About us

Mountain|Building|Culture

Nestled between extensive forests, species-rich meadows and crystal-clear lakes, bordering on the natural areas of Märkische Schweiz and Seenland-Oder-Spree and yet only around 30 km from the centre of Berlin, lies our municipality of Rüdersdorf near Berlin.

Our four districts of Hennickendorf, Herzfelde, Lichtenow and Rüdersdorf were characterised by the building materials industry for centuries: limestone quarrying, the cement works, clay pits and many former brickworks. This heritage can still be discovered today - and not just at the annual Bergfest. From silent witnesses of old industrial ruins to the museum park with its globally unique ensemble of industrial culture. The open-air museum is located between the Strausberger Mühlenfließ and the limestone open-cast mine, which has been active for over 770 years. It is a museum, park and event centre for the people of the community and their guests.

But the past and present can also be impressively traced in every neighbourhood. There are many exciting things to explore in Rüdersdorf near Berlin! Many spectacular things have been discovered here and great names such as the polymath Alexander von Humboldt, the geologist Otto Torell and the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel have left their mark on the municipality. The opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer was born here and the Märkisch poet Theodor Fontane praised the deep tranquillity of the local nature.

Based on this industrial and cultural heritage, the municipality has changed and today more than ever stands for neighbourhoods worth living and experiencing. Nevertheless, it is far from perfect in many places - the fractures and scars of time are still recognisable today.

In addition to two primary schools, a secondary school and a grammar school, numerous children's facilities, youth clubs and a colourful sports and club landscape, the municipality is characterised by a wide range of cultural activities and plenty of nature.

A clear sign of the change described above is that the building materials industry is no longer the largest employer in the municipality, but rather the healthcare sector. Rüdersdorf near Berlin is now a highly regarded health centre with a university hospital run by the Brandenburg Medical School, many doctors and therapists in private practice and a rehabilitation clinic. There are also facilities for the elderly, from barrier-free residential complexes to full inpatient care, in several parts of the town.

And so our community is not characterised by the smooth surface of a slowly but steadily growing place that has always had a master plan. Instead, you feel invited to see what is special in the contradictions that characterise the community and to be proud to live here: Rüdersdorf near Berlin is undergoing a fascinating transformation from a once dusty, grey industrial location to a versatile, attractive place to live, work and recreate.