Rügen
 Map of the island | |
  Rügen | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltic Sea |
| Coordinates | 54°27′N 13°24′E / 54.450°N 13.400°E |
| Area | 926.4 km2 (357.7 sq mi)[1] |
| Length | 51.4 km (31.94 mi) |
| Width | 42.8 km (26.59 mi)[1] |
| Coastline | 574 km (356.7 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 161 m (528 ft)[1] |
| Highest point | Piekberg[1] |
| Administration | |
Germany | |
| State | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| District | Vorpommern-Rügen |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Rugians |
| Population | 77,000[1] (2006) |
| Pop. density | 79/km2 (205/sq mi) |
Rügen (German pronunciation:
The "gateway" to Rügen island is the
Rügen has a maximum length of 51.4 km (31.9 mi) (from north to south), a maximum width of 42.8 km (26.6 mi) in the south and an area of 926 km2 (358 sq mi). The coast is characterised by numerous sandy
The island of Rügen is part of the district of Vorpommern-Rügen, with its county seat in Stralsund.
The towns on Rügen are:
.Rügen is very popular as a tourist destination because of its resort architecture, the diverse landscape and its long, sandy beaches.
Geology
Geography
The main body of the island, known as
Rügen has a total area of 926.4 km2 (357.7 sq mi), or 974 km2 (376 sq mi) if the adjacent small islands are included.[1] The maximum diameter is 51.4 km (31.9 mi) from north to south, and 42.8 km (26.6 mi) from east to west.[1] Of an overall 574 km-long (357 mi) coastline, 56 km (35 mi) are sandy Baltic Sea beaches, and 2.8 km (1.7 mi) sandy bodden beaches.[1] The highest elevations are on the Jasmund peninsula: Piekberg (161 m or 528 ft) and Königsstuhl (117 m or 384 ft).[1]
The northern part of the
_03.JPG)
In the north-east of the island of Rügen is formed by the peninsula of
boulder on Rügen.
The northwestern and western sides of Rügen are also highly indented, but a little flatter. Offshore are the larger islands of
Land use
The heartland of Rügen is gently rolling, and the area is characterised primarily by agriculture. East of the town of Bergen auf Rügen the land climbs to 90 metres (300 ft) (at Rugard where there is an observation tower) and to 107 metres (351 ft) in the southeastern hill country of the Granitz. The soil on Rügen is very fertile and productive, particularly in Wittow, the breadbasket of the island. There are major cabbage-producing regions.
Two German national parks are situated on Rügen: the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park, in the west (including Hiddensee), and the Jasmund National Park, a smaller park including the chalk cliffs (Königsstuhl). There is also a nature reserve, the Southeast Rügen Biosphere Reserve, consisting of the peninsulas in the southeast.
Climate
The climate is in the
Administration
Administratively, Rügen is part of the district
History
Rani (Tribe) 7th Century-1168/1169
Principality of Rügen (Denmark) 1168–1325
Pomerania-Wolgast 1325-1368/1372
Pomerania-Barth 1368/1372-1451
Duchy of Pomerania 1478-1648
Swedish Pomerania (Sweden) 1648-1677
Denmark-Norway1677-1678
Denmark-Norway1678-1679
First French Empire 1807-1813
Denmark-Norway1814-1815
Kingdom of Prussia (From 1871 German Empire) 1815-1918
German Empire 1871-1918
Free State of Prussia (Weimar Republic until 1933) 1918-1947
Weimar Republic 1918-1933
Nazi Germany 1933-1945
Soviet occupation zone in Germany 1945-1949
East Germany 1949-1990
Germany 1990-Present
Pre-history and the Germani
Discoveries in the
Slavic Rani
From the 7th century, the West Slavic
The basis of their military strength was a combination of the Ranian navy and a favourable location. Denmark, which was at that time very successful in Great Britain and Scandinavia, was neither able to match its Ranian rivals in the Baltic Sea region nor protect its coastline from Ranian armies until well into the 12th century. Meanwhile, the Ranians built numerous castles and temples in the Barth-Jasmund-Gristow triangle.
The temple hill of
Principality under Danish suzerainty
In 1168, the
Under Danish rule the Principality of Rugia changed its character. Danish monasteries were established (e.g. Bergen Abbey in 1193 and
In 1304 a storm surge, known as the All Saints' Flood, devastated the island and flooded the peninsula between Mönchgut and Ruden.
Part of Pomerania
After the death of the last Slav prince of the Wizlawiden (House of Wizlaw) dynasty,
In 1478, Pomerania-Wolgast and
Under
In 1816, the first bathing resort was founded at Putbus. Later more resorts were established, and Rügen remained the most popular holiday resort of Germany until World War II.
