Peenemünde

Peenemünde
Historical Technical Museum Peenemünde
Peenemünde
Coordinates
Administration
Country Germany
State Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
District Vorpommern-Greifswald
Municipal assoc. Usedom-Nord
Mayor Rainer Barthelmes
Basic statistics
Area 24.97 km2 (9.64 sq mi)
Elevation 3.0 m  (10 ft)
Population 326 (31 December 2010)[1]
 - Density 13 /km2 (34 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate OVP
Postal code 17449
Area code 038371
Website (German) AMT USEDOM-NORD

Peenemünde (German pronunciation: [peːnəˈmʏndə], English: mouth of the Peene [River]) is a village with a seaport on the westmost extremity of a long sand-spit in the northwestern part of Usedom (an island) on the Baltic Sea coast of Germany. Air service for the village is available at the nearby airport.

History

In World War II, the area was highly involved in the production of the V2 rocket, until the production's relocation to Nordhausen. The village's docks were used for the ships which recovered V-2 wreckage from launches over the Baltic Sea. The entire island was captured by the Allies on May 5, 1945. The gas plant for the production of liquid oxygen still lies in ruins at the entrance to Peenemünde.

The post-war port was a Soviet naval base until turned over to the armed forces of East Germany in 1952. The seaport facilities were used at first by the East German Seepolizei (sea police) after new facilities for police motorboats had been built. On December 1, 1956, the headquarters of the First Fleet of the East German Volksmarine (navy) was established at Peenemünde.

The Peenemünde Historical and Technical Information Center, a World War II museum on the European Route of Industrial Heritage, opened in 1992 in the shelter control room and the area of the WWII power station (now part of the village) -- exhibits include a V-1 and a V-2.

References