Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Fotoeins Fotografie

24T28 Prora legacy, Binz Ostseestrandbad

E27

I turn my attention to the southeast corner of Rügen island, towards Prora and Binz.

There’s a very long curved building complex in Prora. The ruling National Socialists (NS) had in the 1930s planned to construct a 4.7-km (2.9-mi) long seaside resort between the towns of Sassnitz and Binz. The resort at Prora was meant for 20-thousand workers through the propaganda program “Kraft durch Freude” (KdF, Strength through joy). The KdF on the leisure side was merely another tool to ensure blind, unwavering, complete loyalty to the NS cause. With foundation stone laid in 1936, construction began in 1937, but stopped in 1939 with the outbreak of continental war. After 1945, East Germany used the partly completed complex as army barracks and military used, turning the area into an exclusion zone. Today, private investments have completely transformed some of the blocks to tourism as holiday apartments.

The Documentation Centre in Prora does a great job in describing the complex, the intended functions, and its ongoing fate; as well as the NS KdF program in the context of transforming the German nation into a “hammer” on the rest of Europe. All panels are only in German, but PDFs in English are available from accompanying QR-codes.

I would have liked another few hours in Binz; morning light would be spectacular from the white-sand beaches. While its “centrepiece” Kurhaus spa hotel and other buildings are nice architectural works, the town has a “stank of the rich“, which I find unappealing. It may be why I’m also not very excited to visit Sylt, although I probably should some day.

Prora, DokuZentrum

*“Vacation: an exhibition on KdF’s seaside spa project in Prora.”*

*Some of the south blocks entirely rebuilt with private investments for modern standards of holiday apartments.*

*Layout of resort complex “K.d.F. Seebad Rügen”, 1938. North is to the right. The cursive is reprinted in block letters in the following image.*

*Situation in 1945; north to the right.*

Binz

*1908 Kurhaus (Spa) Binz; now, Travel Charme Kurhaus Binz*.

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 4 Jun 2024. I received neither sponsor nor support from any organization. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T27 King’s Chair, chalk cliffs, beech trees

E26

My visit to Rügen island is set mostly on the chalk cliffs as visual inspiration for building art and the ancient beech-tree forest as natural cathedrals for building community.

Königsstuhl (King’s Chair)

The name of one of the most well-known chalk cliffs is the starting point for the visitor centre, the Nationalpark Zentrum Königsstuhl, which provides descriptions of the geography, geology, and biology of this protected area.

Kreidefelsen (chalk cliffs)

A classic case for erosion by water and wind, the tall chalk cliffs have provided inspiration to many, including the 19th-century German Romanticism art movement made famous by local artist Caspar David Friedrich. Perhaps, it’s as simple as recognizing the colour context of the blue sea waters, white chalk cliffs, and the green canopy of beech trees.

Buchenwald (beech forest)

Nationalpark Jasmund: established 1990, Germany’s smallest national park at about 3100 hectares (7600 acres). In about one-sixth of the area (about 500 ha), there are untouched beech trees, which is why Jasmund is included in the pan-European inscription for “old beech forests” as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011.

*View next to Königsstuhl visitor centre.*

*Königsstuhl (King’s Chair) national park centre, in a world heritage site.*

*View north near Wissower Ufer. The chalk cliffs themselves are not part of the world heritage inscription …*

… *But the forest through which a shoreline path can be hiked. The symbol for the Hochuferweg path appears regularly on beech trees; note the relatively smooth tree bark.*

*Beech trees as “heilige Hallen” or “hallowed halls” (0.5x). Medieval cathedral design in what became the German nation has a lot to do with these trees.*

*Welterbeforum (World Heritage Forum) with a small display of the world heritage inscription, and a café for visitors and hikers.*

Hugging the eastern coast of Rügen island, the high-cliff hiking path, Hochuferweg, weaves its way among beech trees in Jasmund National Park. Locations for the Königsstuhl centre and Welterbeforum are marked in orange.

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 3 Jun 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T26 Rolling onto the island of Rügen

E25

Today (2 June) is Welterbetag or World Heritage Day in Germany. Over the next couple of days, I’ll visit Königsstuhl (King’s Chair) and the white-chalk cliffs, as well as the beech forest in Jasmund National Park.

But first, arrival from Stralsund, and a quick look at Sassnitz, a traditional fishing village of about 10-thousand on Rügen, Germany’s largest island.

*“Lieutenant P. Brixham“ cargo ship (MMSI 235103032) registered in the U.K.*

*FRS Windcat “Hydrocat 55” offshore supply ship (“powered by hydrogen”, IMO 9949601, MMSI 211887350), registered in Germany.*

*Ostmolenfeuer (lit., east pier light) lighthouse, with the Prora-Binz coastline in the background (2x).*

Sassnitz is only an hour-long trip from Stralsund with a regional express train.

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 2 Jun 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T25 Stralsund old town, World Heritage

E24

The Old Towns in Wismar and Stralsund have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002. I highlight Stralsund’s 3 main churches and some of the town’s characteristic architecture.

*That is some altar, with abundant vertical space above.*

*Wall painting, crucifixion* *scene with Peter, Mary, John, Paul, Nicholas.*

*Spare or austere decoration by comparison; use of its big spaces gives the name “Kulturkirche.”*

*On exhibition inside St. James’ is a partial retrospective on German-American photographer Leni Sinclair (b. 1940 in Königsberg).*

*Welterbe-Ausstellung, near Alter Markt. The larger than usual panel at right-centre is the World Heritage Site listing for the Hanseatic cities of Wismar and Stralsund.*

On travel day 25, I’ve now visited in Germany 6 (new to me) UNESCO World Heritage Sites, bringing my total to 40 from 52.

I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 1 Jun 2024. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.

24T24 Stralsund in Germany’s northeast corner

E23

Stralsund has existed as a city with its first charter assigned in 1234 CE. The name of the settlement is taken from the narrow water channel, Strelasund, a sound separating the mainland (on which the town resides) and the neighbouring island of Rügen.

I arrive at the hotel in late-afternoon, and get myself out the door for a couple of hours as “visual appetizer” for tomorrow’s full day (under forecast sun). Prominent are the “big 3 churches” in the city’s Old Town whose area is designated UNESCO world heritage site.