The Messingwerksiedlung

Our hike along the Finow Canal starts at the Messingwerksiedlung (brass factory colony) (1). The Eberswalde city fathers are about to remake this colony as shining as the name of the treasured metal suggests. Between 1721 and 1725 an early industrial shop floor developed here. When crown prince Frederick became King of Prussia in 1740 one of his first decisions was to build a navigable connection between Oder and Havel as well as between Havel and Elbe. Minister von Görne had submitted this idea. It was indispensable for the development of the capital region. A commission preparing the project discovered a document dated 1662 in which they read that there had already been a canal between Oder and Havel once – the Finow Canal.

On our hike towards the Eberswalde city centre we want to tell you the history of the canal. Elector Joachim II who governed from
1535 – 1571 ordered to compile first plans for a Finow Canal. In 1603 his grandson commanded to build this “interconnecting ditch”. The constructions of the canal started in 1605. The labour was so hard that lots of workers deserted. Many of them were caught and forced to work on. In the villages and towns the margrave ordered every fifth man – especially carpenters and trench diggers – to work on the canal.