Demmin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Demmin | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
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| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| District | Demmin |
| Town subdivisions | 11 districts |
| Mayor | Ernst Wellmer (CDU) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 81.56 km² (31.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Population | 12,633 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 155 /km² (401 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | DM |
| Postal code | 17109 |
| Area code | 03998 |
| Website | www.demmin.de |
| Location of the town of Demmin within Demmin district | |
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Demmin (IPA: [dɛˈmiːn]) is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is the capital of the district Demmin.
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[edit] History
[edit] Middle Ages
Demmin was a stronghold of the West Slav Circipanes during the Middle Ages. Due to its strategical importance, burghs were erected (and often attacked and destroyed) at the Vorwerk and Haus Demmin sites, named Dimin or Dymin. A Saxon army unsuccessfully besieged the settlement during the 1147 Wendish Crusade. Yet, the armed conflicts with their neighbors and invasion troops from Germany and Denmark devastated the Circipanes land badly. It was resettled by Germans and Flames by the 12th to 14th centuries. Circipania was split between Mecklenburg and Pommern, with Demmin on the Pomeranian side becoming a residence town for Pomeranian dukes (Duchy of Pomerania-Demmin). Like most of Pomeranian areas aside the larger coastal Hanse cities, the charakter of Demmin and its surrounding areas remained rural and dominated by agriculture until today, even though Demmin had been a member of the Hanse league because of the rivers (e.g. the Peene River) connecting this area to the Baltic coast.
[edit] World War II
German troops destroyed the bridges over the Peene while retreating from Demmin during World War II. This way, the advance of the Soviet Red Army was slowed down when they arrived in Demmin on April 30, 1945. During that night and the following morning, Demmin was handed over to the Red Army largely without fighting, similar to other cities like Greifswald.
Although there were only a few pockets of resistance, nearly 900 people committed mass suicides in fear of the Red Army. Coroner lists show that most drowned in the nearby River Tollense and River Peene, where others poisoned themselves.[1] This was fueled by atrocities - rapes, pillage and executions committed by Red Army soldiers until the city commander had the access to the rivers blocked on May 3.[2]
[edit] Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Demmin displays:
- a red fortress with three open gates
- the two towers are topped by a silver lily
- a leaned to the right silver shield displaying a
- red griffin is the heraldic animal of Pomerania
- On top of the shield there is a crowned, blue helmet with green peacock feathers
- The red fortress symbolizes the city's history as the residency of Pomeranian princes
- The lily crowning both towers symbolizes the city flower used in the 18th century.
[edit] Famous residents
- Joachim Lütkemann (1608-1655), preacher and author
- Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann (1724-1782), merchant and politician
- Julius Friedrich Cohnheim (1839-1884), pathologist
- Willy Schulz-Demmin (1892-1974), painter
- Hans-Adolf Asbach (1904-1976), politician
- Willi Laatsch (1905-1997), pedologist
- Paul von Maltzahn (born 1945), diplomat
- Andy Glandt, banjo player
[edit] Literature
- Norbert Buske, Das Kriegsende in Demmin 1945 (German) - The End of the War in Demmin 1945
[edit] References
- ^ MDR Fakt from September 22, 2003 (mostly German, English in parts)]
- ^ Buske, Norbert (Hg.): Das Kriegsende in Demmin 1945. Berichte Erinnerungen Dokumente (Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Landeskundliche Hefte), Schwerin 1995
[edit] External links
- Official website (German)
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