Lubmin
Encyclopedia
Lubmin is a coastal resort
in the German
state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Lubmin is situated near Greifswald
and on the Bay of Greifswald
.
Apart from tourism, Lubmin is a major transport and industry hub and investment location in the German energy sector. Both the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia
(by Gazprom
and E.ON
) and several power plants (by Dong
and EnBW
) are under construction. Moreover, Lubmin is the administrative seat of Amt Lubmin, to which nine other municipalities belong.
. The northeast edge of the municipality consists of the Struck peninsula
which is bounded by the mouth of the Peenestrom
delta. The seaside resort has a kilometer-long sand beach
and is largely covered by pine
woods.
and Rubenow
to the southeast, Wusterhusen
to the south and Brünzow
to the southwest. Somewhat further away is the university town of Greifswald
to the west and to the south is the municipality of Wolgast
.
origin and until the Reformation
referred to Eldena monastery
.
As a result of the Thirty Years' War
, Lubmin, like all of Western Pomerania, became part of the Dominion of Swedish Pomerania
. Around 1700 the town came into the possession of the Swedish
field marshal Fabian Graf von Wrangel. At the 1815 Congress of Vienna
the territory was ceded to Prussia
.
In 1886 Lubmin was referred to for the first time as a "seaside resort".
It was not until 1893 that Lubmin became connected to the road from Eldena to Wolgast
. A light railway running from Greifswald via Lubmin to Wolgast was opened in 1898. In 1945 the line was dismantled and handed to the Soviet Union as war reparations
. The first pier was built around 1900. In 1969 construction work commenced on the nuclear power
station and in consequence a railway line was built from Greifswald to Lubmin. The unfinished power station was shut down shortly after German reunification
. In 1992 a new pier was completed, and several hotels and restaurants constructed, thus underlining the status of the town as a seaside resort.
After the Second World War Lubmin was part of Rostock
district, and since 1990 part of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
.
. Lubmin also possesses a railway connection, though it no longer carries passengers. Since 2004 the municipality has featured a large Baltic Sea port
(however this has not yet been officially opened). The port was constructed from the discharge channel of the former nuclear power station.
's largest nuclear power station, Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant
. The first of its five reactor
s went into operation in 1973. An additional four nuclear reactor
s were constructed in the building; however Block 5, completed in 1989, had only progressed to trials before the entire plant was shut down 1990 due to tightened safety
standards.
At present the power station is being dismantled at a high cost. Temporary storage facilities were established for nuclear waste such as reactor components. During the GDR period up to 10,000 employees worked at the power station; presently there are approximately 1,000 involved in the decommissioning effort.
As part of the industrial settlement of the site the former cooling water discharge channel was converted to a port with the use of public funds. Additionally a gas-turbine power station is to be constructed in order to attract energy-intensive industry (such as the timber, paper
or metal
industries) to the location.
Nuclear power opponents fear that the Federal nuclear waste facility (operated by Energiewerke Nord GmbH) could be used to serve all of Europe
. Fears have been raised over potential damage to the coastal landscape and the quality of the traffic route has been criticized. At present it is disputed in Lubmin whether the focus of the municipality is to concentrate on the industrial settlement or on the previously neglected tourist industry.
The 380 kV transmission line from the former Lubmin power station to the transformer substation
at Wolmirstedt
is the longest power line in Germany.
Three power plants are planned to be constructed in Lubmin to support the Nord Stream Russo–German gas pipeline ending nearby. The Danish energy company DONG Energy
plans to begin the construction of Kraftwerke Greifswald
, a multifuel, 2 x 800MW power plant
. It is feared that the resulting raise of the Baltic Sea
waters temeperature will destroy the fragile sea ecosystem
.
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
in the German
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...
state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Lubmin is situated near Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
and on the Bay of Greifswald
Bay of Greifswald
The Bay of Greifswald is a basin in the southwestern Baltic Sea, off the shores of Germany in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. With an area of 514 km², it is the largest Bodden of the German Baltic coast....
.
Apart from tourism, Lubmin is a major transport and industry hub and investment location in the German energy sector. Both the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(by Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
and E.ON
E.ON
E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
) and several power plants (by Dong
Dong
Dong may refer to:Asian languages* Vietnamese đồng , the currency unit of Vietnam* Dong people , an ethnic minority group in China* Dong language* Dong Lake, a lake in the Hunan Province of China* Dong quai, a medicinal herb...
and EnBW
EnBW
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, or simply EnBW, is a publicly traded electric utilities company headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany.-History:...
) are under construction. Moreover, Lubmin is the administrative seat of Amt Lubmin, to which nine other municipalities belong.
Geographical location
To the north of Lubmin lies the Bay of GreifswaldBay of Greifswald
The Bay of Greifswald is a basin in the southwestern Baltic Sea, off the shores of Germany in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. With an area of 514 km², it is the largest Bodden of the German Baltic coast....
. The northeast edge of the municipality consists of the Struck peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
which is bounded by the mouth of the Peenestrom
Peenestrom
The Peenestrom is a strait or river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is 20 Kilometers long and is the westernmost connection of the Szczecin Lagoon with the Baltic Sea. It is therefore also one of the three distributaries of the Oder....
delta. The seaside resort has a kilometer-long sand beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
and is largely covered by pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
woods.
