Kleinmachnow

Kleinmachnow is a municipality in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany.GeographyIt is situated 19km southwest of the centre of Berlin, immediately neighbouring the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, and 12km east of Potsdam. The municipality encompasses the settlement of Dreilinden.HistoryKleinmachnow arose at the former Bäke creek, today replaced by the Teltow Canal built in 1906. Parvo Machenow was first mentioned in the 1375 land registry (Landbuch) of Emperor Charles IV, then also Brandenburg Elector. In medieval times the ford was controlled by a castle, recently held by the Hake noble family. Together with the canal the Kleinmachnow lock was erected, soon becoming a landmark.From the early 20th century the former village developed to an affluent suburb of Berlin. In 1937 Wilhelm Ohnesorge, minister of the Reichspost, acquired the Hakeburg mansion as his residence and established a large research facility of communications-electronics here. In World War II Kleinmachnow was the site of a labour camp with about 5,000 inmates, including a subcamp of Sachsenhausen.