This article is about the island. For the former district, seeRügen (district). For the former duchy and principality, fief of Denmark and state of the Holy Roman Empire, seePrincipality of Rügen. For other uses, seeRuegen (disambiguation).
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 sandybeaches, lagoons (Bodden) and open bays (Wieke), as well aspeninsulas andheadlands. In June 2011,UNESCO awarded the status of aWorld Heritage Site to theJasmund National Park, characterised by vast stands of beeches and chalk cliffs likeKing's Chair, the main landmark of Rügen island.[4]
Jasmund National Park, with itschalk cliffs, the symbol of Rügen:Victoria-Sicht (Victoria's View) andKönigsstuhl (King's Chair) from theBaltic Sea
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 sandyBaltic Sea beaches, and 2.8 km (1.7 mi) sandybodden beaches.[1] The highest elevations are on theJasmund peninsula:Piekberg (161 m or 528 ft) andKönigsstuhl (117 m or 384 ft).[1]
The northern part of theBay of Greifswald, theRügischer Bodden, is a large bay in the south of Rügen island, with the island ofVilm lying just offshore. At the western end of the bay, the peninsula ofZudar runs out to the southernmost point of Rügen (Palmer Ort), at the eastern end the highly indented peninsula ofMönchgut projects into the sea. This peninsula ends in the east at thecape ofNordperd nearGöhren and in the south at the cape ofSüdperd by Thiessow. In the west of the peninsula of Mönchgut a narrow, 5 km-long (3.1 mi)bar, theReddevitz Höft, separates the two bays ofHaving andHagensche Wiek.
In the north-east of the island of Rügen is formed by the peninsula ofJasmund, which is joined to the heart of the island,Muttland, by thebar ofSchmale Heide between Binz-Prora and Sassnitz-Mukran and by a rail and road embankment atLietzow. The Schmale Heide separates the outer bay ofProrer Wiek from the lagoon of theKleiner Jasmunder Bodden. On the peninsula of Jasmund are thePiekberg (161 m above sea level (NN)), the highest point on Rügen, and theKönigsstuhl, a 118-metre-high (387 ft)chalk cliff inStubbenkammer, which forms the most striking landmark on the island. Another bar, theSchaabe, links Jasmund to the peninsula ofWittow in the north of Rügen. The Schaabe, in turn, separates the outer bay ofTromper Wiek from the lagoon of theGroßer Jasmunder Bodden. The peninsula of Wittow and the long, narrow peninsula ofBug to the west are separated from the main body of Rügen by theRassower Strom, theBreetzer Bodden and theBreeger Bodden. The Wittow peninsula is adjoined in the north byCape Arkona. Just under a kilometre to the northwest, located at 54°41' N, is the northernmost point of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Below thiscliff (Gellort) on the shoreline is theSiebenschneiderstein – the fourth largestglacial erratic boulder on Rügen.
The northwestern and western sides of Rügen are also highly indented, but a little flatter. Offshore are the larger islands ofHiddensee andUmmanz as well as the smaller islandsÖheLiebitz andHeuwiese. Sand removal and deposition by the Baltic Sea has to be constantly countered by dredging operations to the north and south of Hiddensee, otherwise Hiddensee would merge with Rügen within a few years. Rügen is dotted with many glacial erratic boulders, of which the 22 largest belong to legally-protectedgeotopes (see also:Erratics on and around Rügen).
The heartland of Rügen is gently rolling, and the area is characterised primarily byagriculture. East of the town of Bergen auf Rügen the land climbs to 90 metres (300 ft) (atRugard where there is an observation tower) and to 107 metres (351 ft) in the southeastern hill country of theGranitz. The soil on Rügen is very fertile and productive, particularly in Wittow, the breadbasket of the island. There are major cabbage-producing regions.
The climate is in thetemperate zone. According to theKöppen climate classification the northern parts of the island and the coastal regions (apart from those lay adjacent toStrelasund) are under the influence of theoceanic climate (Cfb), meanwhile the remaining majority of the area is dominated by thehumid continental climate (Dfb).[6] The winters are not particularly cold, with mean temperatures in January and February of 0.0 °C (32.0 °F); and summers are mild and temperate, with a mean temperature in August of 16.3 °C (61.3 °F). There is an average rainfall of 520–560 mm (20–22 in) and approximately 1800–1870 hours of sunshine annually.
Discoveries in thebodden indicate that there has been settlement here since theStone Age. All over Rügen are numerous stone monuments, such as megalithic tombs and altar stones that have survived to the present day. By the 1st century, the inhabitants of Rügen were part of theEast Germanic tribe ofRugii, who occupied roughly the region that was later to become Western Pomerania and who gave the island its name. The Rugii may have originated fromScandinavia or evolved fromautochthonous tribes. In theMigration Period, many Rugii moved south and founded an empire inPannonia.
