7th day on Rügen (Sunday 10.10.2021)

7th day on Rügen (Sunday 10.10.2021)

After I had almost finished the entire text and the photos, I accidentally pressed the wrong key and everything was gone. Damn, I cursed.

Yesterday we entered the location Scharprode in the navigation system to drive from there to Hiddensee. We made good progress, but then found ourselves in front of a car ferry that was not going to Hiddensee. So we had to start the navigation system again, but if you don't have a specific street, it's difficult because we ended up on an old bumpy road in the middle of nowhere. So I asked my Siri on my phone for help and she apparently guided us to our destination. Just to be sure, I asked again and received the answer that I should simply follow the road straight ahead and we would get there. And that's what happened, and on a remote large parking lot, we left the car and made our way to the port.

When we arrived, we heard that the next ferry would go to Kloster. We decided spontaneously to take that one and waited in a cafe, enjoying a cup of cocoa and cappuccino, until it was time to depart. And then we set off.

Hiddensee has four towns. Kloster got its name because Cistercian monks had built a monastery there. The complex was destroyed by fire twice, and in 1536, the monks abandoned the monastery. During the Thirty Years' War, it was completely destroyed, so today it is gone.

During the GDR era, Hiddensee was an almost forgotten island, because even though the beach was guarded, many managed to escape into international waters. The island also became a refuge for dropouts, artists, and free-thinkers. The distance to the GDR and the officially propagated progress on the mainland created freedom. The Stasi had a hard time on the island because its small size made it difficult for them to maintain anonymity.

Tourism was regulated through holiday homes, as the construction of new guest rooms was not possible. So guests slept in horse stables and chicken coops. Readings and lectures by critical intellectuals were held in the small church. The charm of the island was also loved by Gerhart Hauptmann, who settled there. But Käthe Kruse, the doll maker, also lived here with her husband, who wrote the children's book 'The Ugly Duckling'.

When we arrived, we made our way to the Gerhart Hauptmann House. He bought the villa in 1930. Before that, he had often been on the island and lived there with his second wife until 1943. The summer residence is still in its original condition. Hauptmann had a new part added, where his desk and chair by the window are located. A large bookshelf is filled with old works.

In the wine cellar, the wine was stored in clay pipes, and various oils used by the cook were stored in rectangular bricks.

The Hauptmann couple had separate bedrooms, but there was a hatch that only the wife could close if the couple wanted to continue talking. Hauptmann often had trouble sleeping and used to write his ideas on the walls of his room during those nights.

Hauptmann died in 1946 in Silesia, but he was buried on Hiddensee at sunrise, according to his request. I found his grave in the old cemetery, but it is not well-maintained.

Horses with tourists crossed the street from time to time. Covered wagons and carriage rides were offered here for tourists on the car-free island. It was nice to hear the sound of the horses' hooves. We walked out of Kloster and were greeted by a wonderfully peaceful landscape. We passed by goats, ducks, and horses grazing on spacious pastures. And the view of the heather-covered hinterland and the sea made the soul feel free. The tranquility of the island soothed the soul. But then we returned to the ferry, where we witnessed a magnificent sunset. However, I was worried about how we would find my car again. Fortunately, the winding path, passing dachas and new buildings, was well signposted, and we had a pleasant journey back with roads that mostly run straight across the island.