Darlowo
Encyclopedia
Darłowo d is a town at the south coast of the Baltic Sea
in Middle
Pomerania
, north-western Poland
, with 14,931 inhabitants (2006). Located in Sławno County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship
since 1999, it was previously a town in Koszalin Voivodeship
(1950–1998).
first populated the region.
Remainders of Celtic culture and Germanic culture, as well as of Baltic culture, influenced by contacts with Rome's merchants, were found in the area. Several Roman coins with portraits of Roman Emperors were found around Darłowo.
On Ptolemy
's chart of Germania Magna a settlement of the Rugians
called Rugium is listed in the vicinity of a river which probably is identical with the Grabowa River flowing into the Wieprza
river.
enters the Baltic Sea. From this fortress, the fortress district of Dirlow was administered, which itself belonged to the castelany of Schlawe. The town of Rügenwalde was later founded in the fortress district of Dirlow, but not at the location of the fortress itself.
The town of Rügenwalde was probably founded in 1270 by Wizlaw II of the Danish
Principality of Rügen, at that time also ruler of the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp
. The first mention of Rügenwalde is in a document of February 5, 1271. The settlement decayed.
In 1277, Wizlaw II had sold his rights concerning the lands of Rügenwalde and Schlawe to the margraves of Brandenburg, who thereafter ruled these lands from Buckow up to the year of 1283.
According to a Polish encyclopedia, the town of Rügenwalde has been destroyed in 1283 during fights between Wizlaw II and Mestwin II (Polish: Mszczuj or Mściwój). In a chronic of 1652, M. Merian stated that it had been destroyed on purpose by Bogislaw of Pomerania, when after Mestwin's II death in December 1294 duke Przemysŀ had claimed the town for Pomeralia, as he had done already five years before, and could not be persuaded to peacefully give up his claim and to withdraw from there. In a decisive battle of 1296, the Polish invasion troops were beaten near the village of Buckow by a Pomeranian contingent led by duke Wizlaw of Rügen and count Adolph from Holstein. The retreating Polish troops devastated the castle of Dirlow and the town once more.
Rügenwalde was built new and on May 21, 1312, the town was granted Lübeck law
under the administration of the noble brothers John, Peter, and Lawrence of the Swenzones
, vassals of the Brandenburg margraves
since 1307. The Ascanian
s had already been prior to 1307 under control of the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp. In Rügenwalde they had been already in 1305. They undertook in 1308 a campaign against Gdansk.
The town passed to the Duchy of Pomerania
in 1347, at that time ruled by the brothers Bogislaw V
, Wartislaw V, and Barnim IV
of the House of Pomerania
dynasty. Bogislaw, son-in-law of king Casimir III of Poland
, would become ruler of the area after the partition of Pomerania-Wolgast in 1368. This part duchy was known as Pomerania-Stolp.
(Hanse) was initiated, with the town becoming a full member of the Hanse in 1412. In 1382 Eric of Pomerania
, later the king of Norway
, Denmark
and Sweden
, was born in the town. After losing his thrones, he returned to his birthplace and began to expand his duchy. After his death in 1459 he was buried in St. Mary's Church.
After Eric's death the town was ruled by duke Eric II of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Another significant ruler was Bogislaw X
(1454–1523). Under his administration the trade and prosperity in the area of Darłowo grew, as international trade relations were extended, also with Poland.
In 1497 and 1552 the harbour of the town, known in German as Rügenwaldermünde, and parts of the town were hit by great storms. Ships which had got out of control were seen drifting in the vicinity of the town and of the neighbouring village of Suckow. In 1589, 1624, 1648, 1679 and 1722 fires damaged the town. The first lighthouse was built around the year 1715.
After the death of the last Pomeranian Duke
Bogislaw XIV in 1637, the end of the contemporary Thirty Years' War
in 1648 and the subsequent partition of the Duchy of Pomerania
between the Swedish Empire
and Brandenburg-Prussia
in the Peace of Westphalia
and the Treaty of Stettin (1653)
, Brandenburg included Farther Pomerania
with Rügenwalde in her Pomeranian province. The harbour of Rügenwaldermünde was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War by imperial troops
, and was reconstructed by order of King Frederick II of Prussia
not before 1772.
some of its inhabitants, in particular ship owners and businessmen, profited from smuggling British goods to the continent. In 1871 the town, along with Prussia
, became a part of the reconstituted second German Empire
. A railway reached the town in 1878. 289 inhabitants died throughout World War I
.
