Wolgast | |
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 Old town hall of Wolgast | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Wolgast within Vorpommern-Greifswald district
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 Location of Wolgast | |
  Wolgast  Wolgast | |
| Coordinates:54°03′N13°46′E / 54.050°N 13.767°E /54.050; 13.767 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| District | Vorpommern-Greifswald |
| Municipal assoc. | Am Peenestrom |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Stefan Weigler (Ind.) |
| Area | |
• Total | 61.74 km2 (23.84 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[1] | |
• Total | 12,092 |
| • Density | 195.9/km2 (507.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 17438 |
| Dialling codes | 03836 |
| Vehicle registration | VG, WLG |
Wolgast (German pronunciation:[ˈvɔlˌɡast]ⓘ) is a town in the district ofVorpommern-Greifswald, inMecklenburg-Vorpommern,Germany. It is situated on the bank of thestraitPeenestrom, facing the island ofUsedom on theBaltic coast that can be accessed by road and railway via a movablebascule bridge (Blaues Wunder). In December 2004, the town had a population of 12,725.
The precursor of present-day Wolgast was a SlavicWendish stronghold located on an island within thePeenestrom sound.[2]: 159 Contemporary sources called itHologost(a), Ologost, Woligost, Woligast, Wologost, Wolegast, Wolegust, Walagost(um), Walogost(um), Waløgost(um), Waloguslum, Walagust, Walegusth, Walægust, Walgust, Wolgast, Valagust, Wołogoszcz orValegust.[3] Wilhelm Ferdinand Gadebusch traces the name through Wendish to mean a "large grove".[4] It is unclear which of the tribes documented in the area the population belonged to, theVeleti/Lutici orRani.[5] In 1123/24,prince Henry of theObodrites used the stronghold as a stepping stone in his campaign against the Rani.[6]
In 1128, after thePomeranian dukeWartislaw I had subdued the area, theWends were baptized byOtto of Bamberg on his second Pomeranian mission, while Wartislaw was also present in the stronghold. During this time, there was an influx of thousands ofLow German settlers fromGroningen andDrenthe.[2]: 152, 160 In this context, Wolgast was described as aopulentissima civitas by the chronicler Ebo, it is however unclear whether this should be read as meaning opulent or mighty "castle" or "town".[2]: 157–158 Otto destroyed a local temple devoted toGerowit, a god of war, and replaced it with a church.[7][2]: 158 The thesis that this first church was a predecessor of today's St. Peter's church has not yet been confirmed.[2]: 158
Wolgast was made the seat of a Pomeraniancastellany,[2]: 159 and played an important role in the 12th-century warfare between Pomeranians, Rani and the Danes.[2]: 158 In 1162, Wolgast was targeted by an allied Danish-Rani fleet, and temporarily had to accept Danish suzerainty.[8]: 23–25 In 1164, in the context of thebattle of Verchen, a Danish force underWetheman took control of Wolgast, and left it to a mixed Rani-Pomeranian-Obrodite garrison after peace was restored.[9][10] Yet, the Rani (the Danish allies) were soon expelled by the Pomeranians, and the Obodrites (also Danish allies) left the scene.[8]: 26 The Danes attacked Wolgast again in the summer of 1167, and again either in late 1167 or in 1168, anddevastated the area.[8]: 27–28 In 1177, another Danish assault on Wolgast failed, but a campaign in 1179 was successful, though the Danish fleet accepted money instead of a surrender.[8]: 41 In 1184, Wolgast was unsuccessfully besieged by the Danes, but finally came under Danish control in 1185 when the Pomeranian duke accepted Danish suzerainty.[8]: 44–45 While the Danes lost control over most of Pomerania in 1227, Wolgast remained a Danish bridgehead until either 1241/43 or 1250.[8]: 48
On the mainland opposite to island with the castle, a new planned town was built in the course of theOstsiedlung.[11] It is not known when exactly this city of Wolgast was grantedGerman town law, though its existence is confirmed by a letter written in or before 1259.[2]: 160 The original charter was issued by both Pomeranian dukes of the time,Wartislaw III andBarnim I, and a confirmation of theLübeck law was issued in 1282 by dukeBogislaw IV.[2]: 160–161
Wolgast was residence of thePomeranian dukes from 1285 until the rulingHouse of Pomerania became extinct in 1637.[12] Capital ofPomerania-Wolgast, a longtime inner partition of the duchy,Wolgast Castle was built as a residential palace inRenaissance style on an island hence calledCastle Island.[13] Theducal line of Pomerania-Wolgast became extinct whenPhilipp Julius died without issue.[14]
During theThirty Years' War, theSwedish Empire occupied Wolgastin 1630 and kept it as a part ofSwedish Pomerania until 1815. Between the 1670s to 1720s, hundreds of male residents enlisted in theVOC and emigrated toSouth Africa. The former ducal palace decayed, and the town was burned down in 1713 byRussian forces during theGreat Northern War, in retaliation for Swedish arson inAltona.[12] Only the church, four chapels and four more buildings were spared by the fire.[12] Most houses of the Old Town therefore date back to the 18th and 19th centuries,[13] the townhall was renewed after the fire inbaroque style.[12]
After the Swedish withdrawal from Pomerania in 1815, the city was integrated into thePrussianProvince of Pomerania. Last remnants of the palace were removed in 1849.[13] Wolgast prospered throughout the 19th century as a port forgrain trade.[12] In 1910 a Catholic Church was built for Polish workers[15]
Wolgast lost its status as aKreis capital on 12 June 1994, whenKreis Wolgast was merged intoKreisOstvorpommern, which became part ofVorpommern-Greifswald in 2011.
The town's history is presented in theStadtgeschichtliches Museum (Towns' historical museum) in a half-timbered house at the market place nicknamedKaffeemühle (coffee grinder).[13] It was built in the 17th century. The former house of painterPhilipp Otto Runge is also a museum by now (Rungemuseum).[13] The house was built at the beginning of the 18th century in abaroque style and renovated from 1996 to 1997.
The Town Hall was built in the 18th century.[16] A part of the medieval town wall with a tower is preserved in Kronwiekstrasse. It was renovated in 2013. Various half-timbered houses can be visited in the historical town center, e.g. in Burgstrasse. House no. 5 in Burgstrasse is a baroque building dating from 1700 with astepped gable. St. Gertruden Chapel which was built in the 15th century in agothic style and renovated from 2017 to 2019 is worth a visit as well.[17] St. Peter's Church representing a typicalbrick gothic style was inaugurated around 1415.[18]
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