Darß

The Darß is the middle part of the peninsula fish - darss, which lies on the southern Baltic coast near Ribnitz Damgarten in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern, Germany.

The Darß is already one of Pomerania, while fish land historically part of the country Mecklenburg belongs. The border runs along the border path in Ahrenshoop.

Origin of the name

The name is derived from the old Slavic word Darß DRACI from for briar and thus means Dornort.

Location and nature

The Darß joins the north-east of the country to fish and in turn passes to the east in the Zingst peninsula on the border here is the Prerower current. In the north it is bounded by the Baltic Sea and in the south by Saal Bodden and Bodden from the Bodstedter belonging to Darß- Zingster Bodden chain. The Darß has a north- south extension and east-west extent of ten to twelve kilometers and includes the villages of Born Darß, Prerow and Wieck. The district Ahrenshoop the community Ahrenshoop belongs to Vordarß, while the southern districts Ahrens Hoops, Althagen and Niehagen belong to the fish country.

Most of the Darßes is covered by forest, the 5800 -acre Darßwald. On the northern tip of the Darßes, on Darßer place is the same lighthouse. On the geological development, as well as the flora and fauna of the National Park Boddenlandscape informed the National Park exhibition in Wieck Darß and the lighthouse Darßer site affiliated Natureum as a branch of the Oceanographic Museum Stralsund. The Darßer site is upstream direction an extended chain of sandbanks in the northeast. The entire area around the Darßer place and the northwest part of the Darßwald are in protection zone I of the National Park and may be committed only on marked trails. The rest of the forest area is part of the National Park.

Geology

The Darß was originally an island, formed from a glacial island core. He is a geologically young landscape. The development process began with the end of the Weichsel ice age about 12,000 years ago. This left a young moraine landscape here. By the end of defrost the ice lifted the land underlying and the sinks were filled with water, the predecessor of the later Baltic Sea, the Ancylus Lake was created. So only remained the outstanding amount back as islands exist. The major forms of coasts in the southern part of the Baltic Sea formed by the Littorina transgression about 7,000 to 2,500 years ago. Approximately 5,000 years ago the sea reached its present level, the seeds of today's Darß and Zingst became islands. 4,500 years ago, the salt water inflow from the North Sea has been severely restricted. The Baltic sweetens since slowly. Due to coastal erosion ( land erosion, drifting and tipping) acquired the former islands in the course of time its present form. About 1,500 years ago, it came through the ever-lengthening spits to pinch the underlying bays so that the Darß- Zingster Boddenkette arose. At the end of the 14th century was the Darß the peninsula, as the southern and northern fish Lands hitherto existing inlets were closed. In 1874, finally, the Prerower current between the Darß and Zingst was artificially closed.

The process of land formation rises in the east of the peninsula continues even today. You can still far perceive former beach ridges in west-east direction inside the Darßes. On Darßer place is now the apex of the typical for the Darß dynamic coastal Education: South of that point, the country is removed from the fish and the country Darßer West beach, north-east country is washed up. Consequences of these changes are the long sandy beaches on the north coast of the Darßes and the Zingst Peninsula and a permanent creation of the new country of Darßer place. On the western beach of the Darß are the seven meters above sea level high Rehberge.

History

Historically include Darß and Zingst Vorpommern. The Darß bordered to the Vordarß at the southern end of today's local part Ahrenshoop to Mecklenburg. The boundary between Pomerania and Mecklenburg was on stream today Grenzweg the Darß made ​​as a link between the Baltic Sea and Bodden Saaler even to the Middle Ages to an island. The silted stream as well as the Grenzweg still wear these Wegbezeichnungen in the district Ahrenshoop. After the Thirty Years War to the time of Napoleon Darß as quite Vorpommern was Swedish and from 1715 to 1720 for a short time Danish. The limit on the power contained was a long time only from a customs station, which developed into the bath and Pensionistenort Ahrenshoop until the 19th century. For a short time the SS chatted 1941 KZ Darß- Wieck, a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp.

Forest, Forest, Hunting and Conservation

On the Darß there was one of the most famous so-called primeval forests of the German Reich. However, he is not to be regarded as virgin forest, as it was used in forestry since the Middle Ages with different intensity. Only since the founding of the National Park Boddenlandscape " Let Nature be Nature " the forest use was in accordance with the National Park motto, at least in the core zone in the northwest of Darßwald ended. The tracks of forest use are in the contiguous to the largest forests in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Darßwald scoring but still clearly visible. The Darßwald was formerly a willow forest. From this time the numerous, sometimes widely spaced and whimsical grown Weidbuchen are left. Depletion was operated in Darßwald particularly from the Danish and French occupiers. The Danish short time, for example, were all old yew victim. They were used for Innenraumvertäfelung the locks Rosenborg and Amalienborg.

He left his moorland with mostly loose trees has been planted by the Prussian foresters step by step. This fast-growing softwood species were used. The now widespread even in Darßwald spruce, European larch and Douglas fir arrive there but not by nature before. Also, the percentage occupied today by the Scots pine is to be regarded as too high. Natural forests of pine forests are on the younger reefs, the former beach ridges to the north. In the dune valleys, the squads, meanwhile natural red-alder swamp forests have developed. On the older reefs are by nature beech forests of acid soil locations expected. The natural tree line on the west beach of Darss is also made of alder. Also striking is the strong - fern vegetation undergrowth throughout Darßwald.

Another indication of the intensive forest use, the resin Laughed at many old pine logs. They were carved into the trunk at an angle to gain resin. Also during the GDR era ingredients were so obtained for the chemical industry.

Until 1945 it was in Darßwald in the 1930s is moved bison. Hermann Goering and later Erich Honecker held from hunts here. Known foresters who worked on the Darß were Ferdinand of Raesfeld ( 1890-1913 ) and Franz Mueller -Darß (1925 to 1945). One attraction of Darßwald is especially during the mating season in late summer and autumn, the strong deer population.

Tourism and economy

Tourism plays on the Darß a very important role and is the most important economic factor for the region. Most of the tourist accommodation is the type of the cottage and the apartment, often in private hands. Furthermore, large share of the tourist offer campsites have held. There is only one major hotel (Bernstein hotel in Prerow ) several medium and small hotels and guest houses. The four places on the Darß are all the resorts, hence entitled to collect tax from the visitors. The tax is in addition to the trade tax revenue, the second major source of income for communities.

The Darß can be reached with the UBB web. This goes in two- hour intervals from Stralsund Velgast, Saatel and Kenz to Barth, from where buses go to the peninsula. A restart of the Darßbahn to Prerow is planned.

The western escarpment with the Windflüchter (west beach ) and the sandy beaches of Prerow (north beach ) like to visit. A starting point is the lighthouse at Darßer place with the information center of the National Park Natureum Boddenlandscape. The expansive Darßwald is closed to motorized traffic and best to open up with bikes that can be hired in the resorts. A footpath along the western beach. A hiking trail leads to the part on wooden planks over pine forest, reeds and dunes by the younger Anlandungsgebiete of Darßer place. Two massive oak planks towers also allow the observation of migratory birds in the upstream lakes and beach of black and red deer. Since 2 May 2011, 16 kilometers north of the peninsula Darß the first German offshore wind farm Baltic 1 is in operation.