Riems
Native name: Riems | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Baltic Sea |
Coordinates | 54°11′00″N 13°22′00″E / 54.18333°N 13.36667°E |
Total islands | 1 |
Length | 300 m (1000 ft) |
Width | 1,250 m (4100 ft) |
Administration | |
Riems is an island in the southwestern part of the
Geography
The island of Riems measures about 1,250 metres from east to west, and is about 300 metres across at its widest point. Since the early 1970s, it has been connected to the mainland by a 500m long causeway. It has, therefore, been an artificial peninsula for almost 50 years. Before the causeway, a cable car used to transport goods to the mainland. The cable car has now gone, but the ruins of its pylon foundations are still visible. Because the lack of fresh water to the Gristower Wiek resulted in oxygen depletion in the shallow bay, in the autumn of 2007 a 30-metre-long section of the causeway to the island was opened and bridged to allow fresh water to pass.
Fauna
Riems is an important resting and moulting area for waterbirds. The Fahrenbrink Peninsula Nature Reserve (German: Naturschutzgebiet Halbinsel Fahrenbrink) is a recognized reserve. Approximately 15 percent of the northern European waterfowl population spend their winter in the area of the Bay of Greifswald and the Strelasund. It has therefore been declared a European bird reserve.
History
Riems has been inhabited since prehistoric times as
Riems is home to the oldest
The
While East Germany controlled Riems approximately 800 people were working on vaccine research and development, today there are less than half that number. The population on the island is quite small. There are only 13 houses, five one- or two-family homes and eight apartment buildings, with a total of 62 residential units.
Since 1997, the research complex is the headquarters of the Riemser Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (FLI). The duties of the FLI include research on animal diseases, such as
The former production plant for animal vaccines was successfully privatized as Riemser Arzneimittel AG. It has about 150 employees.
After the 1990s the populated area in the western part of the island was freely accessible for some years. However, because of the renewed research work with viruses the island is again closed to the public. Quarantine stables and laboratories security levels are level 4. This means employees and visitors to the complex must change their clothes, and shower, when entering and exiting.
See also
References
- ^ Rudolf Biederstedt (1991), "Untersuchungen zur Besiedlungsgeschichte der Greifswalder Vorstädte und Ortsteile", Baltische Studien (in German), vol. Neue Folge Bd. 77, Marburg: N. G. Elwert, p. 81
- ISBN 3-8258-4077-8: S. 123 "... es sei gelungen, Rinder durch Versprühen eines in der Reichsforschungsanstalt Insel Riems hergestellten Viruspräparates ... mit MKS zu infizieren." (Google Books)