Western Pomerania
Vorpommern is in the political sense of the term remaining in Germany part of the Prussian province of Pomerania and Mecklenburg, together with the state of Mecklenburg -Vorpommern. It comprises the eastern part and about a third of the country.
Vorpommern is located in the northeast of Germany, to the east by Poland and the north by the Baltic Sea, on the west by part of the country Mecklenburg and on the south by the state of Brandenburg.
The main cities are Vorpommern Stralsund and Greifswald, which together form a regional center.
Term limits and
Under Vorpommern, called to the 19th century also front Pomerania, was understood (as opposed to Eastern Pomerania ) since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 the part of Pomerania west of the Oder, ie including its capital Szczecin. By the demarcation of 1945 - the Oder leaves from Mescherin and continues west - Neuwarp the area came between this and the Oder with Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Poland. In the parlance of the German population expelled from there for this purpose, the term Szczecin Strip is used to make it clear that this ceded to Poland part of Pomerania historically did not belong to Pomerania. Today, the term Vorpommern is commonly used for the German part.
The historical border between Mecklenburg and Vorpommern has largely been lost since the formation of districts in the GDR in 1952. As a boundary between the church circles Mecklenburg and Pomerania she lives on in the Protestant North Church and between the Catholic Archdiocese of Hamburg and Berlin. The Administrative Reform in 2011 one has the former border line approximated to some extent.
It runs from the fish land west of Ahrenshoop south, crosses the Saal Bodden to Recknitzmündung, separates the Mecklenburg Ribnitz from the Pomeranian Damgarten, leads the center of Recknitz and Cernosin to the north of Demmin, to the west to push Demmin on the Peene, leads you along to the Lake Kummerow, crosses it and leaves it along the Ostpeene. South Old Treptow it hits the border of the district Mecklenburg-Strelitz and surrounded Werder and Friedländer Große Wiese along the small and the great country as well as the White trench trench until it finally hits south of Rothemühl on the border to Brandenburg.
By 1937 even the exclave Zettemin belonged in Stavenhagen to Pomerania and is then changed by the State Treaty to Mecklenburg. Even otherwise since the late Middle Ages, in fact its permanent boundary has been largely determined only by Prussian- Mecklenburg Mecklenburg treaties in the 19th century finally. Among the curiosities on the border Wolde undoubtedly heard at the Old Treptow, where the border ran through the village in the middle.
The griffin, the heraldic animal of Pomerania
Today's county boundaries
For the district reform in 1994, there were designs with the new districts to leave the old border between Mecklenburg and Vorpommern resurgence, but this was not implemented.
The Administrative Reform in 2011 was approached again slightly more historical boundaries, but without replicating the exact course.
The name of the part of the country Vorpommern now finds himself in two counties again:
- Vorpommern - Rügen
- Vorpommern - Greifswald
So she runs today through the county Vorpommern - Rügen, whose Western smaller part actually belongs, including the district of Ribnitz Ribnitz- Damgarten Mecklenburg. And it shall notify the county Mecklenburg Lake District in about a quarter vorpommersches area (southern part of the former district of Demmin ) and three-quarters in Mecklenburg area (largest part of the Altkreise Müritz, Mecklenburg -Strelitz, and the formerly independent city Neubrandenburg ).
Administrative divisions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern after the district reform in 2011.
Geography
Vorpommern is mainly characterized by its long coastline, which takes up most of the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Typical is a pronounced " Double coast ", at the offshore islands called Bodden separated from the open sea, which constitute a unique landscape in this form. With Rügen and Usedom are the two largest islands Vorpommern.
Largest city in Western Pomerania is the once mighty -been to the Hanseatic League Hanseatic city of Stralsund. It is the most economically important city today. Intellectual and judicial upper center is the Hanseatic city of Greifswald, about 35 km from Stralsund because of the many national jurisdictions and the resident old Ernst- Moritz- Arndt University.
The towns of Stralsund and Greifswald together to Rostock is the second largest by population in the upper center of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In addition, the region has the second highest population density of the four planning regions of the country.
In Western Pomerania are two national parks:
- National Boddenlandscape
- Jasmund National Park
Another region in Pomerania with sweeping conservation is the Peenetal.
History
The name is of Slavic origin Pomerania: po more - "Land on the sea ."
The name of Pomerania dates back to the second division of Pomerania in Pomerania - Wolgast the duchies ( Western Pomerania) and Pomerania -Stettin ( Farther Pomerania ) 1532. During 1295 there was a still divided into a northern ( Pomerania - Wolgast ) and a southern Duchy ( Pomerania - Stettin), arose in 1532 for the first time a western and an eastern part of the country. After the Peace of Westphalia ( 1648) Pomerania comprised the Kingdom of Sweden to that part of Pomerania including the entire Oder estuary with the city of Szczecin and the former bishop of Pomerania.
