Leegebruch: House Signs, a Slavic Rampart and History

House Signs in the Heinkel Factory Settlement

The house signs on the houses of the Heinkel factory settlement in Leegebruch, built from 1937 onwards, depict plants, animals, zodiac signs and craft objects. On some residential buildings in Leegebruch, they are considered unique landmarks of the town’s artistic and architectural history. The range thus extends from nature motifs to zodiac signs and depictions of crafts. Together, the house signs and the settlement offer a special point of interest for anyone interested in architectural history and the visual design of residential buildings.

Early Local History and the Village Chapel

Another period takes us back to around 800. At that time, there was a Slavic rampart in Leegebruch, regarded as the region’s oldest evidence of settlement. After a few decades, it was either abandoned or set on fire and destroyed by attackers. These two possibilities preserve the uncertainty surrounding the end of the structure; together, they point to an early, brief episode in the history of settlement. The traces of the rampart thus date clearly from before the houses of the factory settlement, built from 1937 onwards.

The Oberhavel district also recommends the Old Village Chapel in the Dorfaue in Leegebruch as another place to visit. The rampart represents early settlement, while the house signs reflect the artistic and architectural history of residential buildings; the chapel adds another cultural site to these perspectives.

When choosing a holiday apartment, this raises a practical question: should Leegebruch itself, with its architectural and settlement history, be the focus of your trip, or would you also like to consider other themes in the wider destination of Oberhavel?

More to Explore in the Oberhavel Destination

In the wider destination of Oberhavel, cultural attractions range from Oranienburg Palace to the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum in Oranienburg. Oranienburg Palace is the oldest Baroque palace in the Mark Brandenburg region. The palace museum displays famous 17th-century works of art, as well as a unique silver chamber and a noteworthy porcelain chamber. An exhibition room of the Oberhavel Regional Museum in the palace is devoted exclusively to the history of Oranienburg Palace, tracing its story from the Ascanian castle built around 1200 to its present-day use.

The Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum provides information on various aspects of the site’s history in 13 small permanent exhibitions and is also a modern museum of contemporary history. For trip planning, this offers different areas of focus: palace history and art in Oranienburg, and exhibitions about the site’s history in Sachsenhausen. Even if you choose your holiday apartment based on cultural interests, it is worth considering these themes as part of the wider Oberhavel region.

Hiking and cycling routes offer another range of options. The 66 Lakes Trail and European long-distance path E10 pass through the Oberhavel district. The Berlin–Copenhagen Cycle Route runs through the urban area of Zehdenick. These details offer different perspectives for planning a trip, depending on whether hiking or cycling is the priority; each describes routes in the district, not a specific connection from Leegebruch.

Nature is also part of the Oberhavel destination. The Stechlin Nature Reserve is shaped by features formed during the Weichselian glaciation and is considered the area with the most bodies of water in the state of Brandenburg. At the Stechlin Nature Park House, an interactive exhibition offers insights into the distinctive features of the Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park. The neighbouring sensory garden invites visitors to taste, smell, touch and listen to herbs, shrubs and other plants. The approximately six-kilometre-long forest and water discovery trail around Roofensee can complement a visit to the Nature Park House.

For families planning activities for children alongside cultural visits, Oranienburg Palace Park offers a large play area with climbing rocks, bouncy cushions, trampolines, swings, slacklines and a playhouse. The water-play area includes a mud track, spray features, a playable eight-metre-long whale and water-spouting volcanoes. Facilities and operating arrangements may change; check both before your visit. This can help you decide whether Leegebruch’s local history or a broader mix of culture, nature and activities in the Oberhavel destination is more important to your trip planning when choosing a holiday apartment.

Discover more destinations: Wesendorf, Hennigsdorf, Löwenberger Land, Stechlin, Glienicke/Nordbahn, Oberkrämer, Gransee, Großmutz.

Back to the main travel overview: Oberhavel.