Editing Demmin (section)

== History ==

=== Name ===
The name may originate from the [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] term ''timänie'' 'swampy area'. Another possible origin for the name ''Demmin'' could be from [[Polabian language|Old Polabian]] ''dym'' (plural: ''dyminy'') 'smoke', referring to clearing land through burning to make settlement possible. In 1075, [[Adam of Bremen]] reported<ref>[[Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum]]</ref> a fight over the castle at ''Dimine''. In the course of history, the name changed, and sources refer to ''Dymine'' and ''Dimin,'' [[Latinisation of names|Latinized]] to ''Dyminium,'' finally ''Demmyn,'' and since 1320 the town has been known under its present spelling ''Demmin''.

A popular explanation of the name, but without any historical basis, is as follows: two princesses built a castle called ''Haus Demmin'' and promised each other (in the [[Low German]] language spoken in Demmin) ''Dat Hus is din und min'' ('That house is thine [''din''] and mine [''min'']'). Thus the name of the castle and of the city is said to have developed.<ref>[http://de.wikisource.org/wiki/Der_Name_Demmin Temme, Jodocus Donatus Hubertus. 1840. ''Die Volkssagen von Pommern und Rügen''. Berlin: Nicolaische Buchhandlung, p. 171.]</ref><ref>Ferrand, Eduard. 1845. "Norddeutsche Volkssagen." In Arthur Müller, ''Moderne Reliquien'', vol. 2, pp. 329–360. Berlin: Adolf Gumprecht, p. 351.</ref><ref>Schmidt, Th. 1865. ''Die Bedeutung der pommerischen Städtenamen: Jubelschrift zur fünf- und zwanzigjährigen Stiftungsfeier der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Schule in Stettin.'' Stettin: A. Rast, p. 9.</ref><ref>Grässe, Johann Georg Theodor. 1871. ''Sagenbuch des preussischen Staats,'' vol. 2. Glogan: Verlag von Carl Flemming, p. 466.</ref><ref>Knoop, D. 1891. "Allerhand Scherz, Neckereien, Reime und Erzählungen über pommersche Orte und ihre Bewohner." ''Baltische Studien'' 41: 99–203, p. 121.</ref><ref>Eichblatt, Hermann: ''Sagen, Volksglaube und Bräuche aus Demmin und Umgebung''. Demmin 1925, chapter 1.</ref>

=== Prehistory ===
As early as 5500 - 4900 BC, the Neolithic [[Linear Pottery culture]] spread from the East, and from the Oder river into the area east<ref>Schuldt, Ewald (Hg.): ''Bodendenkmalpflege in Mecklenburg. Jahrbuch 1969, Berlin, [[Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften]] 1970'' pp. 321</ref> of Demmin. The great dolmen near Upost<ref>[http://maps.google.de/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=205131096804397083793.000469d157ce2080bfca1&t=h&ll=53.888521,12.944856&spn=0.007562,0.018647&z=16 ''Great Dolmen near Upost'']</ref> is classified as the easternmost great dolmen.<ref>Schuldt, pp. 321</ref> As an evidence of the [[Funnelbeaker culture]], 119 [[Megalith]] constructions bear witness around the county of Demmin.<ref>Sprockhoff, Ernst: ''Atlas der Megalithgräber Deutschlands Teil 2: Mecklenburg - Brandenburg - Pommern'' (1967) {{ISBN|978-3-7749-0743-0}}</ref> Of these, 56 are partially preserved. The majority of these constructions are 37 [[Dolmen]] The fact that there are also six simple dolmen preserved, makes Demmin and its surrounding area one of those regions in which the construction of such facilities had its roots. The later period is characterized by 12 preserved in the district of Demmin [[grave mound|Tumulus]] and basin stones. From about 1800 BC on, the settlement of the area by [[Germanic peoples]] began.

