The island of Usedom, also known as Berlin's Bathtub (Badewanne Berlins) is located in the Pomerania Euroregion where the most famous and beautiful Baltic seaside resorts were established in the 19th century. It's also the sunniest part of Germany and Poland. The island has 44 km (27 miles) of shoreline with pristine, sandy beaches. It could be compared in many ways to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket or The Hamptons in the USA, for example.

Usedom Island is called Wyspa Uznam in Polish. It is a divided island between Poland and Germany on the Baltic Sea. The island is named after the town of Usedom (Uznam), which is one of the oldest, if not the oldest settlements there. The German and English names of the town are derived from the former Slavic name Uznam, which means "a river mouth". The town and the island of Usedom still are named Uznam in the Polish language. Hence, you will find both of those names used on the island, depending on which side that you are on. And yes, you can visit both Germany and Poland while you're there.

The island was created as a result of the latest ice age, the Weichselian Glaciation, which reached its climax about 18,000 years ago. The site of the town of Usedom (Uznam) was settled since at least Neolithic times. Other locations mostly on Southern parts of the island were settled as early as the Stone Age.

Pomerania was fortunate to keep its unique indigenous culture longer then many other European regions. It was Christianized late in history, on June 10, 1128 when the Pomeranian dukes were forced by German missionaries to convert to Roman Catholicism. That historic date also marks the beginning of the fall of the dukes, many deaths, witch trials and a leanthy process of Germanisation of the region. Perhaps such events inspired The Amber Witch, a book written in Koserow (Coserow) on the island of Usedom in about 17th century. The book was published by Wilhelm Meinhold in 1838; its German title is Maria Schweidler, die Bernsteinhexe. In later centuries, the island became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia (1525-1918), and after World War I a part of Germany [History of Prussia].

During the Thirty Years' War the island became largely depopulated. And after the fall of Prussia, many German Pomeranians relocated primarily to the metropolitan areas of Berlin and Hamburg. Perhaps that's another reason why the island had become so popular with their descendents from those regions. Many other Pomeranians emigrated to the United States, and settled mainly in the State of Wisconsin [more info].

Small fishing villages on the island became popular seaside destinations during the Wilhelmine era in Prussia; esp. under the rule of Emperor Wilhelm I, and Wilhelm II. The latter was Queen Victoria's oldest grandson. The Wilhelmine era was known for high culture and liberal attitudes comparable to those of the second half of the 20th century. Hence, the island became an oasis for fun in the Sun, freedom culture and many naturists seeking to commune with nature flocked the island.

Some of the most distinguished guests on the island were monarchs Kaiser Franz Joseph I of Austria, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and artists Engelbert Humperdinck, Marlene Dietrich, Mata Hari, Maxim Gorky, Leo Tolstoy and many others.

Lyonel Feininger (1871-1956), a leading New York expressionist painter spent summer vacations on Usedom Island from 1909 until 1921 when he was studying art in Berlin. He was greatly inspired by the island and created many painting and drawings there and continued painting scenes from the island for the rest of his life, after returning to the United States. A fifty kilometers long Lyonel Feininger bike tour was created on the island with signs on posts and round markers on the ground to locations that were immortalized in the artist's works. Some of those are the Dutch windmill of Benz, the church in Benz, and the iconic Lightmill (Mulenbake, Stawa Mlyny) in Swinoujscie.

Otto Niemeyer-Holstein (1896-1984) was an other famous painter, who was inspired by the island. He lived and worked in Koserow and his studio (atelier) was turned into a museum dedicated to his art. Koserow is also where it's been said that The Amber Witch was written and discovered later in a local church.

More recently, Roman Polanski and his crew including Pierce Brosnan stayed in Zinnowitz during the filming of Polanski's The Ghost Writer, which was filmed on Usedom Island and the Danish island of Sylt.

Word of advice 
for a pleasant stay 

Almost everywhere in the world tourists might attract pickpockets, bicycle and car thieves, and my get overcharged by some taxi drivers and waiters. On Usedom Island one should also be aware that on the German side of the island are fresh air tax collectors, and that they are for real. Yes, you read that correctly. On the German side of the island visitors are expected to pay a fresh air tax on arrival. It's just a few Euros if you get stopped by a collector. But the experience of getting stopped in a public place may be a shocking one for some tourists. So, don't forget to carry some change with you when going to the beach or on a walk. There's a similar tax on the Polish side called a climate tax. But visitors to Swinoujscie have to pay that tax 24 hours after arrival. Most often that's done automatically in places of accommodation. Therefore, we advise visitors not to leave baggage, bicycles and other belongings unattended, to check prices, and to carry at least a few Euros for the German tax collector.