The Sub- Western Pomerania south of the Peene with Stettin and the Oder estuary islands of Usedom and Wolin came in 1720 to Prussia. For this naturalized later the term " Altvorpommern " one. The northern part, however, was from 1715 to 1721 under the Danish military administration, however, belonged to the Kiel Peace from 1814 to Sweden ( Swedish Pomerania, also called " Neuvorpommern " ), was awarded to Denmark as a substitute for Norway, but never had practical consequences, because Denmark demanded by Sweden indemnities could not pay. Therefore, it negotiated the Congress of Vienna and the area came on in the fall of 1815 to Prussia.
After the Second World War there was for the most part to the Soviet occupation zone and was united with the Mecklenburg Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In 1947 the country was renamed the SMAD command in Mecklenburg to remove the concept of Pomerania from the official parlance. After formation of the GDR in 1949 part of the country Vorpommern 1952 administrative reform mainly part of the districts of Rostock and Neubrandenburg. The district Frankfurt ( Oder) was the southern tip, which largely coincides with today's official Gartz (Oder).
Vorpommern in 1990 part of the federal state of Mecklenburg- Vorpommern. Since the formation of the states was completed in the GDR along existing county boundaries, Gartz remained in Brandenburg, while for example the Uckermark Strasburg decided in a referendum to remain in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
To bring the separate areas behind- Vorpommern and again closer to each other, was established in the framework of European cooperation, the Euro region Pomerania. The Schengen Agreement and the anticipated accession of Poland into the euro area, in addition, also further help to overcome the divide between today parts of Pomerania.
The Administrative Reform Mecklenburg -Vorpommern 2011, the administrative divisions Vorpommern was reorganized. The mecklenburg - Pomeranian mix Demmin county was divided and most of Pomerania was divided into two new counties, Vorpommern - Rügen and Vorpommern - Greifswald. An exact approach of the new district boundaries on the historical border between Mecklenburg and Pomerania was doing but not sought.
Education
In Vorpommern is located with the Ernst -Moritz- Arndt- University of Greifswald founded in 1456 one of the oldest universities in Germany which formerly was founded by the Dukes and richly appointed Pomeranian State University. In neighboring Stralsund University of Applied Sciences Stralsund, founded in 1990 is located ( University of Applied Sciences).
Economy
Today the region lives mainly from tourism, especially on the islands of Rügen, Hiddensee, Usedom and the Darß and Zingst. Agriculture, too, is an important component. In Stralsund the People's shipyard in Wolgast Peene -Werft in Greifswald and the Hanse Yachts exist. Another industry and technology center is the site of the former nuclear power plant near Lubmin the Bay of Greifswald. In the Ueckermünder Heath is with the iron foundry Torgelow one of the most modern foundries in Europe.
Based on the medical and mathematical-scientific faculty of the Ernst- Moritz- Arndt- University and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald is trying, with increasing success, a technology industry, particularly in the field of biotechnology to establish. A large part of the relevant company is organized in BioCon Valley. Thanks to the success of Greifswald is now regarded as one of the centers of growth in the new federal states.
Rather structurally weak rural areas in the hinterland of the Baltic Sea Coast ( former counties of Pomerania and Uecker -Randow, now the eastern and southern Vorpommern - Greifswald). These areas have always lived by farming and by the army. Many jobs were lost after reunification there.
By Western Pomerania Baltic Sea motorway A20 from Lübeck Rostock and Stralsund leads to the motorway interchange Uckermark ( on the highway Berlin - Stettin).
Tourism
Tourism in Western Pomerania, with its islands of Rügen and Usedom has developed dynamically since the reunification of Germany. Double-digit growth rates in capacity and number of guests with the simultaneous expansion of the infrastructure were recorded. A peak was reached in 2003 with 25.9 million overnight stays. However, the curve of the increase leveled off rapidly and fell into negative territory for the first time in 2004. Since 2005 there has again growth rates. The official statistics showed in 2006 from 24.7 million overnight stays for the whole of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 2007 has been achieved since the introduction of statistics in 1991 with 26.3 million overnight stays, the highest ever result. Vorpommern - Rügen and without Hiddensee reached 8.9 percent - was placed with an increase of 6.8 percent in overnight stays above the national average. For this purpose, the same number probably come again almost on the "gray market accommodation " so-called. About two-thirds of nights accounted Vorpommern, with the islands as tourist hotspots. The percentage of foreign visitors is also rising, but is 2.7% at a low level.
