Have you ever imagined a village steeped in history? Welcome to Zarrendorf a charming community south of Stralsund. Nestled amidst sprawling meadows fields and small ponds Zarrendorf boasts a rich past. Its name originates from the Slavic locator Carnek meaning Carnek’s place. The first documented mention of Zarrendorf appears in 1334 in a document penned by a Doberan monk and procurator Nikolaus Sarnestorp.
For centuries Zarrendorf witnessed historical shifts. It was part of the Duchy of Pomerania after the dissolution of the Principality of Rügen. The Reformation took hold in 1534. By 1536 Zarrendorf had become an administrative village. The Thirty Years’ War and the ensuing Westphalian Peace in 1648 brought Swedish rule. In 1815 Zarrendorf joined the Prussian Province of Pomerania as part of New Pomerania.
The village faced hardships. A fire ravaged Zarrendorf at some point. Documents from 1778 detail legal disputes between Captain von Born and shepherd Jürgen Knuth against Eggebrecht’s lawyer regarding funds used in the reconstruction. The extent of the damage remains unclear. Zarrendorf’s resilience shone through. The village connected to the German Reich’s telephone network in 1904. A highway from Zarrendorf through Wendorf to Voigdehagen was built between 1919 and 1922.
A significant turning point in Zarrendorf’s history was the establishment of the Zarrendorf Volunteer Fire Department on November 18 1924. Two separate communities Alt Zarrendorf and Neu Zarrendorf merged in 1934/35 forming the single municipality of Zarrendorf. The lands were previously managed and leased by the Stralsund Monastery of the Holy Spirit. After 1945 the tenants were dispossessed during land reform in the Soviet occupation zone. Their land then fell under the control of the agricultural production cooperatives of the later GDR.
Zarrendorf’s administrative structure changed over time. It belonged to the Grimmen district until 1952 and then to the Grimmen district within the Rostock district until 1994. Since 1990 Zarrendorf is part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The municipality joined the Amt Niepars in 2004. A striking feature of modern Zarrendorf is a successful straw farm opened in 2005.
The community spirit is vibrant. Zarrendorf holds an annual peat festival the Zarrendorfer Torffest. This underscores the strong connection between the people of Zarrendorf and their history. This lovely village with its peaceful atmosphere is a perfect place to settle down. Zarrendorf’s new coat of arms approved in May 2023 symbolizes this enduring connection to its past and present. The red-tailed hawk signifies its fauna while the peat spade represents peat extraction integral to the area’s history.