Garz
Encyclopedia
Garz (ˈɡaʁts) is a city in Vorpommern-Rügen
district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The city is administered by the Amt
of Bergen auf Rügen, in the city of the same name
. In June 2004, the once self-governing community of Zudar on the peninsula of the same name was amalgamated into Garz. In January 2005, Karnitz was also amalgamated into Garz.
, about 5 km from the coast. The area is low rolling hills, and the highest point is the Kanonenberg at 34 m. Garz is 22 km from Stralsund
on the mainland, and 12 km from the district seat, Bergen auf Rügen.
The following communities all belong to Garz/Rügen: Bietengast, Dumsevitz, Foßberg, Freudenberg, Glewitz, Götzlaffshagen, Grabow
, Groß Schoritz, Karnitz, Klein Stubben, Kniepow, Koldevitz, Kowall, Losentitz, Maltzien, Poltenbusch, Poppelvitz, Rosengarten, Schabernack, Silmenitz, Swiene, Tangnitz, Wentorf, Zicker and Zudar.
Gardec and means "fortified place" or "little castle". The town was thought to be the former princely residence Charenza, yet today that seems to be unlikely. The precursor of Garz was identified as the town of Ruyendal.
The castle
was destroyed, together with the temple
that was also here, by the Danes
in 1168. Garz was raised to city in 1319 and thus is said to be the oldest city on the island of Rügen. It was an important trading centre in the Middle Ages
. The city is moulded today, as in the past, by an agricultural
economy.
In 1930, the diabetes researcher Gerhardt Katsch founded Germany
's first home for the clinical and sociomedical treatment of diabetics in Garz. After the institution moved to Karlsburg in Vorpommern, an outpost of the Karlsburg Institute (Central Institute for Diabetes) stayed in Garz as a holiday spot for treating diabetic children over the summer holidays.
Near Garz, Deutsche Telekom
AG runs a transmission facility for VHF
, television
and microwave radio relay. A 190-m-high steel lattice mast provides a mount for the antennas.
with a length of about 42.5 km.
of that name
born in the area.
Vorpommern-Rügen
Vorpommern-Rügen is a district in the north of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by the Baltic Sea and the districts Vorpommern-Greifswald, Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Rostock...
district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The city is administered by the Amt
Amt (subnational entity)
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only found in Germany, but formerly also common in northern European countries. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to a U.S...
of Bergen auf Rügen, in the city of the same name
Bergen auf Rügen
Bergen auf Rügen is the capital of the former district of Rügen in the middle of the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Since 1 January 2005, Bergen has moreover been the administrative seat of the Amt of Bergen auf Rügen, which with a population of over 23,000 is...
. In June 2004, the once self-governing community of Zudar on the peninsula of the same name was amalgamated into Garz. In January 2005, Karnitz was also amalgamated into Garz.
Geography
Garz lies in the south of the island of RügenRügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
, about 5 km from the coast. The area is low rolling hills, and the highest point is the Kanonenberg at 34 m. Garz is 22 km from Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
on the mainland, and 12 km from the district seat, Bergen auf Rügen.
The following communities all belong to Garz/Rügen: Bietengast, Dumsevitz, Foßberg, Freudenberg, Glewitz, Götzlaffshagen, Grabow
Grabow
Grabow is a town in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Elde, 7 km southeast of Ludwigslust, and 34 km northwest of Wittenberge.-History:...
, Groß Schoritz, Karnitz, Klein Stubben, Kniepow, Koldevitz, Kowall, Losentitz, Maltzien, Poltenbusch, Poppelvitz, Rosengarten, Schabernack, Silmenitz, Swiene, Tangnitz, Wentorf, Zicker and Zudar.
History
The name Garz comes from the SlavicSlavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
Gardec and means "fortified place" or "little castle". The town was thought to be the former princely residence Charenza, yet today that seems to be unlikely. The precursor of Garz was identified as the town of Ruyendal.
The castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
was destroyed, together with the temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
that was also here, by the Danes
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...
in 1168. Garz was raised to city in 1319 and thus is said to be the oldest city on the island of Rügen. It was an important trading centre in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The city is moulded today, as in the past, by an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
economy.
In 1930, the diabetes researcher Gerhardt Katsch founded 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...
's first home for the clinical and sociomedical treatment of diabetics in Garz. After the institution moved to Karlsburg in Vorpommern, an outpost of the Karlsburg Institute (Central Institute for Diabetes) stayed in Garz as a holiday spot for treating diabetic children over the summer holidays.
Buildings
Things that are worth seeing are, among others:- the Slavic castle wall (remains of Charenza castle), which are counted among Germany's best preserved;
- the St. Petri Evangelical Church in the GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style, built about 1400.
Near Garz, Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....
AG runs a transmission facility for VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and microwave radio relay. A 190-m-high steel lattice mast provides a mount for the antennas.
Transport
The town has at its disposal a well built network of bicycle pathsSegregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
with a length of about 42.5 km.
Public institutions
Located in the town is the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Museum, dedicated to the poetPoet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
of that name
Ernst Moritz Arndt
Ernst Moritz Arndt was a German nationalistic and antisemitic author and poet. Early in his life, he fought for the abolition of serfdom, later against Napoleonic dominance over Germany, and had to flee to Sweden for some time due to his anti-French positions...
born in the area.
Sons and daughters of the city
- Ernst Moritz ArndtErnst Moritz ArndtErnst Moritz Arndt was a German nationalistic and antisemitic author and poet. Early in his life, he fought for the abolition of serfdom, later against Napoleonic dominance over Germany, and had to flee to Sweden for some time due to his anti-French positions...
- Johann Christian Ludwig HellwigJohann Christian Ludwig HellwigJohann Christian Ludwig Hellwig was a German entomologist.After studies of mathematics and natural history at the university of Frankfurt, he became, in 1766, adviser to prince Wilhelm Adolf von Braunschweig at the time of his voyage in the south of Russia.In 1771, he taught in two colleges of...
(1743–1831), German entomologistEntomologyEntomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...