Englisch

	Welcome to Süderholz
	Gemeinde Süderholz Verwaltungssitz Poggendorf Rakower Straße 1 18516 Süderholz Tel: +49 (38331) 61 0 Fax: +49 (38331) 61 125 gemeinde@suederholz.de The municipality of Süderholz is a regional corporation in the administrative district of Nordvorpommern ( Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ). Süderholz is situated in the southeast of the district between Grimmen which is the district town, Stralsund and Greifswald. The rural countryside is characterized by fields, meadows and forests. Süderholz itsself is a quite young municipality and was created by a fusion of the former municipalities Bartmannshagen, Griebenow, Kandelin, Klevenow, Neuendorf, Poggendorf and Rakow in 1999. Altogether 28 villages belong to it. Named was this new municipality after a forest south of Poggendorf. .
	The local authorities that govern the 4.171 inhabitants are situated in Poggendorf. The area has a size of 149 skm which means that there are 28 inhabitants per square kilometre. Süderholz maintains partnerships with the municipalities of Rieseby and Thumby, both in Schleswig-Holstein.
	Due to the federal road B 194 and the minor road L 26 the area is well structured which will be even more improved by the motorway A 20 with its two exits near Klevenow and Griebenow. Together with a new road to the island Rügen ( B 96 n ) they create a merging point ( "Pommerndreieck" ) which increases the interest in industrial establishments and settlements. Due to the favourable location numerous houses have already been built on the land which is offered by the authorities in Neuendorf, Bartmannshagen and other villages from EURO 5 to 30 per square metre. Industrial enterprises can be established in Kandelin nearby one of the motorway exits. Important infrastructural objects are the hospital in Bartmannshagen, a geriatric care centre in Griebenow and child care centres in Kandelin, Neuendorf, Griebenow and Klevenow. There are schools in Kreutzmannshagen, Kandelin and Rakow. In Poggendorf there is a meeting place for the inhabitants of the municipality and young people have the chance to meet in Bartmannshagen, Griebenow, Kandelin, Neuendorf and Rakow. A race track where the 1. Grimmener Stock-Car-Legion organizes several motorcar races and tractor- pulling competitions is also situated in Süderholz.
	As already mentioned the countryside is characterized by vast fields, meadows and pastures. From the earliest settlements onwards agriculture has determined peoples' lives which has only recently changed when the farmers' cooperations of the former GDR broke down and less workers were needed.
	In Süderholz there are several churches, chapels, various remarkable buildings and even two manner houses in Griebenow and Klevenow. Each one of them is woth to be seen as they are cultural and historical documents of our region with their own specific pecularities. The most famous chapel is the one in Griebenow which was built half-timbered in 1648. Around 1800 the chapel in Neuendorf was also built half timbered and has an external bell. The attraction of 1730 erected Klevenow chapel is the altar of 1735. Other chapels can be visited Poggendorf, Willerswalde and Kaschow. The ruin of the one in Wüsteney is these days sometimes used as place for performances of the Süderholzer Laienschauspieler, a local theatre group. A church from the second half of the 13. century is situated in Groß Bisdorf. It was redeveloped in 1992/3. The organ which was made in the 19. century by Friedrich August Mehmel was restored in 1996. Typical for the region are churches built out of boulders as the one in Rakow which was built between 1232 and 1288 and is one of the oldest one in the region. The one in Bretwisch which has square tower at the west end was erected in 1852 and is therefore the latest Christian church built in Süderholz. Another church made out of boulders can be found in Kreutzmannshagen and was built with a polygonic east end in the second half of the 15. century.
	Worth visiting are the manors in Griebenow and Klevenow. Between 1702 and 1709 the Griebenow House was built by order of C.G. Rehskiöld whose father received the estate after the Thirty Years' War for his work in the service of Swedish-Pomerania. To the estate belongs a park which has a size of 25 acres. The park was first mentioned in 1706 and is characterized by old and rare trees. Both, building and park are under protection as historically valuable. These days the House develops towards a significant cultural centre where concerts, exhibitions, readings and other events take place.
	The history of the in Klevenow House can be traced back to a medieval castle. Later it was one of the most beautiful estates of the Pomeranian nobles. The entrance and the wall are later productions of the 17. century and were restored between 1997 and 1998. On the mansion's grounds there is a park of about 26 acres. Several lakes, the rivulet Poggendorfer Trebel and a number of protected tress complete the astonoshing site.
	Other interesting sites are several Dolmen in the forests south of Poggendorf and the rampart of an earlier Slavic settlement which is eight metres high and now overgrown with trees north of Willershusen. Due to the low density of population and the good condition of the environment various species of animals can be observed in the forests and on the fields. The range reaches from deers to different migratory birds that stop here while travelling south. In almost every village a stork's nest can be found. Nice to look at next to historical buildings, forests and vast fields are tree avenues of chestnuts and linden trees which make a bike ride or a drive through Süderholz a worthwile event.