===Middle Ages===
[[File:Vorwall.slawische.Burganlage.jpg|thumb|left|part of the [[defensive wall]] of the Slavic castle outside ''Haus Demmin'']]
Slavic settlements of the [[Veleti]] in the forests surrounding Demmin can be traced back to the 8th century. In 789,<ref>Einhard: The Life of Charlemagne; {{ISBN|0-472-06035-X}}</ref> during the [[Saxon wars]], [[Charlemagne]] led his troops to the Peene river, against the Veleti who were allies of the [[Saxon]]s. [[Dragovit]], king of the Veleti, whose castle, ''civitas Dragowiti''<ref>''Aspekte der Nationenbildung im Mittelalter: Ergebnisse der Marburger Rundgespräche 1972-1975''. Pages 206ff. {{ISBN|3-7995-6101-3}}</ref><ref>Stolle, Wilhelm Carl: ''Beschreibung und Geschichte der Hauptstadt Demmin''. Greifswald 1772, page 481.</ref> was said to most likely have been located at Vorwerk (Demmin), submitted to Charlemagne and swore fealty. The region was very suitable for a settlement and was important due to its location at the crossing of rivers and trade roads. During the struggle between the Veleti and the [[Franks]], a border castle was erected by [[Lutici]] [[Circipanians]] at the dawn of the 10th century.<ref>Barthold, Friedrich Wilhelm: ''Geschichte der deutschen Städte und des deutschen Bürgerthums, Volumes 1-2''; {{ISBN|1-149-26202-8}}</ref> That castle was later called "Haus Demmin". It controlled the Eastern parts of Circipania, a territory that stretched to [[Güstrow]] in the west. Its main castle was [[Teterow]].

Demmin was a stronghold of the [[West Slav]] [[Circipanes]] during the [[Middle Ages]]. Due to its strategical importance, [[Gord (archaeology)|strongholds]] were erected (and often attacked and destroyed) at the ''Vorwerk'' and ''Haus Demmin'' sites, named ''Dimin'' or ''Dymin''. In the early 12th century Polish monarch [[Bolesław III Wrymouth]], who established sovereignty over Pomerania, initiated [[Christianization of Pomerania|Christianization]], entrusting this task to [[Otto of Bamberg]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Medley|first=D. J.|year=2004|title=The church and the empire|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|page=152}}</ref> who visited Dymin in 1127.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kratz|first=Gustav|year=1865|title=Die Städte der Provinz Pommern. Abriss ihrer Geschichte, zumeist nach Urkunden|language=de|location=Berlin|page=114}}</ref> The inhabitants accepted Christianity,<ref>{{cite book|last=Srokowski|first=Stanisław|author-link=Stanisław Srokowski|year=1947|title=Pomorze Zachodnie. Studium geograficzne, gospodarcze i społeczne|language=pl|publisher=Instytut Bałtycki|page=83}}</ref> and a church was founded in 1140.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Labuda|first=Gerard|year=1993|title=Chrystianizacja Pomorza (X–XIII stulecie)|magazine=Studia Gdańskie|language=pl|location=Gdańsk-Oliwa|volume=IX|page=52}}</ref> A Saxon army unsuccessfully besieged the settlement during the 1147 [[Wendish Crusade]]. In 1160, Dymin became the capital of a small [[Pomerania-Demmin|eponymous duchy]]. In 1164, it was captured by [[Henry the Lion]].<ref name=sgk/> It was soon rebuilt, and in 1177 it was successfully defended during another siege by Henry the Lion.<ref name=gk115>Kratz, p. 115</ref> In 1211 it was captured by King [[Valdemar II of Denmark]],<ref name=gk115/> who retained it until 1227.<ref name=sgk/> In 1264, it was reunited with the [[Duchy of Pomerania]].

It was granted municipal rights in the 13th century, confirmed by Dukes [[Bogislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania|Bogislaw IV]], [[Barnim II, Duke of Pomerania|Barnim II]] and [[Otto I, Duke of Pomerania|Otto I]] in 1292, along with its old [[Privilege (law)|privileges]].<ref>Kratz, p. 116</ref> It was [[Ostsiedlung|colonized]] by Germans and [[Flemings]] by the 13th to 14th centuries.{{citation needed|date=February 2013}} Following the division of the Duchy of Pomerania in 1295, the town passed to the [[Pomerania-Wolgast|Wolgast dukes]] and the castle passed to the [[Duchy of Szczecin|Szczecin dukes]].<ref>Kratz, p. 117</ref> In 1326 Duke Otto I granted all merchants coming to the town exemption from customs duties and taxes in the area.<ref name=gk118>Kratz, p. 118</ref> In 1327 it was unsuccessfully besieged by Mecklenburg during the [[Wars of the Rügen Succession]].<ref name=gk118/> From 1478 Demmin was part of the reunited Duchy of Pomerania.