In last democratic elections March 5, 1933, 58.13% (Germany 44%) valid votes for NSDAP (data for the county).
Before the outbreak of World War I the town had about 6,000 inhabitants, before the outbreak of World War II about 8000. As a town in the middle of Farther Pomerania, it had a population of German native language, with a negligible number of exceptions.
In 1935 the important Firing Test Range Rügenwalde-Bad (German: Schießplatz Rügenwalde-Bad), designed for testing heavy guns, including long-range railway type of cannons such as Krupp K5
, was built between Rügenwalde's habour Rügenwaldermünde and the village of Suckow. During World War II some of the largest guns in military history were tested here: Schwerer Gustav
and Mörser Karl
. Gun barrels with a length of up to 47 meters were tested. For long distance tests, target areas within the Baltic Sea North of Großmöllendorf and Henkenhagen (about 80 kilometers away from Rügenwaldermünde) and North of Dievenow and Swinemünde (120 to 130 kilometers away) were used. The test camp was currently visited by officers of the commanding staff of Germany's army, air force and marine, including Admiral of the Fleet Erich Raeder
and marshals von Rundstedt, Wilhelm Keitel
and Hermann Göring
. Once the resort hade been visited also by Adolf Hitler
accompanied by Benito Mussolini
. Their trains, however, had not stopped at Rügenwalde's train station.
families from the bombarded German towns of Hagen und Bochum in the Ruhr district had been evacuated to Rügenwalde.
Shortly before the end of World War II numerous refugees from East Prussia
and West Prussia
arrived in the region. In early 1945, about 5,600 persons could escape by ships in the framework of the Operation Hannibal
before Soviet Troops
reached the town on March 7, 1945. About 3,500 citizens remained in the town or returned again after their escape had failed.
Following an agreement at the Potsdam Conference
, after the end of World War II Rügenwalde was put together with Farther Pomerania
under Polish administration. Its thorough German population was expelled and the town was populated with Poles
and Lemkos
in 1946/47, who mostly came from regions East of the Curzon Line
. The first expulsion of the residual German inhabitants took place on 17 October 1945, followed by a series of further expulsions beginning on 17 August 1946. In 1949 only about 70 Germans were left in the town.
The town was given the Polish name Dyrłów, and later Darłów, before changing to the current name.
Today the city is well known in Poland as a summer resort. A coast aquapark with desalted sea water is available here, the only one in Poland.
the production was restarted in West Germany
under the old name.
had taken place in Pomerania, the vast majority of the city's population was composed of Protestants
.
with: Hässleholm
, Sweden
Nexø
, Denmark
Gardelegen
, Germany
Starý Hrozenkov
, Czech Republic
Saint-Doulchard
, France
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
in Middle
Middle Pomerania
The term Middle or Central Pomerania can refer to two distinct areas, depending on whether it is used as a translation of the corresponding German or Polish terms Mittelpommern or Pomorze Środkowe, respectively.-Mittelpommern, Mittelpommerscher Keil:Mittelpommern or Mittelpommerscher Keil in...
Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, north-western Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, with 14,931 inhabitants (2006). Located in Sławno County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
since 1999, it was previously a town in Koszalin Voivodeship
Koszalin Voivodeship
Koszalin Voivodeship – a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–98, superseded by West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Capital city: Koszalin Area: 8.500 km² Statistics :...
(1950–1998).
History
Numerous archeological findings reveal that, after the ice which had covered North-Eastern Europe had molten and the Ice-age had ended at about 8.000 B.C., settlers of the Stone AgeEarly history of Pomerania
After the glaciers of the Ice Age in the Early Stone Age withdrew from Pomerania, in what are now northern Germany and Poland, they left a tundra. First humans appeared, hunting reindeer in the summer. A climate change in 8000 BC allowed hunters and foragers of the Ertebølle-Ellerbek culture to...
first populated the region.
Remainders of Celtic culture and Germanic culture, as well as of Baltic culture, influenced by contacts with Rome's merchants, were found in the area. Several Roman coins with portraits of Roman Emperors were found around Darłowo.
On Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
's chart of Germania Magna a settlement of the Rugians
Rugians
"Rugi" redirects here. For the Romanian villages by this name, see Păltiniş, Caraş-Severin and Turcineşti.The Rugii, also Rugians, Rygir, Ulmerugi, or Holmrygir were an East Germanic tribe migrated from southwest Norway to Pomerania around 100 AD, and from there to the Danube River valley...
called Rugium is listed in the vicinity of a river which probably is identical with the Grabowa River flowing into the Wieprza
Wieprza
Wieprza , a river in north-western Poland, is a tributary of the Baltic Sea, with a length of 112 kilometers and a basin area of 2,170km². Its German name is Wipper .Towns:* Sławno * Darłowo See also: rivers of Poland, list of...
river.
Middle Ages
Already in the 11th century a fortress named Dirlow, also called Dirlovo, existed in the immediate vicinity of the place where the River WieprzaWieprza
Wieprza , a river in north-western Poland, is a tributary of the Baltic Sea, with a length of 112 kilometers and a basin area of 2,170km². Its German name is Wipper .Towns:* Sławno * Darłowo See also: rivers of Poland, list of...
enters the Baltic Sea. From this fortress, the fortress district of Dirlow was administered, which itself belonged to the castelany of Schlawe. The town of Rügenwalde was later founded in the fortress district of Dirlow, but not at the location of the fortress itself.
The town of Rügenwalde was probably founded in 1270 by Wizlaw II of the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Principality of Rügen, at that time also ruler of the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp
Lands of Schlawe and Stolp
The Lands of Schlawe and Stolp are a historical region in Pomerania, centered around the towns of Sławno and Słupsk in Farther Pomerania...
. The first mention of Rügenwalde is in a document of February 5, 1271. The settlement decayed.
In 1277, Wizlaw II had sold his rights concerning the lands of Rügenwalde and Schlawe to the margraves of Brandenburg, who thereafter ruled these lands from Buckow up to the year of 1283.
According to a Polish encyclopedia, the town of Rügenwalde has been destroyed in 1283 during fights between Wizlaw II and Mestwin II (Polish: Mszczuj or Mściwój). In a chronic of 1652, M. Merian stated that it had been destroyed on purpose by Bogislaw of Pomerania, when after Mestwin's II death in December 1294 duke Przemysŀ had claimed the town for Pomeralia, as he had done already five years before, and could not be persuaded to peacefully give up his claim and to withdraw from there. In a decisive battle of 1296, the Polish invasion troops were beaten near the village of Buckow by a Pomeranian contingent led by duke Wizlaw of Rügen and count Adolph from Holstein. The retreating Polish troops devastated the castle of Dirlow and the town once more.
Rügenwalde was built new and on May 21, 1312, the town was granted Lübeck law
Lübeck law
The Lübeck law was the constitution of a municipal form of government developed at Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein after it was made a free city in 1226. The law provides for self-government. It replaced the personal rule of tribal monarchs descending from ancient times or the rule of the regional...
under the administration of the noble brothers John, Peter, and Lawrence of the Swenzones
Swenzones
The collective name Swenzones , refers in historical literature to a Pomeranian noble family which at the transition from the Middle Ages to modern times made in the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp and Pomerelia from 1269 to 1357 a remarkable career under various political powers struggling for...
, vassals of the Brandenburg margraves
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
since 1307. The Ascanian
Ascanian
The House of Ascania was a dynasty of German rulers. It was also known as the House of Anhalt, after Anhalt, its longest-held possession.The Ascanians are named after Ascania Castle, which is located near and named after Aschersleben...
s had already been prior to 1307 under control of the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp. In Rügenwalde they had been already in 1305. They undertook in 1308 a campaign against Gdansk.
The town passed to the Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
in 1347, at that time ruled by the brothers Bogislaw V
Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw V was a Duke of Pomerania.Eldest son of Duke Wartislaw IV and Elisabeth of Silesia, Bogislaw had two brothers, Barnim IV and Wartislaw V. The brothers were joint rulers from their father's death in 1326. They allied with King Casimir III of Poland, whose daughter Elisabeth married...
, Wartislaw V, and Barnim IV
Barnim IV, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim IV of Pomerania was a Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast-Rügen.He was the second son of Duke Wartislaw of Pomerania-Wolgast and the brother of Bogislaw V and Wartislaw V....
of the House of Pomerania
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
dynasty. Bogislaw, son-in-law of king Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
, would become ruler of the area after the partition of Pomerania-Wolgast in 1368. This part duchy was known as Pomerania-Stolp.
