In the front article from the year 1924 of Fritz Christoph are already the most important data and events from village history as well as conditions of the inhabitants at the different times sketched. The following view wants to deal with itself therefore more with the newer history of the place, i.e. starting from approximately 1750. It wants to set also different emphasis than Christoph's; something with the families and their origin and evenly with data and facts concern themselves, which might interesting more agilely the historian than rather simple people from Rügenwaldermünde and its descendants. Already the house lists, the owner sequence as well as the origin and the occupations of the respective owners indicated created by us in it can tell much to the attentive reader over conditions and history of our homeland village.

I own a birth note after from one 1756 lecture book printed in Lüneburg over mean Great-great-great-grandfather, Friedrich Scharping, from the year 1762. It is the oldest authentic still today existing date from Rügenwaldermünde. It shows the fact that there was a family, which carried the name Scharping in the village, which at that time scarcely 200 inhabitants will have counted. It was at the time however the none of this name at the place. As I know from my great-aunt and noted in the house lists, the family still possessed the after times Maass' house at the Westhafenstraße, which on the old plan the No. 11 into the second half of the previous century, on which the new No. carries 39. Another entry on the same page of the book mentioned from the year 1792 reported on the marriage of the same Friedrich Scharping with Marie Luise Brandhoff and calls us thereby already for this time one of the two on the "old Rügenwaldermünde" at the most frequent occurring name: Brandhoff and Zühlke.
With an attentive study of the house list carriers of these names meet us again and again as old or first owner. Both families last were on Rügenwaldermünde so far become extinct that of the one only descendant Karl Brandhoff and from the other only an elder Miss, Frieda Zühlke. The baker Otto and the worker Karl Zühlke did not belong to the kinship since they were tightened only in more recent time.

Except few houses of the village in that time, together with some warehouses and marine equipment workshops, mainly to both sides of the river Wipper will have been. Their inhabitants were usually pilots and sailors, and with latter amazingly many patentees. The fishery played only a second role. It was usually operated during the absence of the men, more for own consumption, by the women. Also the amber probably already played a role. Everyone had its own house, a garden and a potato field. Animal husbandry was natural. One can say without exaggeration that relative prosperity on this old Rügenwaldermünde prevailed. And into the 70's of the previous century inside in this status hardly something had changed. Still in the war years of 1870/71 my grandfather let the large house in the Lange Straße establish.

Only in the process of the 70's a gradual transformation occurred. By the mole development and the associated extension of the outer port came with stones and other material the advancing ship foreigner, mostly from the Danzig area to Rügenwaldermünde. After termination of the construction work then many remained there and became fisherman, or resumption their earlier occupation. To these belong the families Engler, Mollau, Delleske, Gädke and Makowski. Other fisherman of the West, from Divenow, about ten years later, began to immigrate. That were the families Richard, Schulz, Rüchel, Chinnow, Erdmann, Tietz, Luk and Milahn. The third and last large thrust came around the turn of the century from the beach villages of the environment, just like Laase, Deep, Nest, Vietzker Strand, Krolow Strand and so on.

These people were the families Pagel, Scharping, Holz, Rutzen, Mews, Wetzel, Parnow and Rades. Later they came from other places and areas were insignificant and occurred only sorted. Most of these newcomers were, as we saw, fisherman. So it cannot miracle-take that at the same time with the gradual decrease Rügenwalder sea navigation, since about 1900 gained, the fishery more and more significance. Around 1910 were already in sail boats the first engines built. The vehicles became more largely, more seaworthy, more numerously. According to the attached list of boats from Rügenwaldermünde the fleet had at least approximately 50 boats.

With the importance of the fishery also rose the fish processing. The largest part of the catch was smoked. Large smokeries, everything equipped with four to five furnaces, shot from the soil. Hundreds of hundredweight of flounders and herring were usually smoked here, packed and dispatched with goods trains, en bulk, usually to Berlin. Twelve (!) of such smokeries were there last in that approx. 1000 inhabitants counting village.

Since by the smokeries, which could dictate the prices to a large extent as only customers, felt the fisherman often used, they created their own fish agricultural co-operative, which arrived at prosperity and reputation around 1920 soon. They bought that last to Schmidthals belonging house at the Osthafen street as an office and the adjacent formerly Prochnow's warehouse as acceptance and provisional storage place of the catch. Additionally they built their own smokery, by the way the largest at the place, at the west end of the village with ten furnaces. In the main landing times here alternate two smoking masters, Mr. Barz and Mrs. Joost, with a host of aids, operated who clean-made and pierce the fish. Around 1935, as reaction of the initiative of the fisherman, now also the smokeries build a co-operative, which they called "Ostsee" (Baltic Sea) and since they had lost most fisherman as suppliers, they bought or now built own boats, which had it fished from hired crews. Thus it gave meanwhile up to ten "Smokeryboats".

We can only estimate the numbers of inhabitants of the village at the different times. If it gave over it some collections, then they were lost to 1945 with most other local documents. If we however consider the number of houses and families, in addition the time-conditioned increase of the total population, then we can for the years around 1750, as already initially suggested, a soul number of scarcely 200 to assume, which had already increased until 1900 approximately to the double.

