100 Years of the Tornow Volunteer Fire Brigade: A Century of Voluntary Service

On 20 June 2026, the Tornow Volunteer Fire Brigade kicked off its 100th-anniversary celebrations with a festive parade featuring both historic and modern firefighting equipment. Guests were then treated to a varied programme of events at the Waldsportplatz in Tornow.

The Tornow Volunteer Fire Brigade looks back on an eventful history. Founded on 18 November 1926, the brigade was rebuilt two years after the Second World War, initially with a small fire station and a portable pump trailer. At a time when a lack of or damaged equipment posed major challenges for fire brigades across the country, the gradual reconstruction began. This was followed in 1981 by the construction of a new equipment shed on Hinterstraße.

Over the years, the brigade continued to develop: in 1991, a W50 fire engine was added, followed in 1994 by a W50 tanker fire engine. In 1996, the equipment shed was extended to include a second parking bay. In 2007, a 10/10 fire engine (IVECO) was handed over, and in 2015 a VW T5 crew van was added to the fleet.

The celebrations were officially opened by Maik Berendt, Deputy Mayor of Eberswalde. In his speech, he paid tribute to the importance of the fire brigade for the Tornow district, the town of Eberswalde and the wider region:

“The Tornow Volunteer Fire Brigade’s 100th anniversary is an impressive testament to a commitment to responsibility and selfless voluntary service. Since its foundation in 1926, generations of firefighters have demonstrated what it means to stand up for the common good. Technology and vehicles have changed, but their readiness to respond, courage and reliability have remained the same. My heartfelt thanks go to all my colleagues – both those on active duty and the supporters behind the scenes, as well as their families. I wish you all a safe return from your call-outs.”

This was followed by remarks from Deputy District Fire Chief Christoph Eckert and Senior Fire Chief Christoph Zielke, as well as the ceremonial honouring and promotion of four colleagues by the Head of the Professional Fire Service, Helmut Colberg.

The medal for 20 years of loyal service was awarded to Chief Fire Officer Matthias Kraft (Clara-Zetkin-Siedlung Local Fire Brigade) and Senior Fire Officer Tom Speer (Tornow Local Fire Brigade). Chief Fire Officer Jörg Schumann (Eberswalde Local Fire Brigade) and Senior Fire Officer Christoph Zielke (Tornow Local Fire Brigade) were delighted to receive the medal for 30 years of loyal service.

During the subsequent technical rescue exercise and the firefighting competition organised by the Eberswalde fire brigades, the emergency services impressively demonstrated their skills and professional teamwork.

The anniversary celebrations came to an atmospheric close in the evening with the traditional summer solstice festival at the fairground in Tornow.