Transition to modern times
In 1352 the construction of the castle began, and cooperation with the Hanseatic LeagueHanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
(Hanse) was initiated, with the town becoming a full member of the Hanse in 1412. In 1382 Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
, later the king of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, was born in the town. After losing his thrones, he returned to his birthplace and began to expand his duchy. After his death in 1459 he was buried in St. Mary's Church.
After Eric's death the town was ruled by duke Eric II of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Another significant ruler was Bogislaw X
Bogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw X of Pomerania, the Great, was Duke of Pomerania from 1474 until his death in 1523.Bogislaw was born in Rügenwalde into the House of Pomerania . His father was Eric II, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast, his mother was the duchess Sophia of Pomerania, both distant relatives of the House of...
(1454–1523). Under his administration the trade and prosperity in the area of Darłowo grew, as international trade relations were extended, also with Poland.
In 1497 and 1552 the harbour of the town, known in German as Rügenwaldermünde, and parts of the town were hit by great storms. Ships which had got out of control were seen drifting in the vicinity of the town and of the neighbouring village of Suckow. In 1589, 1624, 1648, 1679 and 1722 fires damaged the town. The first lighthouse was built around the year 1715.
After the death of the last Pomeranian Duke
Dukes of Pomerania
- 10th and 11th century – Dukes of the Slavic Pomeranian tribes :* 1046 mention of Zemuzil * 1113 Gallus Anonymus mentions several dukes of Pomerania: Swantibor, Gniewomir, and an unnamed duke besieged in Kołobrzeg.-Duchy of Pomerania:*1121–1135 Wartislaw I*1135–1155 Ratibor I, ancestor of the...
Bogislaw XIV in 1637, the end of the contemporary Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
in 1648 and the subsequent partition of the Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
between the Swedish Empire
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
and Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
in the Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
and the Treaty of Stettin (1653)
Treaty of Stettin (1653)
The Treaty of Stettin of 4 May 1653 settled a dispute between Brandenburg and Sweden, who both claimed succession in the Duchy of Pomerania after the extinction of the local House of Pomerania during the Thirty Years' War. Brandenburg's claims were based on the Treaty of Grimnitz , while Sweden's...
, Brandenburg included Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Further Pomerania, Transpomerania or Eastern Pomerania , which before the German-Polish border shift of 1945 comprised the eastern part of the Duchy, later Province of Pomerania, roughly stretching from the Oder River in the West to Pomerelia in the East...
with Rügenwalde in her Pomeranian province. The harbour of Rügenwaldermünde was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War by imperial troops
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, and was reconstructed by order of King Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
not before 1772.
19th and 20th centuries
During the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
some of its inhabitants, in particular ship owners and businessmen, profited from smuggling British goods to the continent. In 1871 the town, along with Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, became a part of the reconstituted second German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. A railway reached the town in 1878. 289 inhabitants died throughout World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In last democratic elections March 5, 1933, 58.13% (Germany 44%) valid votes for NSDAP (data for the county).
Before the outbreak of World War I the town had about 6,000 inhabitants, before the outbreak of World War II about 8000. As a town in the middle of Farther Pomerania, it had a population of German native language, with a negligible number of exceptions.
In 1935 the important Firing Test Range Rügenwalde-Bad (German: Schießplatz Rügenwalde-Bad), designed for testing heavy guns, including long-range railway type of cannons such as Krupp K5
Krupp K5
The Krupp 28-cm-Kanone 5 , in short K5, was a heavy railway gun used by Germany throughout World War II.-Description:The Krupp K5 series were consistent in mounting a long gun barrel in a fixed mounting with only vertical elevation of the weapon...
, was built between Rügenwalde's habour Rügenwaldermünde and the village of Suckow. During World War II some of the largest guns in military history were tested here: Schwerer Gustav
Schwerer Gustav
Schwerer Gustav and Dora were the names of two massive World War II German 80 cm K railway siege guns. They were developed in the late 1930s by Krupp for the express purpose of destroying heavy fortifications, specifically those in the French Maginot Line...
and Mörser Karl
Mörser Karl
"Karl-Gerät" , also known as Thor and Mörser Karl, was a World War II German self-propelled siege mortar designed and built by Rheinmetall. It was the largest self-propelled weapon to see service. Its heaviest munition was a diameter, shell, and the range for its lightest shell of was just over...