Neighbouring municipalities
Lubmin's immediate neighbouring municipalities are KröslinKröslin
Kröslin is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It consists of the villages*Freest*Hollendorf*Karrin*Kröslin*Spandowerhagenand the islands*Greifswalder Oie*Ruden*Dänholm*Großer Wotig*Kleiner Wotig...
and Rubenow
Rubenow
Rubenow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It consist of*Rubenow*Rubenow-Siedlung*Groß Ernsthof*Latzow*Nieder-Voddow*Nonnendorf*Voddow...
to the southeast, Wusterhusen
Wusterhusen
Wusterhusen is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
to the south and Brünzow
Brünzow
Brünzow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.It consists of*Brünzow,*Klein Ernsthof,*Kräpelin,*Stilow,*Stilow-Siedlung,*Vierow....
to the southwest. Somewhat further away is the university town of Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
to the west and to the south is the municipality of Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
.
History
The earliest written record of the name Lubmin is in 1271. The place name Lubemyn is of 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...
origin and until the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
referred to Eldena monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
.
As a result of the 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....
, Lubmin, like all of Western Pomerania, became part of the Dominion of Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815, situated on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the southern Baltic coast, including Pomerania and parts...
. Around 1700 the town came into the possession of the Swedish
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....
field marshal Fabian Graf von Wrangel. At the 1815 Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
the territory was ceded to 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...
.
In 1886 Lubmin was referred to for the first time as a "seaside resort".
It was not until 1893 that Lubmin became connected to the road from Eldena to Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
. A light railway running from Greifswald via Lubmin to Wolgast was opened in 1898. In 1945 the line was dismantled and handed to the Soviet Union as war reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
. The first pier was built around 1900. In 1969 construction work commenced on the nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
station and in consequence a railway line was built from Greifswald to Lubmin. The unfinished power station was shut down shortly after German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
. In 1992 a new pier was completed, and several hotels and restaurants constructed, thus underlining the status of the town as a seaside resort.
After the Second World War Lubmin was part of Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
district, and since 1990 part of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin...
.
Traffic
Development of the municipality is facilitated by a state highway from Greifswald to Wolgast passing through Lubmin. An additional highway runs from Lubmin to WusterhusenWusterhusen
Wusterhusen is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
. Lubmin also possesses a railway connection, though it no longer carries passengers. Since 2004 the municipality has featured a large Baltic Sea port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
(however this has not yet been officially opened). The port was constructed from the discharge channel of the former nuclear power station.
Industry
A large part of the municipal area of Lubmin was occupied by the GDRGerman Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
's largest nuclear power station, Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant
Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant
The Nuclear power station Greifswald , also known as nuclear power station Lubmin, was the largest nuclear power station in East Germany before closure shortly after the German reunification. The plants were of the VVER-440/V-230 type, which was the first generation of Soviet Union designed plants...
. The first of its five reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s went into operation in 1973. An additional four nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s were constructed in the building; however Block 5, completed in 1989, had only progressed to trials before the entire plant was shut down 1990 due to tightened safety
Safety engineering
Safety engineering is an applied science strongly related to systems engineering / industrial engineering and the subset System Safety Engineering...
standards.
At present the power station is being dismantled at a high cost. Temporary storage facilities were established for nuclear waste such as reactor components. During the GDR period up to 10,000 employees worked at the power station; presently there are approximately 1,000 involved in the decommissioning effort.
As part of the industrial settlement of the site the former cooling water discharge channel was converted to a port with the use of public funds. Additionally a gas-turbine power station is to be constructed in order to attract energy-intensive industry (such as the timber, paper
Pulp and paper industry
The global pulp and paper industry is dominated by North American , northern European and East Asian countries...
or metal
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
industries) to the location.
Nuclear power opponents fear that the Federal nuclear waste facility (operated by Energiewerke Nord GmbH) could be used to serve all of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Fears have been raised over potential damage to the coastal landscape and the quality of the traffic route has been criticized. At present it is disputed in Lubmin whether the focus of the municipality is to concentrate on the industrial settlement or on the previously neglected tourist industry.
The 380 kV transmission line from the former Lubmin power station to the transformer substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
at Wolmirstedt
Wolmirstedt
Wolmirstedt is a town in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is located 14 km north of Magdeburg, on the river Ohre.-History:*1009 first documentary mention*1274 Ruthger von Blumenthal appointed Vogt of Wolmirstedt...
is the longest power line in Germany.
Three power plants are planned to be constructed in Lubmin to support the Nord Stream Russo–German gas pipeline ending nearby. The Danish energy company DONG Energy
DONG Energy
-History:The Danish state company Dansk Naturgas A/S was founded in 1972 to manage resources in the Danish sector of the North Sea. After some years, the company was renamed to Dansk Olie og Naturgas A/S . At the beginning of 2000s, DONG started to extend itself into the electricity market by...
plans to begin the construction of Kraftwerke Greifswald
Kraftwerke Greifswald
Greifswald Power Station was a coal fired power plant planned by the Danish energy company DONG Energy near Greifswald, Germany. It was planned to be located in the beach town Lubmin, from Greifswald, in an industrial area which was previously occupied by Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant.The power...
, a multifuel, 2 x 800MW power plant
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
. It is feared that the resulting raise of the Baltic Sea
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...
waters temeperature will destroy the fragile sea ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
.