German Empire
Rügen was a popular destination for exile of Catholic priests and clergy during Kulturkampf between 1875 and 1879.[9]
Nazi era
The Nazis added a large resort:
In 1936, the first bridge connecting Rügen with the mainland was constructed (
The operation commanded by Wolfram von Richthofen that bombed the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, was named after the island. An Abwehr Signals intelligence Operation during the same conflict was titled Operation Bodden after the strait separating Rügen from the German mainland.
In the aftermath of World War II, East German and Soviet authorities exiled landholders from the mainland to the island.[10]
GDR era
After the
The island was the focal point of Project Rose (Action Rose) by the GDR government designed to nationalise hotels, taxis and service companies on 10 February 1953. The occasion was supposed to have been a visit by
In the following nearly four decades, the island became one of the main tourist areas in the GDR. The FDGB played a dominant role in tourist accommodation. In 1963 the FDGB had 7,519 holiday places, the Reisebüro der DDR 2,906 places and a further 5,025 were available for businesses and organisations. In addition, there were 12,245 places for children in summer camps and another 20,800 places for campers. The plots were located mainly near the beaches.[11] Increased holiday capacity was not however generated until the 1970s and 1980s.
Reunited Germany
In 1990, Rügen became part of the new state of
In 2007, a second bridge, the
Rügen has now surpassed Sylt as the most popular German island again.
Tourist resorts
Rügen is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Germany. The island receives about one quarter of all overnight stays in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Most visitors come to Rügen between April and October, the peak season being from June to August, but its quiet atmosphere in winter is also appreciated.
The first bathing facility on Rügen opened in 1794 at the mineral-rich spring in Sagard.[12] In 1818, the Putbus village of Lauterbach became Rügen's first seaside resort.[13] In the 1860s Sassnitz became a seaside resort, followed by Binz in the 1880s.[13] During World War II Prora was constructed as a mass tourist resort but it was never finished.[13]
Today the most popular seaside resorts are the
The island offers a huge variety of different beach and shore areas. Rügen is often visited by windsurfers and kitesurfers and offers more than fifteen different locations for surfing. The most popular locations are
On the peninsula of Jasmund is the Jasmund National Park, which consists of the beech forest of Stubnitz, including the chalk cliffs of Rügen. On the Königsstuhl itself is the Königsstuhl National Park Centre, which has a multivision cinema and audio-guide exhibitions with information about the national park in several languages.
Transport
Rail
The
In addition to regional trains, there are also
, Basle and the Ruhr area were deleted from the timetable on 9 December 2007, despite massive protests from the local hotel industry.Bus
The bus service on Rügen is operated by the Rügener Personennahverkehr. Since 1996 it has been continuously expanded, and has developed an integral
near Cape Arkona. In addition, the bus service is well-linked with the railway, especially in Bergen, but also at other railway stations.Road
Until October 2007, individual traffic from the mainland to the island of Rügen was mainly routed along the two-lane Rügendamm causeway, running between Stralsund and Altefähr over the sound of Strelasund.
The cornerstone for a second crossing over the Strelasund was laid on 31 August 2004. This bridge, the Rügen Bridge, running parallel to the Rügendamm, has a length of about 4.1 kilometres (2.5 mi) and a vertical clearance for ships of 42 metres (138 ft), and was on opened on 20 October 2007. In order to relieve the town of Stralsund, a ring road has been built in the last few years, coming from the southwest. The B 96 federal road between Stralsund and Greifswald is also connected via an access road to the A 20 motorway. The B 96 runs from Stralsund via Bergen to Sassnitz. Here a new route with bypasses is planned (the "New B 96").
The main tourist attractions of Cape Arkona, the
Cycling
Rügen has a signposted network of cycle paths. The condition and signing of this network varies considerably from one place to another, from very good in the seaside resorts to poor in the area between Garz and Zudar. There is a circular cycle path around the whole island. During the summer season there is the option on some routes to carry bicycles on the buses. This is always possible on the railways.
Ship
_5.JPG)
Two car ferries belonging to the Weiße Flotte operate every half-an-hour between the Zudar peninsula on Rügen and Stahlbrode on the mainland, halfway between Stralsund and Greifswald.
Another Weiße Flotte car ferry, the Wittow Ferry runs from the heartland of Rügen (Muttland) to Wittow.
A ferry sails from Sassnitz ferry port in Mukran to the Danish island of Bornholm, to Swedish Trelleborg, to Klaipėda (formerly Memel) in Lithuania, to Baltiysk (formerly Pillau) and to Saint Petersburg.
