Ostvorpommern

Ostvorpommern was a former rural district, or Kreis, in the eastern part of the German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Its name means “East Western Pomerania” and referred to its location within the historical and contemporary region of Vorpommern. The district was created on 12 June 1994 as part of a territorial reorganization that combined the former districts of Anklam, Greifswald and Wolgast. It subsequently administered a predominantly rural area around the eastern section of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, including municipalities on the mainland and in the Usedom area. The district was geographically positioned among several neighboring administrative areas. Uecker-Randow lay to the east, Mecklenburg-Strelitz to the southeast, Demmin to the southwest, and Nordvorpommern to the west. The Hanseatic city of Greifswald was enclosed by Ostvorpommern geographically but remained administratively separate and was not part of the district. This distinction reflected the German system of independent urban municipalities, in which certain cities exercise district-level functions outside the surrounding rural district. Ostvorpommern was an administrative identity rather than a commercial brand. Its functions included local public administration and the coordination of municipal services within the district. The area was also associated with the regional tourism economy of Vorpommern and Usedom, although tourism bodies and destinations were separate from the district as an administrative entity. The district existed for 17 years. On 4 September 2011, it was dissolved in a further Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian administrative reform and merged with other areas to form the new district of Vorpommern-Greifswald. As a result, Ostvorpommern no longer exists as a current German district, although the name remains relevant in historical, geographic and administrative contexts.

Ostvorpommern was established on 12 June 1994 as part of the reorganization of local government in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The new rural district consolidated the former districts of Anklam, Greifswald and Wolgast, bringing their municipalities under a single district administration. Its creation reflected the post-reunification restructuring of administrative boundaries in eastern Germany and the effort to establish larger, more coherent local-government units. The district occupied the eastern part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the historical region of Western Pomerania. It bordered Uecker-Randow to the east, Mecklenburg-Strelitz to the southeast, Demmin to the southwest and Nordvorpommern to the west. The Hanseatic city of Greifswald was surrounded by Ostvorpommern but was not incorporated into it, because Greifswald held the status of an independent urban municipality. This produced a territorial arrangement in which the city was geographically enclosed by the rural district while remaining a separate administrative authority. During its existence, Ostvorpommern served as a local administrative framework for towns and municipalities in the region. Its territory included areas connected to the mainland and to the Usedom region. The district was part of a wider regional setting shaped by the Baltic coast, Western Pomerania’s historical identity and tourism activity, but it should not be confused with the independent tourist organizations and regional bodies that promoted destinations in Usedom and Vorpommern. A subsequent state-wide territorial reform ended the district’s independent existence. On 4 September 2011, Ostvorpommern was merged with neighboring administrative areas to create the new Vorpommern-Greifswald district. The merger transferred local-government responsibilities into the successor district and removed Ostvorpommern from Germany’s current district structure. The former district therefore survives primarily as a historical and geographic designation rather than as an active administrative institution.

• 2011

  Merged into Vorpommern-Greifswald

  [1]Ostvorpommernen.wikipedia.org

  On 4 September 2011, Ostvorpommern was dissolved and incorporated into the newly formed Vorpommern-Greifswald district.

• 1994

  District established

  [1]Ostvorpommernen.wikipedia.org

  Ostvorpommern was created on 12 June 1994 through the merger of the former districts of Anklam, Greifswald and Wolgast.

• 2011

  Administrative merger into Vorpommern-GreifswaldStrategy

  Background

  A further territorial reform of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania changed the structure of local government in the region.

  Action taken

  Ostvorpommern was dissolved on 4 September 2011 and merged into the new Vorpommern-Greifswald district.

  Aftermath

  Ostvorpommern ceased to exist as an independent district, while its former territory became part of the successor district.

  Source

• 1994

  Consolidation of predecessor districtsStrategy

  Background

  Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania reorganized its rural administrative structure by combining the former districts of Anklam, Greifswald and Wolgast.

  Action taken

  The three predecessor districts were combined to establish Ostvorpommern on 12 June 1994.

  Aftermath

  The consolidation created a single rural district covering the eastern part of Western Pomerania until the next major territorial reform in 2011.

  Source

1. 1Ostvorpommernen.wikipedia.org