The "old house list" contains approximately 70 houses. If we count on average on five inhabitants per house, then we come on a total number of 350. If we give generously still 50 in addition, then we come on 400, with which we might probably come the truth quite close. In the year of our departure, 1945, there were on Rügenwaldermünde more than doubly as many houses as by the turn of the century and good the double number of inhabitants. We are not situated thus with our five-man per house average at all so incorrectly.

Already toward end of the last century they began on Rügenwaldermünde, for not completely evident reasons to speak with their children no longer lower German. Was it flowing together of several lower German dialects, which tends to involve a dying of the lower German according to experience, due to the immigrants, or was situated the cause in at that time a discrimination of the lower German language already beginning, which should a good half a century later more or less the whole north Germans enter? We do not know it exactly. It is however fact that our grandparents spoke still lowerGerman, our parents however no longer. An exception in this regard forms partially last the setteled down from the beach villages and particulars from neighbouring farmer villages, which remained still another generation longer for their native language faithful. The same development herein was by the way to be observed in Stolpmünde, which had probably gone through a similar development under similar conditions as Rügenwaldermünde. With exception of these two places however they spoke both at the remaining pomeranian coast and on the villages in the interior to last everywhere lower German.

The municipality Rügenwaldermünde was independent up to the year 1937 and then, in the context of the "Large Hamburg Law", it came into the city Rügenwalde. Whereby it also lost its old name and was renamed into Rügenwalde-Bad (-Bath).

This new name however never became popular, as local dependency should become only seven years old at all. Best we forget it completely, just like the local part "Bath". In old times the municipal offices were in the house of the respective municipality manager. Around 1920 Doherr's mansion at the eastern side of the village was purchased as a community centre. Some names of the municipality managers are to be called here. Around 1870 it was captain Ferdinand Gelhar as a document in my possession testifies. It follows control pilot Bernhard Leder around 1900, captain Albert Jäger and captain Hugo Rathke followed a Haiden, to which for a while later belonged to the Karl Madsen's house, until approx. 1906, then approx. 1906 to 1918 restaurant operator Robert Pastewski and in the 20's a Hagendorf. The last municipality manager before the incorporation of 1937 was Max Höppner.

After this short migration by the newer history of the village on end of the conclusion still some facts and special features. At the corner Skaggerak Street and Kehrewieder, with last Nesemann's property (No.1), was probably already since that last century a bell for official notices. It hung in the point of a strong, grey varnished oak beam approximately ten meters high and was rung by a rope by new fastened proclamations.

And if we are already with bells, despite the lighthouse with electrical nebula horn, still the nebula bell on the heading of the old west mole, today mentioned as "Schweinskopp", with which Rügenwaldermünde into old times to the ships its location displayed. The inscription on this bell reads:

Except fog and proclamation bell there was still another third bell - the pilot bell. It was on the west bank of the the river Wipper, near the bridge, at the north end of the motorboat wash, at the south side of the Skaggerakstrasse and just as designed as the proclamation bell. It would rang, if pilots for an incoming ship are used, if a fishingboat for such one had to be vacated and - in former times - if the bridge should be opened, which was made at that time still by the pilots by hand.

The actual landmark of Rügenwaldermünde however was their wooden birdge in the Dutch style. It was installed 1684, was however substantially more easily built and accordingly fewer loadable than the later, for us admitted execution. The old bridge was opened and closed still with people strength. The pilots were responsible for it. Only since 1925 they used electricity. 1934 were strengthened again in such a manner that the entire system now could over-drive trucks and carts also heavyloaded. In the Russian time the electrical system were out of operation, so that we the two bridge flaps , almost as in old times, to wind it up again with lever strength, by means of bulkheads. To set up the system again, neither Russians nor Polands were able. Sometime in the 70's the bridge was totally dismounted and brought as show piece to Kragen (!), where their pitiful remnants still today. A long time thereafter gave it, as 1684 ago, then only a very irregular and unreliable ferry between east and west side. Only in most recent time a "modern" bridge in place of the old were established, those to the photos after into the landscape fits like the fist on the eye. Additionally it carries only for pedestrian. Who wants thus for instance with the passenger car of the west on the eastern side, the new Chaussee must drive and over the city.

We had, one hear and are astonished, on Rügenwaldermünde a natural spring. It was in the Waldstraße, at the fence of property of the building-supervisor, and is drawn in on map III. A water pipeline of their out they had put to the customs office, and still to my childhood the people got their drinking water here. There were however additionally some pumps in the village. Since the end of the 30th years Rügenwaldermünde had however a water pipeline, which made this mechanism unnecessary. The spring was at the time anyway as well as dryed out.