. Gun barrels with a length of up to 47 meters were tested. For long distance tests, target areas within the Baltic Sea North of Großmöllendorf and Henkenhagen (about 80 kilometers away from Rügenwaldermünde) and North of Dievenow and Swinemünde (120 to 130 kilometers away) were used. The test camp was currently visited by officers of the commanding staff of Germany's army, air force and marine, including Admiral of the Fleet Erich Raeder
Erich Raeder
Erich Johann Albert Raeder was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank—that of Großadmiral — in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred von Tirpitz...
and marshals von Rundstedt, Wilhelm Keitel
Wilhelm Keitel
Wilhelm Bodewin Gustav Keitel was a German field marshal . As head of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and de facto war minister, he was one of Germany's most senior military leaders during World War II...
and Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
. Once the resort hade been visited also by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
accompanied by Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. Their trains, however, had not stopped at Rügenwalde's train station.
After the end of World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
families from the bombarded German towns of Hagen und Bochum in the Ruhr district had been evacuated to Rügenwalde.
Shortly before the end of World War II numerous refugees from East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
and West Prussia
West Prussia
West Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish province of Royal Prussia...
arrived in the region. In early 1945, about 5,600 persons could escape by ships in the framework of the Operation Hannibal
Operation Hannibal
Operation Hannibal was a German military operation involving the evacuation by sea of German troops and civilians from Courland, East Prussia, and the Polish Corridor from mid-January to May, 1945 as the Red Army advanced during the East Prussian and East Pomeranian Offensives and subsidiary...
before Soviet Troops
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
reached the town on March 7, 1945. About 3,500 citizens remained in the town or returned again after their escape had failed.
Following an agreement at the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
, after the end of World War II Rügenwalde was put together with Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Further Pomerania, Transpomerania or Eastern Pomerania , which before the German-Polish border shift of 1945 comprised the eastern part of the Duchy, later Province of Pomerania, roughly stretching from the Oder River in the West to Pomerelia in the East...
under Polish administration. Its thorough German population was expelled and the town was populated with Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
and Lemkos
Lemkos
Lemkos , one of several quantitatively and territorially small ethnic groups who also call themselves Rusyns , are one of the ethnic groups inhabiting the Carpathian Mountains...
in 1946/47, who mostly came from regions East of the Curzon Line
Curzon Line
The Curzon Line was put forward by the Allied Supreme Council after World War I as a demarcation line between the Second Polish Republic and Bolshevik Russia and was supposed to serve as the basis for a future border. In the wake of World War I, which catalysed the Russian Revolution of 1917, the...
. The first expulsion of the residual German inhabitants took place on 17 October 1945, followed by a series of further expulsions beginning on 17 August 1946. In 1949 only about 70 Germans were left in the town.
The town was given the Polish name Dyrłów, and later Darłów, before changing to the current name.
Today the city is well known in Poland as a summer resort. A coast aquapark with desalted sea water is available here, the only one in Poland.
Main sights
The entire Old Town area in Darłowo is under preservation. Darłowo has maintained the unique medieval urban planning with the main square in the middle of the town. During medieval times the town was surrounded by walls and had four gates; only one gate has survived in a fairly original shape.- Castle of Dukes of House of PomeraniaHouse of PomeraniaThe House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
- today a Regional Museum. The castle is built in gothic style on a base plan resembling a square; its tower is 24 meters high. This is the only castle of such characteristic on the Polish seacoast. - Blessed Virgin Mary Church (original German name: Marienkirche) - basilica built in gothic style in 1321, with sarcophagues of Dukes of Pomerania: Erik I, Elisabeth (wife of last Duke of Pomerania Bogislaw XIV, died in 1653).
- Saint GertrudeGertrude the GreatGertrude the Great was a German Benedictine, mystic, and theologian.She is recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, and is inscribed in the General Roman Calendar, for celebration throughout the Latin Rite on November 16.Gertrude was born January 6, 1256, in Eisleben, Thuringia...
Church (original German name: Gertrudkirche) - built in Scandinavian style, first mentioned in 1497, built in Scandinavian Style on the little hill Kopfberg outside of the city walls. - Saint GeorgeSaint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
Church (original German name: Georgskapelle) - built in Gothic style outside of the city walls. - The town hall re-built in 1657 and in 1725 after damages by fire, with its inscriptions in Latin stating the years of devastation (1589, 1624, 1648, 1679 and 1722).
