Travel Guide "Remembrance Connects Region Oder-Warta"

17 A h i stor i ca l ly common cultura l area A h i stor i ca l ly common cultura l area Oder River and in the surrounding area. In the last weeks of the Second World War, well over 300 , 000 people fleeing from the Red Army continued through the city towards Berlin. Through the Gronenfelde repatriation camp, which was set up in the immediate vicinity of the city, an estimated one and a half million prisoners of war from the eastern war zones returned to Germany in the years following the end of the war and were released into freedom here. Frankfurt‘s important role in the Middle Ages and the history of the university are documented by the Viadrina Museum – one of the most important cultural history museums in Brandenburg. While the presence of people in Frankfurt (Oder) can be traced back archaeologically to around 12 , 000 years ago, Frankfurt (Oder) developed into a permanently populated hub of activity and trading centre at the latest begin- ning in the 13 th century. Due to its location at a ford, there was a safe Museum Viadrina A rich heritage and a long academic tradition: after a 180-year break, Frankfurt (Oder) once again has its own university: Viadrina. Since the 13 th century, the historical area of „Lubusz Land“ has developed to the east and west of the Middle Oder. After a history marked by change with different areas dominating, the region is now divided into a Polish part with the same name and a German part, but connected by the same history. On the German side, the history of the region, which today extends over parts of the two districts of Märkisch- Oderland and Oder-Spree, is docu- mented in the Museum Haus Lebuser Land (Museum Haus Lubusz Land). After the political reunification of Germany, a former historic school and kindergarten building was saved from demolition and extensively renovated. Since 2005 , the Heimatverein Lebus e.V. association has been running the museum on the basis of an agreement with the town of Lebus. The permanent exhibition documents the history of the Lebus region, the diocese of Lebus and the eponymous town of Lebus. There are also other areas that com- memorate the well-known writer and former resident Günter Eich and the painter Karl Lukas Honegger. With its diverse cultural events, the museum has developed into an important cultural centre and meeting place for the Oder region. Museum Haus Lubusz Land Today rather rural in character, in the Middle Ages more important than Frankfurt (Oder). The former diocese of Lebus has a great deal of history to offer. crossing over the Oder River here, which established itself as an import- ant trade route between Eastern and Western Europe, as well as between the Baltic Sea region and Southern Europe. In the steadily growing city, the university was ceremonially inau- gurated in 1506 , as was Brandenburg‘s first school in 1694 , even before the introduction of compulsory education. After the university moved to Breslau, Frankfurt advanced to become the regional administrative, commercial and cultural centre of the Frankfurt administrative district after 1815 . The end of the First World War led to population growth in the city. Almost 10 , 000 refugees from West Prussia found a new home in the city on the Address: Carl-Philipp-Emanuel-Bach-Straße 11 15230 Frankfurt (Oder), Deutschland www.museum-viadrina.de Open: Tue-Sun 11 . 00 - 17 . 00 GPS : 52 ° 20 ‘ 42 . 5 “N 14 ° 33 ‘ 24 . 5 “E Museum Viadrina i Address: Schulstraße 7 15326 Lebus, Deutschland www.heimatverein-lebus.de Open: April-October Sat-Sun 13 . 00 - 16 . 00 and by appointment GPS : 52 ° 25 ‘ 36 . 7 “N 14 ° 32 ‘ 30 . 8 “E Museum Haus Lubusz Land i 16