Woldegk
Encyclopedia
Woldegk is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte
district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
, Germany
. It is situated 24 km southeast of Neubrandenburg
. Woldegk is 38.00 km² in area and has 4,061 inhabitants (2006).
After first being settled as an adjunct of Brandenburg
in 1236, Woldegk was brought into Mecklenburg
by the marriage of Beatrix of Brandenburg with Heinrich of Mecklenburg in 1292, and developed into a fortified, walled town with ramparts
and moats by the mid-15th century. Between 1492 and 1635, at least four windmills were constructed and put into use milling grain produced in the surrounding agricultural area.
The village was damaged by fire several times, and was completely destroyed in 1647 in the Thirty Years War, after which only 14 inhabitants survived. In the 18th century, the village was rebuilt and as many as seven Dutch style windmills were in operation by 1745. The town remained economically backward until the late 19th century, when construction of the Friedrich Willhelm Railway in 1893 fostered industrial development, including a sugar beet plant, a steam plow factory, and two brickyards. Municipal services also were developed, including a gas plant and a water tower and distribution system. During this period, many substantial commercial and buildings as well as a distinctive Rathaus
(city hall) were constructed and gave Woldegk a more cosmopolitan flavor, although it remained essentially a rural village.
In World War II
, at least 70% of Woldegk was destroyed. At war's end, in 1945, the interior of the stone edifice of St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church was gutted by fire when a phosphorus bomb dropped through the roof, killing a number of refugees from the surrounding area who had taken shelter there. After the war, reconstruction took place in the German Democratic Republic
. Following reunification of Germany, the region surrounding Woldegk has declined economically, and remains one of the poorest sections of the country.
In the late 20th century, some of the distinctive historic windmills of Woldegk were rebuilt and refurbished, one of which is open as a museum, and the mill pond also has been rebuilt. Tourist literature and the town's motto promote Woldegk as the City of Windmills (Stadt der Windmühlen). Efforts to restore the church (the stone foundation of which dates to the earliest years in Woldegk in 1236-1250), are still underway.
Woldegk is located at the intersection of federal highways B 104 (Neubrandenburg
-Stettin) and B 198 (Neustrelitz
-Prenzlau
).
Mecklenburgische Seenplatte (district)
Mecklenburgische Seenplatte is a district in the southeast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by the districts Ludwigslust-Parchim, Rostock , Vorpommern-Rügen, Vorpommern-Greifswald, and the state Brandenburg to the south...
district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin...
, 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 situated 24 km southeast of Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg is a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, on the shore of a lake called the Tollensesee ....
. Woldegk is 38.00 km² in area and has 4,061 inhabitants (2006).
After first being settled as an adjunct of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
in 1236, Woldegk was brought into Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
by the marriage of Beatrix of Brandenburg with Heinrich of Mecklenburg in 1292, and developed into a fortified, walled town with ramparts
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
and moats by the mid-15th century. Between 1492 and 1635, at least four windmills were constructed and put into use milling grain produced in the surrounding agricultural area.
The village was damaged by fire several times, and was completely destroyed in 1647 in the Thirty Years War, after which only 14 inhabitants survived. In the 18th century, the village was rebuilt and as many as seven Dutch style windmills were in operation by 1745. The town remained economically backward until the late 19th century, when construction of the Friedrich Willhelm Railway in 1893 fostered industrial development, including a sugar beet plant, a steam plow factory, and two brickyards. Municipal services also were developed, including a gas plant and a water tower and distribution system. During this period, many substantial commercial and buildings as well as a distinctive Rathaus
Rathaus
Rathaus is a German word literally translating as “council house”, meaning “city hall” or “town hall”. Many specific buildings are referred to as Rathaus even when spoken about in English.Some important Rathäuser are:* Rathaus Schöneberg...
(city hall) were constructed and gave Woldegk a more cosmopolitan flavor, although it remained essentially a rural village.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, at least 70% of Woldegk was destroyed. At war's end, in 1945, the interior of the stone edifice of St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church was gutted by fire when a phosphorus bomb dropped through the roof, killing a number of refugees from the surrounding area who had taken shelter there. After the war, reconstruction took place in the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
. Following reunification of Germany, the region surrounding Woldegk has declined economically, and remains one of the poorest sections of the country.
In the late 20th century, some of the distinctive historic windmills of Woldegk were rebuilt and refurbished, one of which is open as a museum, and the mill pond also has been rebuilt. Tourist literature and the town's motto promote Woldegk as the City of Windmills (Stadt der Windmühlen). Efforts to restore the church (the stone foundation of which dates to the earliest years in Woldegk in 1236-1250), are still underway.
Woldegk is located at the intersection of federal highways B 104 (Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg
Neubrandenburg is a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, on the shore of a lake called the Tollensesee ....
-Stettin) and B 198 (Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 until 1918 it was the capital of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
-Prenzlau
Prenzlau
Prenzlau , a city in the Uckermark District of Brandenburg in Germany, had a population of about 21,000 in 2005.-International relations:Prenzlau is twinned with: Uster, Switzerland Barlinek, Poland Świdwin, Poland...
).
Notable residents
- Rudolf DoehnRudolf DoehnRudolf Doehn was a German writer and journalist. He belonged to the Forty-Eighters who participated in the American Civil War as volunteers in the Union Army...
(1821–1895), writer and politician - Kurt von Hammerstein-EquordKurt von Hammerstein-EquordKurt Gebhard Adolf Philipp Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord was a German general who served for a period as Commander-in-Chief of the Reichswehr...
(1878–1943), general