=== Modern Age ===
[[File:Karte von Demmin (1758).jpg|thumb|Map of ''Haus Demin'' (lower part of the map), 1758]]
[[File:St. Bartholomaei Demmin Juni 2012.JPG|thumb|St Bartholomew's Church]]

Like most of Pomeranian areas aside the larger coastal [[Hanse]] cities, the character of Demmin and its surrounding areas remained rural and dominated by agriculture until today, even though Demmin had been a member of the Hanseatic League because of the rivers (e.g. the [[Peene]] River) connecting this area to the Baltic coast.

During the [[Thirty Years' War]], Demmin was [[Capitulation of Franzburg|occupied by imperial forces]] from 1627 to 1630,<ref>{{cite book|title=Gemeinsame Bekannte: Schweden und Deutschland in der Frühen Neuzeit|editor1-first=Ivo|editor1-last=Asmus|editor2-first=Heiko|editor2-last=Droste|editor3-first=Jens E.|editor3-last=Olesen|first=Herbert|last=Langer|chapter=Die Anfänge des Garnisionswesens in Pommern|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nI9dItT816kC&pg=PA397|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2003|isbn=3-8258-7150-9|language=de|page=403}}</ref> and [[Treaty of Stettin (1630)|thereafter by Swedish forces]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Gemeinsame Bekannte: Schweden und Deutschland in der Frühen Neuzeit|editor1-first=Ivo|editor1-last=Asmus|editor2-first=Heiko|editor2-last=Droste|editor3-first=Jens E.|editor3-last=Olesen|first=Herbert|last=Langer|chapter=Die Anfänge des Garnisionswesens in Pommern|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nI9dItT816kC&pg=PA397|publisher=LIT Verlag|location=Berlin-Hamburg-Münster|year=2003|isbn=3-8258-7150-9|language=de|page=397}}</ref> From 1648, Demmin was part of [[Swedish Pomerania]]. From 1720, it was part of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]],<ref name=sgk/> within which it was administratively located in the [[Province of Pomerania (1815–1945)|Province of Pomerania]]. In 1807 it was briefly occupied by [[First French Empire|France]].<ref name=sgk>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I|year=1880|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=956}}</ref> In the late 19th-century the inhabitants were mainly employed in weaving, tanning, fishing and trade.<ref name=sgk/>

In the Weimar Republic Demmin was a stronghold of the nationalistic organisations [[German National People's Party|DNVP]] and the [[Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten|Stahlhelm]]. Even before 1933 there were boycotts of Jewish businesses, which drove away most of the Jews and the synagogue was sold in June 1938 to a furniture company, which is why it survives as a building today. In the last free national elections to the Reichstag on 5 March 1933 the National Socialist Party won 53.7 percent of votes in Demmin.<ref>Thomas Schreck: '' Echt deutsch und national - Die vorpommersche Kleinstadt Demmin im Jahr 1933'', in: Zeitgeschichte regional 4/4 (2000), S. 14-23</ref> On 11 November 1938, thousands gathered in the square in an anti-Semitic demonstration<ref>Artikel ''Demmin'' in: Irene Diekmann (Hg.), ''Wegweiser durch das jüdische Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'', Potsdam 1998, S. 99 ff, bes. S. 111 f</ref> as part of [[Kristallnacht]].

During World War II, Poles, Russians, as well as POWs from France and Belgium were used as [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] in the town.

German troops destroyed the bridges over the [[Peene]] while retreating from Demmin during World War II. This way, the advance of the Soviet [[Red Army]] was slowed down when they arrived in Demmin on 30 April 1945. During that night and the following morning, Demmin was handed over to the Red Army largely without fighting, similar to other cities like [[Greifswald]]. Rapes, pillage and executions committed by Red Army soldiers [[Mass suicide in Demmin|triggered a mass suicide of hundreds of people]] and nearly all of the Old Town was burned down by the Red Army.<ref>Buske, Norbert (Hg.): ''Das Kriegsende in Demmin 1945. Berichte Erinnerungen Dokumente'' (Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Landeskundliche Hefte), Schwerin 1995, in German (''The End of the War in Demmin 1945 - Reports, Reminiscences, Documents''). {{ISBN|3-931185-04-4}}.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Huber|first=Florian|translator-first=Imogen|translator-last=Taylor|title=Promise Me You'll Shoot Yourself|year=2019|publisher=Allen Lane|location=London|isbn=978-0-241-39924-8}} (Originally published in {{langx|de|Kind, Versprich Mir Dass Du Dich Erschieβt}}.)</ref> From 1945 to 1952, Demmin was part of the State of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]], from 1952 to 1990 of the [[Bezirk Neubrandenburg]] of [[East Germany]] and since 1990 again of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.