Zinnowitz
Encyclopedia
Zinnowitz is a spa town
in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on the northern German
island of Usedom
on the Baltic Sea
. The town has rail connections to Wolgast
and Ahlbeck
.
, in 1648, Usedom, with Pomerania
, fell to Sweden
, which changed its name to the old Slavic
form of Tzys, spelt as Zitz. In the middle of the 18th century, Zitz fell into Prussian
hands. In 1751, in the course of the reorganization of the royal domain, Zinnowitz was renamed. When the Prussian state fell into financial need because of the Napoleonic Wars
, it sold Zinnowitz to a businessman, the Kommerzienrat F. W. Krause, who in turn sold it in 32 parcels it to a group of colonists. The next big step for Zinnowitz was on 16 June 1851: Zinnowitz was allowed an official spa enterprise.
Josef Alois Kessler
, the last Volga German
Bishop, retired and died here.
In GDR times, Zinnowitz was the most important bathing resort for Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund tourism.
Zinnowitz is one of a couple of possible sites for the mythological sunken medieval city of Vineta
. The legend is played out during the summer on the resort's open-air stage.
In the forest between Zinnowitz and Zempin, some remnants of the launching pads for testing V1
missiles can still be found. They were used between 1943 and 1945 as part of the nearby Peenemünde
rocket testing facilities.
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on the northern German
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...
island of Usedom
Usedom
Usedom is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania...
on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. The town has rail connections to Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
and Ahlbeck
Ahlbeck
Ahlbeck is part of Heringsdorf, a seaside resort in Germany on the island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea. It is situated right next to the border of Poland and the city of Świnoujście ....
.
History
Zinnowitz is first mentioned, named as Tzys, in 1309 in a deed of donation by the duke Bogusław IV to the Crumminer monastery. When the monastery was dissolved in 1563, Tzys reverted to the possession of the duke. At the end of the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, in 1648, Usedom, with Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, fell to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, which changed its name to the old Slavic
Sorbian languages
The Sorbian languages are classified under the Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. They are the native languages of the Sorbs, a Slavic minority in the Lusatia region of eastern Germany. Historically the language has also been known as Wendish or Lusatian. Their collective ISO 639-2 code...
form of Tzys, spelt as Zitz. In the middle of the 18th century, Zitz fell into Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
hands. In 1751, in the course of the reorganization of the royal domain, Zinnowitz was renamed. When the Prussian state fell into financial need because of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, it sold Zinnowitz to a businessman, the Kommerzienrat F. W. Krause, who in turn sold it in 32 parcels it to a group of colonists. The next big step for Zinnowitz was on 16 June 1851: Zinnowitz was allowed an official spa enterprise.
Josef Alois Kessler
Josef Alois Kessler
Joseph Kessler was the last bishop of the Diocese of Tiraspol and the last Volga German bishop.-Biography:...
, the last Volga German
Volga German
The Volga Germans were ethnic Germans living along the River Volga in the region of southern European Russia around Saratov and to the south. Recruited as immigrants to Russia in the 18th century, they were allowed to maintain German culture, language, traditions and churches: Lutherans, Reformed,...
Bishop, retired and died here.
In GDR times, Zinnowitz was the most important bathing resort for Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund tourism.
Zinnowitz is one of a couple of possible sites for the mythological sunken medieval city of Vineta
Vineta
Vineta or Wineta was a possibly legendary ancient town believed to have been on the coast of the Baltic Sea. It was commonly said to be on the present site of Wolin in Poland or of Zinnowitz on Usedom island in Germany. Today it is said to have been near Barth in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
. The legend is played out during the summer on the resort's open-air stage.
In the forest between Zinnowitz and Zempin, some remnants of the launching pads for testing V1
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
missiles can still be found. They were used between 1943 and 1945 as part of the nearby Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
rocket testing facilities.