- The Hanse fountain (German: Hansabrunnen) in front of the town hall, a creation of the German artist Wilhelm Groß (*1883, †1974), donated to the town of Rügenwalde as a present by the local shipping company Hemptenmacher.
- High Gate - also known as Stone Gate (original German names: Hohes Tor or Steintor) - built in the 14th century, a remainder of the city walls.
- Lighthouse - built in the 19th century, 20 meters high
Trivia
The German name Rügenwalde was best known in Germany for the production of the Rügenwalder Teewurst in the town; after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the production was restarted in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
under the old name.
Demographics
Since the ReformationReformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
had taken place in Pomerania, the vast majority of the city's population was composed of Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
.
| Year | Inhabitants | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1740 | 1,973 | |
| 1782 | 2,255 | incl. 22 Jews Jews The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation... |
| 1791 | 2,331 | incl. 29 Jews. |
| 1794 | 2,347 | incl. 29 Jews |
| 1812 | 3,163 | incl. 47 Catholics and 33 Jews. |
| 1817 | 3,754 | |
| 1831 | 3,393 | incl. 8 Catholics and 43 Jews. |
| 1843 | 4,534 | incl. 18 Catholics and 67 Jews. |
| 1852 | 5,060 | incl. 16 Catholics and 84 Jews. |
| 1861 | 5,406 | incl. 5 Catholics and 117 Jews. |
| 1875 | 5,174 | |
| 1890 | 5,296 | incl. 27 Catholics Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity... and 102 Jews |
| 1910 | 5,978 | |
| 1939 | 8,392 | |
| 1944 | approx. 11,000 | |
| 2008 | 14, 140 | |
Twin towns — sister cities
Darłowo is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Hässleholm
Hässleholm
Hässleholm is a locality and the seat of Hässleholm Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 17,730 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:Hässleholm was gradually developed from 1860 in connection with the construction of the main Stockholm to Malmö railway line. There was no settlement on the spot before...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Nexø
Nexø
Nexø is a town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. With a population of 3,762 , it is the second largest town, as well as the largest fishing port on the island. Fishing is the mainstay of the town economy. Nexø is also the site of a distillery and a mustard factory...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Gardelegen
Gardelegen
Gardelegen is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Milde, 20 m. W. from Stendal, on the main line of railway Berlin-Hanover....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Starý Hrozenkov
Starý Hrozenkov
Starý Hrozenkov is a village and municipality in Uherské Hradiště District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 886 ....
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Saint-Doulchard
Saint-Doulchard
Saint-Doulchard is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-History:In Roman times, it was named Ampeliacum, which literally means "the vineyard hillsides", where they grew grapes....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Further reading
- Gustav Kratz: Die Städte der Provinz Pommern - Abriß ihrer Geschichte, zumeist nach Urkunden, Vaduz: Sändig Reprint Verlag, 1996, ISBN 3-253-02734-1 (unchanged reprint of the edition of 1886), pp. 327-338.
- Manfred Vollack (ed.): Der Kreis Schlawe - Ein pommersches Heimatbuch, Husum: Husum Druck und Verlagsgesellschaft, 1986/1989, Vol. I: Der Kreis als Ganzes, ISBN 3-88042-239-7, Vol. II: Die Städte und Landgemeinden, ISBN 3-88042-337-7 (The book contains several articles concerning the town of Rügenwalde, which had been written prior to World War II. Included is also a more recent article by Ellinor von Puttkamer on the Swenzones.)
- „Darłowo zarys dziejów” [Darłowo's Brief History] – L. Walkiewicz and M. Żukowski (pl)
- „Z dziejów portu nad Wieprzą” [From History of the Harbor on Wieprz River]– L. Walkiewicz (pl)
- „Darłowo” Józef Staśko Zarząd Główny Polskiego Towarzystwa Krajoznawczego, 1948
- „200 miast wraca do Polski” Władysław Jan Grabski, Wydawnictwo Zachodnie 1947
External links
- Map of 1849 with Rugium in Germania Magna
- Portal Darłowo (pl)
- Forum Darłowo (pl)
- City Map Darłowo (pl)
- Official site of International Military Meeting Darłowo
- German detailed map 1:25 000 dated 1897 from Archiwum Map Zachodniej Polski (Archive of Maps of Western Poland)
- Aquapark with desalted sea water
- German historical site
