Wandlitz
Wandlitz is a municipality in the district of Barnim, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 25 km north of Berlin, and 15 km east of Oranienburg. The municipality was established in 2004 by merger of the nine villages "Basdorf", "Klosterfelde", "Lanke", "Prenden", "Schönerlinde", ', ', "Wandlitz" and "Zerpenschleuse". The communal government of the Great municipality has its seat in Wandlitz directly. It consists of deputies from the several parts of the commune and in accordance with the election results of the existing parties here. Demography. The post-war influx of refugees from eastern regions led to a rise in the population . The population growth stagnated during the communist era. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the population began a rising tendency again. History. Wandlitz was first mentioned as Slavic "Vandlice" in a 1242 deed, when the Margraves of Brandenburg John I and Otto III sold it to the Lehnin Abbey. The word means "men who live at the water". Situated on the "Barnim" plateau among woods and lakes it became a popular recreation area especially in the 20th century. Since 1901 the "Heidekrautbahn" railway line links Wandlitz with Berlin. The name Wandlitz was and is also often used as a  synonym for the nearby "Waldsiedlung" compound, where the highest East German functionaries lived removed from the general population. But this settlement is a part of the town Bernau. Shortly after World War II, the village was home to an orphanage of children from Berlin. The orphanage, run by nuns, later became a holiday spot for visiting high-ranking Communist party members. The children of the small orphanage were frowned upon as second-class citizens by villagers, and often went hungry. Transport. Wandlitz is situated at the junction of the Bundesstraße 109 to Berlin and the Bundesautobahn 10 ("Berliner Ring") with  the Bundesstraße 273 leading from Oranienburg to the Bundesautobahn 11. The NEB "Heidekrautbahn" links Wandlitz with the Berlin-Karow railway station on the Berlin S2 S-Bahn line. Wandlitz is known to be the home of the only existing Skoda Fabia that still uses a steam power engine. Alleged owner is Ernest B ("IM Siggi").