Zossen
Church of the Holy Trinity
Zossen
Location of the town of Zossen within Teltow-Fläming district
Coordinates	52°13′0″N 13°26′59″E / 52.216667°N 13.44972°E / 52.216667; 13.44972Coordinates: 52°13′0″N 13°26′59″E / 52.216667°N 13.44972°E / 52.216667; 13.44972
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Brandenburg
District	Teltow-Fläming
Town subdivisions	7 Orts- und 9 Gemeindeteile
Mayor	Michaela Schreiber (Ind.)
Basic statistics
Area	179.57 km2 (69.33 sq mi)
Elevation	38 m  (125 ft)
Population	17,606 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	98 /km2 (254 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	TF
Postal code	15806
Area code	03377
Website	www.zossen.de

Church in Nunsdorf

Zossen is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.

Geography [link]

Since the 2003 municipal reform, Zossen consists of the following districts and municipalities:

History [link]

Zossen, like most places in Brandenburg, was originally a Slavic settlement. Its name may derive from Sosna meaning pine, a tree quite common in the region.

In 1875 Zossen station opened at the railway line from Berlin to Dresden and the Prussian military railway to the artillery range at Kummersdorf-Gut in present-day Am Mellensee. Between 1901 and 1904, Zossen adopted the use of different high-speed vehicles, such as electric locomotives and trams, for transportation to and from Berlin-Marienfelde. These vehicles were powered by an alternating current of 15kV and used a variable frequency. The power was transmitted by three vertical overhead lines.

In 1910 a proving ground and a garrison of the Imperial German Army was established at the Waldstadt section of the Wünsdorf community. In World War I it was the site of several prisoner-of-war camps, including the "crescent camp" (Halbmondlager) for Muslim fighters of the Triple Entente, where the first wooden mosque in Germany was erected. From 1939 to 1945, Wünsdorf hosted the underground headquarters of the German Wehrmacht (OKW) and Army's High Command (OKH). After World War II the area until 1994 was the site of a Soviet military camp, and since then has been returned to civilian use as the Wünsdorf-Waldstadt book town.

Timeline [link]

• 1809/1810: Kietz and the vineyards of Zossen are suburbanised
• 1885: Monument to the fallen soldiers of the 1864, 1866, and 1870 wars is erected in Kietz
• 1906: School on Kirchplatz is expanded
• 1910: Military area between Zossen and Wünsdorf is developed
• 1932: Flyers of the town councillor and deacon Emil Phillip regarding the threatening change in the Protestant community and the city Zossen
• 1933: As a result of the Nazis' rise to power, Socialists and Communists in Zossen are arrested by SS troops and mistreated in the school on Kirchplatz. Emil Phillip is removed from his post, upon the order of Pastor Eckerts
• 1934: Expansion of the town hall
• 1939: The military zone in Zossen is developed into military headquarters
• 1956: The city park is created
• 1992: The "Alter Krug" Zossen society is founded
• 1994: Formation of the administrative district of Teltow-Fläming from the old districts of Jüterbog, Luckenwalde, and Zossen
• 1996: 450th anniversary of Prince Elector Joachim II's awarding of rights and privileges to Zossen

See also [link]

• Großer Wünsdorfer See

References [link]

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zossen

• Zossen Home page — in German only
• Military Ground Zossen Wuensdorf

v t e Towns and municipalities in Teltow-Fläming Am Mellensee Baruth Blankenfelde-Mahlow Dahme Dahmetal Großbeeren Ihlow Jüterbog Luckenwalde Ludwigsfelde Niederer Fläming Niedergörsdorf Nuthe-Urstromtal Rangsdorf Trebbin Zossen