There are four regional tourism organizations in Vorpommern: the tourist complaints, the tourist island of Usedom, the Regional Tourist Association Vorpommern (for the mainland coast ) and the Tourism Darss -Zingst. All associations are members of the Tourism Mecklenburg- Vorpommern, the national association, which in turn is a member of the German Tourism Association ( DTV).
Culture
The culture of Pomerania best reflected in the urban area in the world cultural heritage " Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar " resist. In rural areas, many castles, manor houses and village churches are built to its former glory, others are still waiting to be rescued. The Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald, the cultural history comprehensively represents a far exceeding the local area meaning is found in the Cultural History Museum in Stralsund, which founded in the mid 19th century under the neuvorpommerschen local stalls significant participation as a museum for the administrative district of Stralsund been. A large part of the archival records kept by the National Archives of Greifswald, which is therefore also " Vorpommersches Provincial Archives " was between 1990 and 1997. Other parts of the archival and museum relics are preserved in the now Polish institutions in Szczecin, which is justified by the history up to 1945. Furthermore, the company strive for Pomeranian history, archeology and art, the Historical Commission for Pomerania and the Consortium for Pomeranian church history, all based in Greifswald to the historical heritage of the area as part of Pomeranian History.
Cities
- Putbus
- Richtenberg
- Sassnitz
- Stralsund
- Torgelow
- Tribsees
- Ueckermuende
- Usedom
- Wolgast
Language
In the West Pomerania Vorpommern dialect of Ostniederdeutschen is still widely spoken. This can be found in the German literature in particular in the two Tales of the Brothers Grimm " Of The Fisherman and syner Fru " and "From the Juniper Tree " and in the later set to music the poem " Mine homeland" ("Where the Baltic Sea waves trek to the beach " ), in which the poet Martha Müller- Barth Grählert describes her vorpommersche home.
Known Vorpommern
- Ernst Moritz Arndt (historian, politician, writer )
- Heinrich Bandlow ( Low German writer )
- Rudolf Baier ( museum director and librarian in Stralsund )
- Hermann Bendix ( composer Damgarten )
- Theodor Billroth ( doctor )
- Julius von Bohlen Bohlen village ( historian )
- Otto fraction joke ( local historian )
- Johannes Bugenhagen ( theologian, reformer )
- Hermann Burmeister ( naturalist )
- Christian Andreas Cothenius ( doctor )
- Johann Carl Dähnert ( scholar )
- Franka Dietzsch (German discus thrower )
- Hans Fallada ( writer )
- Karl Ludwig Fernow ( writer )
- Caspar David Friedrich ( Romantic painter )
- Matthias Friese ( organist and organ builder )
- Jacob Friedrich Friese ( organist and organ builder )
- Matthias Theodor Friedrich Friese ( organist and organ builder )
- Johann Friedrich Freiherr von Goethe Eosander ( Baumeister)
- Martha Müller- Grählert ( poet, "Where the Baltic Sea Waves" )
- Ariane Grundies ( writer )
- Ulrich von Hassell ( resistance fighters )
- Ernst Hilzheimer (DDR- official )
- Wolfgang Koeppen ( writer )
- Peter Kreeft (inventor, first closed diving suit )
- Ines Krüger ( presenter )
- Carl Friedrich von Ledebour ( botanist and Imperial Russian State Council )
- Otto Lilienthal ( aviation pioneer )
- Hans Modrow ( politician)
- Bernt Notke ( painters, sculptors and workshop manager )
- Carl Pauli (teachers and researchers of the Etruscan language )
- Oskar Picht ( inventor of the Braille typewriter )
- Gustav Adolf Pompe ( author of " Pomeranian Song" )
- Johann David von Reichenbach ( reconnaissance, Reformer )
- Karl Rodbertus ( economist )
- Heinrich Rubenow (Mayor, founder of the University of Greifswald )
- Philipp Otto Runge ( Romantic painter )
- Karsten Sarnow ( Mayor of Stralsund )
- Bartholomew Sastrow (writer and mayor of Stralsund )
- Schabowski (DDR- official )
- Carl Wilhelm Scheele (chemist)
- Matthias Schweighofer (actor)
- Johann Joachim Spalding (philosopher )
- Carola Stern ( publicist, journalist )
- Manfred Stolpe ( politician)
- Karin Struck ( writer )
- Franziska Tiburtius (1843 - 1927) ( doctor)
- Harry Tisch (DDR- official )
- Nadja Uhl (actress )
- Christian Ehrenfried Weigel (chemist, pharmacist, botanist and mineralogist )
- Georg Wertheim (Kaufmann, founder of the Wertheim Group )
- Witzlaw III. ( Prince of Rügen, minstrel )
- Fritz Worm ( local poet, author of "Rügen Songs" )
- Bertram Wulflam ( Mayor of Stralsund )
- Alwine Wuthenow ( Low German poet )