Named after Bernau bei Berlin, a town just north-east of the city.
Legend says Albrecht the Bear founded the town after enjoying its beer and named it ‘Bärnau’ after himself. But deriving Bernau from ‘Bär’ (bear) is folk etymology; the most likely origin is the Slavic personal name Barnim. The town was founded at the start of the 13th century and has officially been ‘bei Berlin’ since 1 April 1999.