From the 7th century, the West SlavicRani (or Rujani) built an empire on Rügen and the neighbouring coast betweenRecknitz andRyck. It decidedly affected the history of the Baltic Sea area and the surroundingObodritic (in the west) andLiutician (in the south) occupied mainland for the next few centuries. Many traces of their life can be found today.
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 theBarth-Jasmund-Gristow triangle.
The temple hill ofJaromarsburg, at the northern tip of Rügen and dedicated to the godSvetovid, was significant well beyond the boundaries of the Ranian empire. After the fall ofRadgosc it became the chief shrine for the pagan northwestern Slavs. The administrative centre of the empire wasCharenza, possibly on the site of the present-day hillfort known asGarz or Venz. The main trading centre of the empire wasRalswiek at the southernmost point of theGroßer Jasmunder Bodden.
In 1168, theDanish king,Valdemar I, and his army commander and advisor, BishopAbsalon of Roskildedestroyed the Svetovid temple in the hillfort atCape Arkona, ending both the territorial and religious autonomy of the Rani; their former monarchs became Danishprinces of Rügen. The Rani princeJaromar I (died 1218) was a vassal of the Danish king andChristianized the island's inhabitants. In 1184, the Pomeranians, whose rule had previously extended as far as the land of Gützkow and to Demmin and thus made them the immediate neighbours of the now DanishPrincipality of Rugia, were commissioned by their overlord, the Holy Roman Emperor, to seize Rügen for the empire, but were defeated in theBay of Greifswald.
Under Danish rule the Principality of Rugia changed its character. Danish monasteries were established (e.g. Bergen Abbey in 1193 andHilda Abbey, today Eldena Abbey, in 1199).German colonists were introduced into the land and soon they became the largest and most culturally influential group within the population. The Slavic cultural element disappeared, mostly due to the lack of their own Slavic church structures, so that the Rani wereabsorbed in the period that followed into the now German-influenced people of Rügen. In addition to the colonization of the country and the building of new monasteries and churches, towns were also re-established. In 1234, the Rügen PrinceWizlaw I founded the town ofStralsund and grantedGreifswald market rights in 1241. The power of the towns grew rapidly, forcing Rügen's rulers to make concessions—for example, the prince's castle atBarth was slighted and Schadegast, the princely "twin" of the municipally-controlled Stralsund, was ousted in favour of the latter.
Invasion of Rügen by Brandenburg-Prussia atNeukamp in 1678 (etching by Jan Luiken).1608 map byEilhardus Lubinus
After the death of the last Slav prince of theWizlawiden (House of Wizlaw) dynasty,Wizlaw III, in 1325, the principality was acquired by the duchy ofPomerania-Wolgast as a consequence of the 1321 inheritance agreement (Erbverbrüderung), and from 1368/72–1451 was part of the estate of a branch line, the dukes ofPomerania-Barth. This state of affairs, together with the disputes over the Danish throne that occurred at that time, led to theRügen wars of succession. After they had played out, the former principality went in 1354 to Pomerania-Wolgast and thus became part of theHoly Roman Empire.
In 1478, Pomerania-Wolgast andPomerania-Stettin were united and, 170 years later, the combined state went to Sweden in 1648 as a result of theTreaty of Westphalia (seeSwedish Pomerania). Rügen was part of Swedish Pomerania from 1648 to 1815. The largest landowners, owning at least one-fifth of the island until 1945, was theHouse of Putbus, which was an offshoot of the earlier ruling princes of the Wizlawid dynasty. In 1727, they were created counts of Holy Roman Empire and 1731 counts in Sweden, ultimately Swedish princes in 1807.
UnderGustav IV Adolf of Sweden the town ofGustavia was constructed on theMönchgut peninsula, but was abandoned during theNapoleonic Wars. In the years 1678 and 1715, Rügen was briefly wrested from the Swedes by the Elector of Brandenburg,Frederick William and by the King in Prussia,Frederick William I. For example, a Brandenburg-Danish army landed on the island as part of theinvasion of Rügen in 1678. After theTreaty of Saint-Germain in 1679 the island passed from Danish to Swedish ownership again. At the time ofNapoleonic Wars, Rügen was held by theFrench from 1807 to 1813. In theTreaty of Kiel of 1814, it was transferred initially from Sweden to Denmark and then fell toPrussia, along with New Western Pomerania (Neuvorpommern), thanks to theVienna Convention of 1815. In 1818, the island became part of the administrative district ofStralsund and thus belonged to the PrussianProvince of Pomerania.Wilhelm Malte I (1783–1854), 1st prince of Putbus, was the last Governor of Swedish Pomerania and the first under Prussian rule.
In 1816, the first bathing resort was founded atPutbus. Later more resorts were established, and Rügen remained the most popular holiday resort of Germany untilWorld War II.
The Nazis added a large resort:Prora, planned by theStrength through Joy organisation, which aimed to occupy people's free time. However, Prora was never completed.
In 1936, the first bridge connecting Rügen with the mainland was constructed (Rügendamm), replacing the former ferry shuttles.