When the national office for harbor construction came to Rügenwaldermünde, we cannot say exactly. Paul Brandhoff means, it was already before 1880. The head office of this office for harbor construction was in Kolberg, of where Rügenwaldermünde was also managed. The main work of the harbor construction on Rügenwaldermünde were the mole development in the 70's of the 19. Century and the system of the winter harbour in the 80's. The boat port at "Schnurrbüdelshof" developed around 1930. Besides the regular dredging of the port and the entry, was the function of the harbor construction office, to which the two towboats "Jershöft" and "Damkerort", as well as various lighters were available. The excavator was called "Persante".

A peculiarity of the port section to the "Strom", as the Wipper mentioned, were the so-called "Waschen". In my memory there was of it 4 at the west side and one at the eastern side. To this "Waschen" the Rügenwaldermünde women rinsed their laundry (so clean were at that time still our rivers), also smaller boats could create there. At the only "Waschen" behind the bridge (from the sea), at the west side, with Nesemanns, was the landing stage of the motorboats "Bogislav" and "Delphin". The first belonged to Ernst and Fritz Wetzel, the second to Wilhelm Parnow. These two boats manufacture an additional transportation of human beings possibility for the regularly operating post office bus in the summer time to the 3 km distant city.

Of Rügenwaldermünder port characteristic bulwark, which where at the whole shore on the west side up to the building yard accompanied and at the eastern side up to the "Litergraben", today does not exist no more. Poland created a smooth jetty, which is to be waited probably more cheaply and more easily.

That approximately 200 meters long "Litergraben", at the south of the "Johnache Park", between Treidelsteig and Chaussee, is by the way the last remainder of a small river named "Lytow", whose source and former bed were at our time long silt up, and probably already at present of our great-grandfathers. This flat ditch served last as base for rowing boats.

Before the lighthouse, to lands end, at the east mole, was a signal mast. Into an appropriate device to it the daily wind messages (strength and direction) of the places Arkona on Rügen and Brüsterort on Samland were put with large metallic letters. For Arkona hang on the western board a large "A", as well as over the eastern a large "B" for Brüsterort. So it could occur e.g. that "WSW5" was to be read on it, what Benno Selke told summerguests as "white silk wests for 5 Marks" to be.

As in all east pomeranian harbours, it was also in Rügenwaldermünde, because of open, neither by bays nor by pre-aged islands protected coast, with strong, towards land comming wind, which entry, before which often huge crushers up-piled up themselves, expresses dangerously. Therefore many sailors preferred it to wait for an abating of the storm on sea or to accept the far way to harbour of Hela.

Often storms released also devastating storm tides. For the last time around the turn of the year 1912/13, when the river stepped over the banks and the sea had broken through the dunes at the eastern side. So the tides could pour once of the wipper from and on the other hand from the meadows in the village. Approximately a half meter highly the water was in that January night in the roads, so that the people tied up partially their boats before the entry doors. All cellars were full water, and Tramborgs, whose house was situated somewhat more deeply, had to live one quarter of an year, until everything had drained again correctly, with us. My grandaunt often told of the winebottles, the water let clink against each other at that time in the cellar.

But the sea had also its good things. In the summer it lured many bathers cash-bringing in the village. Thus a public swimming site already developed before the First World War. It was to the new on the west corner of the ramp under the dune, thus about 500 meters west. It was also substantially smaller than these and did not become yet from the municipality, but operated privatly by the restaurant operator Törmer of the "Strandschloß". Around 1920 it was torn off. A larger, now under the direction of the municipality, developed approx. 500 meters west for the west mole. As lifeguards here, at present my childhood, Otto Selke and Walter Madsen functioned.

In this time the forests at the west side were still accessible to all. There was a wonderful, romantic landscape from fen, heath and forest, which went until Suckow and to the beach of the Baltic Sea. In the middle of twas herein the so-called chicken farm, a popular trip target for native ones and foreigner, where there was Sundays and in the summer also coffee and cake. Toward the end of the 30er years however it was suddenly past with this idyll. The highest army command had decided to create on the area an enormous troop exercise area, particularly for artillery. The area became now closed, and in shortest time here an enormous system from barracks, shelters, houses and barracks developed. Cannons were installed, and it began an almost daily target practice on by disks marked air and surface targets. It meant that this artillery exercise area was to have been one of the largest in the realm.

Also to mentioned would be the so-called "small beach", who the piece between "Schweinskopp" and new west mole was called, during the war a threw was developed, on their ships from concrete was built. The whole was however rather an experiment, which beyond hardly useful starts.

A last word is dedicated still to our lighthouse. In the new house list it is registered under the No. 110, with the remark: "delighted after 1850, later tower increases". This fact was to a large extent unconscious our generation to Kurt Engler on a meeting, in the context of a film demonstration, once an old photo of the tower not supplemented yet showed.

At that time none could remember the present of that old tower, and strange-proves, my knowledge, even with us of it was never spoken. During the production of this book now the question arose after the point in time of the change again. And now also I discovered photos of this lower lighthouse. The guessing went from the front loosely, because also Paul Brandhoff, our oldest fellow citizen, could remember not a change. By Fritz Maass we could determine it then finally nevertheless still on the time around 1925. The Rügenwaldermünder lighthouse was increased in the year 1927 from 13 to 21 meters.