first port of call for visitors to the north-eastern German town of Neuruppin is usually a visit to the shores of the Ruppiner See.

This former Prussian garrison town situated in the north of the federal state of Brandenburg was the birthplace of novelist Theodor Fontane and architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel while Frederick the Great also lived in Neuruppin in his years as crown prince of Prussia.

Neuruppin's history dates back to the 13th century and while the Monastery of Neuruppin is from this period, much of the town's classic-style buildings erected on wide streets were constructed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries following the disastrous fire of 1787.

The new wide avenues were not only perfect for marching troops and displays of military might but also fitted into a developing concept of bringing space and light into the urban environment as part of a greater understanding of hygiene, fire safety and the need for public space.

By the end of the 18th century, the town had grown by a third with the old wooden houses replaced by dwellings made of stone. The roads were widened considerably while three new squares, at the time among the largest in Europe, were also constructed.

Novelist Fontane was far from impressed with the development of his town, comparing it to a suit that is too large for a person who will never grow to fill it, this despite the fact that many of the town planners' ambitious ideas never came to fruition.

For example, the Pfarrkirche which was constructed between 1801 and 1806 in the classic style was originally intended to have a much larger dome but it was never built.

Schinkel, who was considered Prussia's most important architect of the time and designed the Schauspielhaus in Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt as well as the Nikolaikirche in Potsdam, described the building as misjudged.

Today, a statue of Schinkel created by Max Wiese can be found behind the Pfarrkirche.

Not surprisingly, Neuruppin's museum on the August-Bebel-Strasse concentrates much of its efforts on the lives and works of its most famous sons Fontane and Schinkel.

The museum is home to a portrait showing the architect and his loves as well as information about Schenkel's buildings and details of his trips to Prague, Florence and Venice.

The Fontane room, meanwhile, offers visitors the chance to read some the works of the late 19th century author. Fontane's influence can be seen throughout the town, not least at Fontaneplatz where there is a statue to the author replete with hat, stick and whiskers.

Neuruppin's Tempelgarten,which was constructed in the first half of the 18th century for Friedrich the Great, is the perfect location to relax on a bench and enjoy some nature while no visit would be complete without a trip around the lake on the Kronprinz Friedrich ferry.

Indeed, the lake with a surface area of just over 8 square kilometres is one of the main reasons people visit Neuruppin.