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 byWalter Ulbricht to the island of Rügen, during which he had been annoyed by the many surviving private hotels and guest houses. Many of the hotel owners were convicted bykangaroo courts under the pretext of having been engaged ineconomic crime or as agents working for the West. Their property was then confiscated and they were sent to prison. Many of the owners and small businessmen were incarcerated in Bützow prison. The hotels were supposed to have been expropriated by theFree German Trade Union Federation (FDGB). In fact, they were used as accommodation for the barracks-based "people's police" (Kasernierte Volkspolizei or CPI). As a result of the confiscation of hotels, tourism on Rügen in 1953 came almost to a complete standstill for a time.
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, theReisebüro 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.
Binz, one of severalspas on Rügen, featuring the typicalResort architecture of the German Baltic Sea —Kurhaus (spa hotel) at nightThe pier ofSellin at night
Rügen is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Germany. The island receives about one quarter of all overnight stays in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. 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 inSagard.[12] In 1818, thePutbus village ofLauterbach became Rügen's first seaside resort.[13] In the 1860sSassnitz became a seaside resort, followed byBinz in the 1880s.[13] DuringWorld War IIProra was constructed as a mass tourist resort but it was never finished.[13]
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 areDranske,Rosengarten,Wiek, Suhrendorf andNeu Mukran.
On the peninsula of Jasmund is theJasmund National Park, which consists of the beech forest ofStubnitz, including the chalk cliffs of Rügen. On theKönigsstuhl itself is theKönigsstuhl National Park Centre, which has a multivision cinema and audio-guide exhibitions with information about the national park in several languages.
Therailway network consists of the electrifiedstandard gauge stretch of theDeutsche BahnStralsund (Rügendamm)-Bergen-Sassnitz line (timetable route (KBS) 195), Lietzow-Binz (KBS 197), the non-electrified routes Bergen-Putbus-Lauterbach Mole of the PRESS (KBS 198) and the narrow-gauge stretch (750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)) of theRügen Resort Railway (Rasender Roland): Lauterbach Mole-Putbus-Binz-Sellin-Göhren (KBS 199).
In addition to regional trains, there are alsoIntercity services fromBinz viaBergen andStralsund toBerlin,Hamburg,Frankfurt,Stuttgart and theRuhr. Night train services toMunich, Basle and the Ruhr area were deleted from the timetable on 9 December 2007, despite massive protests from the local hotel industry.
The bus service on Rügen is operated by theRügener Personennahverkehr. Since 1996 it has been continuously expanded, and has developed an integralclock-face schedule. There is a service between all major towns and municipalities on the island at least every two hours, sometimes more frequently during peak season. Throughout the year, buses now run at least every hour on the routes between Sassnitz-Binz-Bergen, Schaprode–Bergen–Klein Zicker, Bergen/Sassnitz-Altenkirchen-Wiek-Dranske and the Altenkirchen-Putgarten near Cape Arkona. In addition, the bus service is well-linked with the railway, especially in Bergen, but also at other railway stations.
Until October 2007, individual traffic from the mainland to the island of Rügen was mainly routed along the two-lane Rügendamm causeway, running betweenStralsund andAltefähr over the sound ofStrelasund.
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, aring road has been built in the last few years, coming from the southwest. TheB 96 federal road between Stralsund andGreifswald is also connected via an access road to theA 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, theKönigsstuhl and theGranitz hunting lodge are, however, car-free in order to protect the countryside, as is the island of Hiddensee which belongs to Vorpommern-Rügen district. All these destinations can be reached using public transport, without needing a car.
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.
Two car ferries belonging to theWeiße Flotte operate every half-an-hour between the Zudar peninsula on Rügen and Stahlbrode on the mainland, halfway between Stralsund and Greifswald.
AnotherWeiße Flotte car ferry, theWittow Ferry runs from the heartland of Rügen (Muttland) to Wittow.
The island ofHiddensee, which also belongs to the county of Vorpommern-Rügen, is connected by a regular ferry service from Schaprode to Rügen, and is increasingly integrated into the clock-schedule timetable on the main island. In addition, there is a regular ship service from Stralsund,Wiek andBreege to Hiddensee. Tourist services include ferry connections fromLauterbach toGager, and between Sassnitz, Binz, Sellin and Göhren. There are also round-trips mainly from Sassnitz, but also fromLohme, to the Königsstuhl.Pleasure steamers also ply between the resorts andPeenemünde on Usedom, where there is a connection to theUsedom Railway (UBB).
Sassnitz-Mukran is the largest railway ferry terminal inGermany and the only one in Europe where different tracks allow switching fromstandard gauge tobroad gauge.[14]
Rügen Airport is located about 8 km (5.0 mi) from Bergen. After theWende, the first sightseeing flights over the island were offered on the former agricultural airfield. In May 1993, the first tarmac runway was inaugurated. Since then, charter flights to Berlin, Hamburg and other cities in Europe have been available.
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