Settled since
Neolithic times, the Prenzlau area from the 7th century AD was the site of several
gords erected by the
Polabian Slavs called
Ukrani. In the late 12th century, the
Dukes of Pomerania had the region
colonized by
Low German settlers. Prenzlau itself, named after
Slavic Premyslaw, was first mentioned in 1187. It received
town privileges by Duke
Barnim I of Pomerania in 1234. When Duke Barnim signed the
Treaty of Landin with the
Ascanian margraves of
Brandenburg in 1250, Prenzlau was already a fortified town with walls and moats, four parish churches and a monastery. Together with
Berlin-
Cölln,
Frankfurt and
Stendal, it ranked among the largest towns in the margraviate. The Prenzlau and the Uckermark region were devastated during the
Thirty Years' War. In 1687, a commune of
French Huguenots was established in the town, and an economic recovery started. Also a
garrison town, Prenzlau was again ravaged by passing troops during the
Seven Years' War and the
Napoleonic Wars. In the mid 19th century, several citizens emigrated to
Australia, where they founded the town of
Prenzlau, Queensland west of
Brisbane. In
World War II the
Oflag II-A prisoner-of-war camp, mostly for Polish and Belgian officers, was located just south of Prenzlau on the main road to Berlin. A subcamp of the
Ravensbrück concentration camp was established in 1943, later relocated to
Lindenhagen. The town centre was largely destroyed. The
East German authorities had it rebuilt with large panel
Plattenbau buildings. ==Demography==