Wittstock Castle

The region's origins date back to a Slavic settlement before the year 946. Construction of the castle began in 1244, and by 1248, Wittstock had already received its town charter. From 1271 to 1548, the Bishops of Havelberg shaped the town and expanded the castle into their residence. The complex was considered impregnable, but in the late Middle Ages and especially during the Thirty Years' War, its decline began. In 1636, on October 4, the Swedes defeated the imperial troops and Saxons in the Battle of Wittstock at Scharfenberg. The population of Wittstock suffered from the consequences of the war and was additionally struck by the plague in 1638, which claimed over 1500 lives.