Perleberg

Perleberg is the capital of the district of Prignitz, located in the northwest of the German state of Brandenburg. The town received city rights in 1239 and today has about 12,000 inhabitants. Located in a mostly agricultural area, the town has a long history of troops being stationed here (most notably Prussian) and as an administrative center for local government.GeographyPerleberg is located in the heart of the district of Prignitz, about halfway between the two largest German cities Berlin and Hamburg. It is surrounded by the municipalities Karstädt in the north-west, Groß Pankow (Prignitz) in the north-east, Plattenburg in the south-east; the Ämter Bad Wilsnack/Weisen in the south, Lenzen-Elbtalaue in the west; the town Wittenberge in the south-west.The Stepenitz flows from northeast to southwest through Perleberg. The town's historic center is built on an island between two arms of the river.HistoryOne of the city's oldest buildings is St James's church. First mentioned in 1294, it was frequently altered and extensively remodelled in the 1850s. In German, it is called the Jakobikirche, and therefore sometimes mistakenly called St Jacob's in English.