Usedom (town)
Encyclopedia
Usedom is a town in Vorpommern-Greifswald
district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
. It is the seat of the Amt
of Usedom-Süd, to which 14 other communities also belong.
, in the so-called Achterland, on the northwest shore of the Oder Lagoon (Oderhaff, Stettiner Haff). The town is bordered on the west and north by the Peenestrom
, the aforesaid lagoon's western outlet to the Baltic Sea
.
times, and from the 8th and 9th centuries by ancient Slavs
, who built a castle
on the hill now known as the Schloßberg. The town's name comes from the Slavic
word "uznam", meaning river mouth. Early in the twelfth century, the place was destroyed by the Danes
.
In 1128, the West Pomeranian Landtag
adopted Christianity
, and shortly thereafter, a Premonstratensian
monastery
, Usedom Abbey
(also Grobe or Pudagla Abbey) was established in Usedom. In the thirteenth century, the German settlement of Usedom began as part of the eastern colonization (Ostsiedlung
) in progress in many places at that time. On 23 December 1298, Usedom was granted town rights under Lübeck law
.
The town burnt down twice in great fires in 1475 and 1688. After the Treaty of Stettin (1630)
and the subsequent Peace of Westphalia
(1648) and the Treaty of Stettin (1653)
, Usedom, along with all of Western Pomerania, became a Dominion of Sweden (Swedish Pomerania
) until 1720, when it was acquired by Prussia
. From 1720 to 1945, the town was Prussian. The town had a railway connection from 1876.
In 1934, at Karnin, a railway bridge was built, but it was destroyed in the Second World War. After the war, the town first belonged to the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern until East Germany abolished the Land
system in 1952, whereafter it was in the Rostock region. At German reunification
in 1990, Usedom once again found itself in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Gate"), St. Mary's (Marienkirche), the Schloßberg ("residence hill") with its memorial to the conversion to Christianity implemented by Otto of Bamberg
in 1128, and the ruins of the Karnin-Zecherin lift bridge
. Furthermore, the town's old railway station houses the nature park centre with very interesting displays about nature in the immediate vicinity.
. In the other direction, the B110 joins the B111, the road that runs along Usedom island's north shore, at Seebad Ahlbeck. Until 1945, the town had a railway station on the Ducherow
-Swinemünde
line, which now houses the island's nature park centre. Usedom today lies far from the island's only railway line, (Usedomer Bäderbahn). Usedom has a small harbour on the Usedomer See, an inlet with a narrow opening – the Kehle, or channel – into the lagoon.
Vorpommern-Greifswald
Vorpommern-Greifswald is a district in the east of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte, Vorpommern-Rügen, the Baltic Sea, Poland and the state Brandenburg...
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 the seat of 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 Usedom-Süd, to which 14 other communities also belong.
Geography
The town lies in the southeastern part of the island of UsedomUsedom
Usedom is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania...
, in the so-called Achterland, on the northwest shore of the Oder Lagoon (Oderhaff, Stettiner Haff). The town is bordered on the west and north by 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....
, the aforesaid lagoon's western outlet 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...
.
Municipality subdivisions
The following communities belong to the town of Usedom:
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History
The region has been settled since NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times, and from the 8th and 9th centuries by ancient Slavs
Slavic 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...
, who built a 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...
on the hill now known as the Schloßberg. The town's name comes from the Slavic
Slavic 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...
word "uznam", meaning river mouth. Early in the twelfth century, the place was destroyed 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 1128, the West Pomeranian Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
adopted Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and shortly thereafter, a Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
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...
, Usedom Abbey
Usedom Abbey
Usedom Abbey was a medieval Premonstratensian monastery on the isle of Usedom near the town of Usedom. It was founded in Grobe and later moved to nearby Pudagla, and is thus also known as Grobe Abbey or Pudagla Abbey respectively.The abbey was founded by the Pomeranian duke Ratibor I and his...
(also Grobe or Pudagla Abbey) was established in Usedom. In the thirteenth century, the German settlement of Usedom began as part of the eastern colonization (Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
) in progress in many places at that time. On 23 December 1298, Usedom was granted town rights under 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...
.
The town burnt down twice in great fires in 1475 and 1688. After the Treaty of Stettin (1630)
Treaty of Stettin (1630)
The Treaty of Stettin or Alliance of Stettin was the legal framework for the occupation of the Duchy of Pomerania by the Swedish Empire during the Thirty Years' War...
and the subsequent 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...
(1648) 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...
, Usedom, along with all of Western Pomerania, became a Dominion of Sweden (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...
) until 1720, when it was acquired by 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...
. From 1720 to 1945, the town was Prussian. The town had a railway connection from 1876.
In 1934, at Karnin, a railway bridge was built, but it was destroyed in the Second World War. After the war, the town first belonged to the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern until East Germany abolished the Land
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
system in 1952, whereafter it was in the Rostock region. At 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 1990, Usedom once again found itself in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Sightseeing
Worth seeing in Usedom are the Anklamer Tor ("AnklamAnklam
Anklam is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the Kleines Haff, the western part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
Gate"), St. Mary's (Marienkirche), the Schloßberg ("residence hill") with its memorial to the conversion to Christianity implemented by Otto of Bamberg
Otto of Bamberg
Saint Otto of Bamberg was a medieval German bishop and missionary who, as papal legate, converted much of Pomerania to Christianity.-Life:Otto was born into a noble family in Mistelbach, Franconia...
in 1128, and the ruins of the Karnin-Zecherin lift bridge
Lift bridge
A vertical-lift bridge or lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck....
. Furthermore, the town's old railway station houses the nature park centre with very interesting displays about nature in the immediate vicinity.
Transport connections
Through Usedom runs the island's main south road (Federal Highway B110), connecting the town to Pinnow on the mainland, and farther afield, AnklamAnklam
Anklam is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the Kleines Haff, the western part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
. In the other direction, the B110 joins the B111, the road that runs along Usedom island's north shore, at Seebad Ahlbeck. Until 1945, the town had a railway station on the Ducherow
Ducherow
Ducherow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.-Transport:* Ducherow railway station is served by local services to Berlin, Angermünde, Eberswalde and Stralsund....
-Swinemünde
Swinoujscie
Świnoujście is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. It is situated mainly on the islands of Uznam and Wolin, but also occupies smaller islands, of which the largest is Karsibór island, once part of Usedom, now separated by a Piast...
line, which now houses the island's nature park centre. Usedom today lies far from the island's only railway line, (Usedomer Bäderbahn). Usedom has a small harbour on the Usedomer See, an inlet with a narrow opening – the Kehle, or channel – into the lagoon.