Schwaan
Encyclopedia
Schwaan is a municipality
in the Rostock
district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
. It is also the seat of the Schwaan Township
, serving another six municipalities.
, stretching from western France to Russia. Schwaan lies on the lower Warnow
river between cities of Rostock
, 17 km to the north, and Güstrow
, 20 km to the south. The higher ground to the east and west of the Warnow barely reaches 50 meters above sea level, and the area north to the Baltic Sea
is flat.
The nearby villages of Bandow, Dorf Tatschow, Hof Tatschow and Letschow belong to Schwaan.
, which one can still recognize in place and farm names. Schwaan was first mentioned as a town in a record from 1276.
In 1765 a great fire destroyed the entire town except for St. Paul’s Church and a mill. The town was rebuilt in the classical style, especially the townhouses which can be seen today.
In the 19th century, Schwaan was a small country town and the market for the surrounding communities of the Schwaan township. The construction of the railway line from Hamburg to Rostock through Schwaan in 1850 brought an economic boom. The city hall was built only five years later in the neo-Gothic style.
With the coming of the railroad, the town became a getaway destination for residents of the city of Rostock. In 1911 a lung sanatorium was built, which was later expanded into a tuberculosis and rehabilitation clinic. In 1928 the first river bathing resort in Germany was built on the Warnow.
During the World War II
Schwaan suffered no damage from bombing, but the Warnow bridge, built in 1828, was dynamited shortly before the end of the war.
Since German reunification in October 1990, the historic center of the town has been completely rehabilitated through an urban renewal program of the German government.
, south of Bremerhaven in Lower Saxony.
Blazon
: “In Azure a dexter sweeping Argent swan with Or beak and Or feet and with Or ducally gorged.”
In the market place is the war memorial for the victims of 1870-71, constructed in 1895. On its front is a relief medallion of Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
, created by the sculptor Hermann Hultzsch. The monument is crowned by an Iron Cross.
The town is well connected to the national highway network, with Bundesautobahn 19 (comparable to a freeway, expressway or interstate highway) and Bundesautobahn 20
about 15 km to the north and east. Also to the east, about 16 km, is the Rostock-Laage Airport.
Municipalities of Germany
Municipalities are the lowest level of territorial division in Germany. This may be the fourth level of territorial division in Germany, apart from those states which include Regierungsbezirke , where municipalities then become the fifth level.-Overview:With more than 3,400,000 inhabitants, the...
in the Rostock
Rostock (district)
Rostock is a district in the north of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by the district Nordwestmecklenburg, the Baltic Sea, the district-free city Rostock and the districts Vorpommern-Rügen, Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Ludwigslust-Parchim...
district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 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...
. It is also the seat of the Schwaan Township
Schwaan (Amt)
Schwaan is an Amt in the district of Rostock, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The seat of the Amt is in Schwaan.The Amt Schwaan consists of the following municipalities:# Benitz# Bröbberow# Kassow# Rukieten# Schwaan# Vorbeck# Wiendorf...
, serving another six municipalities.
Geography
The area around Schwaan is part of the vast Northern European LowlandsNorthern European Lowlands
The North European Plain is a geomorphological region in Europe. It consists of the low plains between the Central European Highlands to the south and the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the north. These two seas are separated by the Jutland peninsula...
, stretching from western France to Russia. Schwaan lies on the lower Warnow
Warnow
The Warnow is a river in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany. It flows into the Baltic Sea near the town of Rostock, in its borough Warnemünde....
river between cities 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...
, 17 km to the north, and Güstrow
Güstrow
Güstrow is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany the capital of the district of Güstrow. It has a population of 30,500 and is the seventh largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since 2006 Güstrow has the official suffix Barlachstadt.-Geography:The town of Güstrow is located...
, 20 km to the south. The higher ground to the east and west of the Warnow barely reaches 50 meters above sea level, and the area north to 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...
is flat.
The nearby villages of Bandow, Dorf Tatschow, Hof Tatschow and Letschow belong to Schwaan.
History
The area around the Warnow was originally populated by Slavic peoplesSlavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
, which one can still recognize in place and farm names. Schwaan was first mentioned as a town in a record from 1276.
In 1765 a great fire destroyed the entire town except for St. Paul’s Church and a mill. The town was rebuilt in the classical style, especially the townhouses which can be seen today.
In the 19th century, Schwaan was a small country town and the market for the surrounding communities of the Schwaan township. The construction of the railway line from Hamburg to Rostock through Schwaan in 1850 brought an economic boom. The city hall was built only five years later in the neo-Gothic style.
With the coming of the railroad, the town became a getaway destination for residents of the city of Rostock. In 1911 a lung sanatorium was built, which was later expanded into a tuberculosis and rehabilitation clinic. In 1928 the first river bathing resort in Germany was built on the Warnow.
During the World War II
World 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...
Schwaan suffered no damage from bombing, but the Warnow bridge, built in 1828, was dynamited shortly before the end of the war.
Since German reunification in October 1990, the historic center of the town has been completely rehabilitated through an urban renewal program of the German government.
Sister cities
Since 1990 Schwaan has had a partnership with LoxstedtLoxstedt
Loxstedt is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated south of Bremerhaven.- History :...
, south of Bremerhaven in Lower Saxony.
Coat of arms
The emblem of a swan on a blue shield originated as a town road sign and has represented Schwaan since before 1606 when it first appeared as the town seal.Blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
: “In Azure a dexter sweeping Argent swan with Or beak and Or feet and with Or ducally gorged.”
Culture and Attractions
Art Museum at the Water Mill: the Museum of Art present works of art from Mecklenburg. A special emphasis is place on work of the painters Franz Bunke, Rudolf Bartels, Peter Paul Dreawing (all from Schwaan) and Alfred Heinsohn (of Hamburg).In the market place is the war memorial for the victims of 1870-71, constructed in 1895. On its front is a relief medallion of Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Frederick Francis IV was the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and regent of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.-Early life:...
, created by the sculptor Hermann Hultzsch. The monument is crowned by an Iron Cross.
Transport
Schwaan is located on the Rostock-Güstrow and Rostock-Bützow-Schwerin railway lines.The town is well connected to the national highway network, with Bundesautobahn 19 (comparable to a freeway, expressway or interstate highway) and Bundesautobahn 20
Bundesautobahn 20
is an autobahn in Germany. It is colloquially known as Ostseeautobahn or Küstenautobahn due to its geographic location near the Baltic Sea coastline...
about 15 km to the north and east. Also to the east, about 16 km, is the Rostock-Laage Airport.
Personalities
- Franz Bunke (b. December 3, 1857 in Schwaan; d. July 6, 1939 in Weimar), artist and founder of the Schwaan artist colony.
- William Kruse (b. 22 October 1887 in Schwaan; d. unknown), sculptor
Literature
- Schwaan - “like a breath of dreamy thoughts”. Town of Schwaan. (Text: Heiko Brunner …). Rostock: Redieck and Schade, 2005. -- 175 p.
External links
- Stadt und Amt Schwaan (Town and Township of Schwaan)
- Kunstmuseum Schwaan (Schwaan Art Museum)
- http://www.schwaan.info/index.htm (Zusammenfassung der Internetseiten über Schwaan)