Scabell Street (Scabellstraße)
There is only one Scabellstraße in the world. It is located in Havelberg and is named after a Berlin official.
Why is that?
In the icy winter of 1870, a fire broke out in Havelberg that could not be extinguished due to a lack of water – the Havel River was frozen. At that time, Havelberg did not yet have its own fire department. The mayor sent two urgent telegrams to Berlin, the capital.
Wilhelm I, King of Prussia and later Emperor of the German Empire, commissioned Berlin fire chief Ludwig Carl Scabell to provide immediate assistance.
With 159 men and equipment, he traveled by special train to Havelberg. The journey continued by rail to Glöwen and then by horse-drawn wagons to Havelberg. At night. Sub-zero temperatures. Snowdrifts. By noon the next day, the fire was under control.
Hundreds of Havelberg residents were left homeless on February 6/7, 1870. 89 houses were lost. In the video, you will notice that historic half-timbered houses only exist on one side of Scabellstraße:
Today, Scabellstraße marks the division between the area affected by the great fire (northeastern part of the city island) and the southwestern part that remained intact.
Scabellstraße today
Scabellstraße today comprises 10 residential and commercial buildings. The ground floors contain business premises with apartments above.
Current businesses on Scabellstraße
- Mewes Interior Design
- Euronics Servicepoint Grunwald
- Statement Media
- Driving School
- Hair Salon
- Beauty and Foot Care Studio
Often considered part of Scabellstraße, but actually belonging to the Market: clothing store, travel agency, and another hair salon. The “Altstadt Café” at the head of Scabellstraße is located on Fischerstraße.
Not all shops and apartments on Scabellstraße are currently rented, which may not be obvious at first glance as they are not listed on the real estate market. Contact can be made via Havelberg-Immobilien.
Parking
Scabellstraße is part of the inner bicycle ring on the city island and is therefore a one-way street. Parking spaces are located on the left side. Monday through Friday during business hours, you can park for one hour free of charge with a parking disc. Outside these hours and on weekends, parking is also free without a disc.
Residents can park in Scabellstraße without time limits with a parking permit.
Even shorter streets in Havelberg?
This could have been a fun topic for the comment section, since there are postal addresses in Havelberg that don’t go up to number 10 and can be walked in just a few steps. For example, the Roßmühlenstege. However, it measures 61 meters, making it 2 meters longer than Scabellstraße.
Am kleinen Kirchhof is shorter at 37 meters, but it’s not a real street. It’s open to pedestrians and cyclists only.
Questions for you!
- Is there a street named after someone from Havelberg?
- How many streets are there in Havelberg?
- Who should the next newly established street be named after?
PS: Before it was called “Scabellstraße,” it was known as “Marktstraße.” The current “Marktstraße” used to be called “Kleine Marktstraße.” That sounds like a story worth telling, too!
Historic half-timbered houses remain on one side of Scabellstraße – the other was lost in the great fire of 1870.
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