Usedom (Polish: Uznam) is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon (German: Stettiner Haff) estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania. Most of the island belongs to the German district of Vorpommern-Greifswald in the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with the exception of the eastern part and the city of ?winouj?cie (German: Swinemünde) which is in Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Its area is 445 km² (the German part 373 km²; the Polish part 72 km²). Its population is 76,500 (the German part 31,500; the Polish part 45,000).
The island is separated to the east from the neighbouring island of Wolin by the ?wina (German: Swine) strait (or river), which is the main route connecting Szczecin Bay with the Pomeranian Bay, a part of the Baltic Sea. The strait between the island and the mainland is called Peenestrom; it is an underwater extension of the valley of the Peene river, which flows into the westernmost part of Szczecin Bay. The island is mostly plain, partly covered by marshes.
In 1945 the eastern part of the island, together with the city and port of ?winouj?cie, was assigned to Poland by the Potsdam Conference, the German inhabitants being expelled to the west. The territory was populated with Poles who had in turn been expelled by the Soviet Union from the Kresy in the east.
The Isle of Usedom is one of Germany’s major holiday and recreation areas due to its beaches, its natural beauty and a number of elegant seaside towns such as Zinnowitz and Heringsdorf, which have been frequented by the German and international nobility as well as the general public. Many hotels and bed and breakfast establishments are available on both sides of the German-Polish border. In addition to the coastline, the hinterland features nature reserves, castles, lakes and historic villages.
[caption id="attachment_215901" align="aligncenter" width="479"] Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher by Ernst Gebauer, around 1815[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt (16 December 1742 – 12 Sept...
