On 26 October 2003, the municipality of Märkische Heide was formed by merging 17 municipalities. These were Alt-Schadow, Biebersdorf, Dollgen, Dürrenhofe, Glietz, Gröditsch, Groß Leine, Groß Leuthen, Hohenbrück-Neu Schadow, Klein Leine, Krugau, Kuschkow, Leibchel, Plattkow, Pretschen, Schuhle-Wiese and Wittmannsdorf-Bückchen.
From 1815 to 1947, the constituent localities of Märkische Heide were part of the PrussianProvince of Brandenburg, from 1947 to 1952 of the State of Brandenburg, from 1952 to 1990 partially (Alt-Schadow, Biebersdorf, Dollgen, Dürrenhofe, Glietz, Gröditsch, Groß Leine, Groß Leuthen, Hohenbrück-Neu Schadow, Klein Leine, Krugau, Kuschkow, Leibchel, Pretschen, Schuhle-Wiese and Wittmannsdorf-Bückchen) of the Bezirk Cottbus and partially (Plattkow) of the Bezirk Frankfurt of East Germany. Since 1990, they have again been part of Brandenburg, since 2003 united as the municipality of Märkische Heide.
Demography
Development of Population since 1875 within the Current Boundaries (Blue Line: Population; Dotted Line: Comparison to Population Development of Brandenburg state; Grey Background: Time of Nazi rule; Red Background: Time of Communist rule)
Recent Population Development and Projections (Population Development before Census 2011 (blue line); Recent Population Development according to the Census in Germany in 2011 (blue bordered line); Official projections for 2005-2030 (yellow line); for 2020-2030 (green line); for 2017-2030 (scarlet line)
Märkische Heide: Population development within the current boundaries (2017)
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1875
6,257
—
1890
6,070
−0.20%
1910
5,747
−0.27%
1925
5,511
−0.28%
1933
5,279
−0.54%
1939
5,064
−0.69%
1946
8,101
+6.94%
1950
7,730
−1.17%
1964
6,031
−1.76%
1971
5,870
−0.39%
1981
5,347
−0.93%
1985
5,193
−0.73%
1989
5,184
−0.04%
1990
5,134
−0.96%
1991
5,062
−1.40%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
1992
5,148
+1.70%
1993
5,145
−0.06%
1994
4,984
−3.13%
1995
4,989
+0.10%
1996
4,977
−0.24%
1997
4,981
+0.08%
1998
5,000
+0.38%
1999
4,975
−0.50%
2000
4,980
+0.10%
2001
4,946
−0.68%
2002
4,899
−0.95%
2003
4,841
−1.18%
2004
4,772
−1.43%
2005
4,760
−0.25%
2006
4,684
−1.60%
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
2007
4,585
−2.11%
2008
4,464
−2.64%
2009
4,396
−1.52%
2010
4,313
−1.89%
2011
4,137
−4.08%
2012
4,067
−1.69%
2013
4,002
−1.60%
2014
3,989
−0.32%
2015
3,954
−0.88%
2016
3,915
−0.99%
2017
3,880
−0.89%
2018
3,893
+0.34%
2019
3,894
+0.03%
2020
3,904
+0.26%
Song
"Märkische Heide", also known as "Brandenburglied", is the title of a well-known German song, whose text mainly praises the beauty of the local countryside. The Chilean military song Mi fusil y yo adopted its melody.