Koos (island)

Location of Koos (red) in former Ostvorpommern district, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
View over the Kooser Wiesen ("Koos meadows", on the mainland) towards Koos (marked by the group of trees in the center). The yellow sign showing an owl indicates the area's status as a protected nature reserve.

Koos is the largest of several small islands in the Bay of Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It has an area of 772 hectares and a maximum elevation of just above three meters.[1] The island is a largely uninhabited natural reserve with restricted access.[2][3] It is separated from the mainland by Kooser Bucht and Kooser See, two bays connected by a tiny strait, Beek.[1]

In 1241, Barnuta, prince of Rügen, granted Koos (then "Chosten") to Eldena abbey (then "Hilda"),[4] later it became a possession of the Hanseatic town of Greifswald, located a few kilometers southward. A medieval burgh has been suggested on the isle, but not verified.[5] A 17th-century Dutch settlement had disappeared in the 18th century. Koos is administered by the nearby town of Greifswald.[3]

  1. ^ a b Map of Koos, elevation and settlements detailed
  2. ^ Declaration of Koos as part of a Naturschutzgebiet "Insel Koos, Kooser See und Wampener Riff" "§ 2 Verordnung über das Naturschutzgebiet 'Insel Koos, Kooser See und Wampener Riff'". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  3. ^ a b The island is off limits to the general public; driving to the island with a motor vehicle is only permitted to authorised individuals. Detailed list of protected areas within the Greifswald city limits
  4. ^ Christian Lübke, Struktur und Wandel im Früh- und Hochmittelalter: eine Bestandsaufnahme aktueller Forschungen zur Germania Slavica, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998, p. 308, ISBN 3-515-07114-8
  5. ^ Christian Lübke, Struktur und Wandel im Früh- und Hochmittelalter: eine Bestandsaufnahme aktueller Forschungen zur Germania Slavica, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998, p.305, ISBN 3-515-07114-8