The island of
Ferries
- Trelleborg (Sweden, served by Stena Line),[14]
- Bornholmslinjen),[15]
- DFDS Lisco),[14]
- DFDS Lisco),[14]
- Saint Petersburg (Russia, served by TransRussiaExpress)[14]
- Ust-Luga (near Saint Petersburg, Russia; planned).[16]
Sassnitz-Mukran is the largest railway ferry terminal in
Local passenger ferries connect the piers of Sassnitz, Binz, Sellin and Göhren with the adjacent islands of Hiddensee, Vilm and Greifswalder Oie. Passenger and car ferries connect Rügen's centre of Muttland, to both Wittow in Rügen's north via the Wittow Ferry and to the mainland via the Glewitz Ferry (Glewitzer Fähre) between Stahlbrode near Greifswald and Glewitz on Rügen's Zudar peninsula.
Aviation
_2.JPG)
The
Notable people
Significant Rüganer:
.jpg)
- Preben von Ahnen (1606–1675) a German-born Norwegian civil servant and landowner.
- Count Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen (1766–1829) a Swedish naval officer and statesman.
- Ernst Moritz Arndt (1769–1860), German writer and deputy.[17]
- style
- Arnold Ruge (1802–1880) a philosopher and political writer.[18]
- Karl Schwarz (1812–1885) a Protestant theologian.[19]
- Theodor Billroth (1829–1894), one of the greatest surgeons of the 19th century.[20]
- Berthold Delbrück (1842–1922), German linguist
- Anna Dabis (1847–1927) a sculptor who spent much of her career in Britain.
- Hans Delbrück (1848–1929), German historian and politician.[21]
- Franziska Tiburtius (1843–1927), German doctor and campaigner for women's studies
- Hans Langsdorff (1894–1939), German naval officer and captain of the Armoured Cruiser Admiral Graf Spee
- Meinhard Nehmer (born 1941), East German bobsledder, Olympic and World Champion
- Christian Schwochow (born 1978) a German film director.[22]
Individuals associated with the island
.jpg)
- Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Prince Wahlstatt (1742–1819), Prussian Field Marshal, spent his youth on the Venz estate.[23]
- Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), painter, stayed several times on visits by relatives of Pomerania and was inspired mainly by the chalk cliffs
- Ludwig Gotthard Kosegarten (1758–1818), theologian, pastor, professor and poet, pastor of the parish Altenkirchen at Rügen
- Joachim Nicolas Eggert (1779–1813), composer and musical director, member of the Royal Swedish Musical Academy
- Maximilian Kaller (1880–1947), Bishop of Warmia in Prussia, began his first pastorate as mission pastor of St. Boniface parish at Rügen
- Angela Merkel (born 1954), German Chancellor (CDU), represented the constituency of Vorpommern-Rügen – Vorpommern-Greifswald I between 1990 and 2021; she therefore represented the island of Rügen in the Bundestag.
See also
- Åland
- Bornholm
- Buyan
- Gotland, Öland
- List of islands in the Baltic Sea
- List of churches on Rügen
- Prora
- Saaremaa, Hiiumaa
- Usedom
References
- ^ ISBN 3-8297-0171-3.
- ^ Milewski 1930, p. 306.
- ISBN 978-3-7701-6058-7.
- ^ See inter alia "Fünf deutsche Buchenwälder werden von UNESCO zum Weltnaturerbe erklärt" [Five German beech forests declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO]. ARD-Tagesschau (in German). 25 June 2011. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- PMID 30375988.
- ^ "Landkreis Rügen homepage/Regionales: Städte, Gemeinden, Ämter". Archived from the original on 12 February 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
- ISBN 978-3-7701-6058-7.
- ^ Clark, Christopher (2008). "4". Religion and confessional conflict. Oxford Academic. pp. 89–90.
- ^ Exorcising Hitler, The Occupation and Denazifcation of Germany, by Frederick Taylor, Bloomsbury Press
- ^ Dr. Rudolf Petzold, 1964, Die Bäderküste Rügens, Veb Brockhaus Verlag,Leipzig, page 5
- ISBN 978-3-7701-6058-7.
- ^ ISBN 3-406-52366-8.
- ^ a b c d e "Fährhafen Sassnitz Gmbh (homepage), Verkehre, Liniendienste". Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
- ^ "Bornholm". Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ "Deutsche Bahn Pressemitteilung vom 03.07.2009, 16:12". Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
- ^ . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 627–628.
- ^ . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 821.
- ^ . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). 1911.
- ^ . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 945.
- ^ . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 952.
- ^ Christian Schwochow, IMDb Database Archived 18 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 90.
- Milewski, Tadeusz (1930). "Pierwotne nazwy wyspy Rugji i słowiańskich jej mieszkańców". Slavia Occidentalis (in Polish). IX: 292–306.
External links
- . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
- . New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
- Official site
- Map of Rygensko by Ján Kollár
- Jasmund National Park pictures and information about the chalk cliffs (English)
Biosphere reserves in Germany | ||
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