History & Tradition

In 1815, Prussia was awarded control of the Darß peninsula. The glory days of Prerow’s seafaring industry were numbered and the village adopted a simple, rural life. But in 1854, an extremely odd stranger showed up: a Dr Karl Biedermann wanted to spend a few days “on holiday” with his family in Prerow. The people of the Darß could never have imagined that this would be the cautious start to their village’s future.

By the 1880s, a number of beautiful villas had been built on the peninsula, many of which remain standing to this day. The old lighthouse, the Seemannskirche, and numerous old thatched cottages all you onto journey into the past as you take a tour of the historic village .

Until the end of the 19th century, Prerow was just a seaside village home to peasants, fishermen and sailors. It witnessed the flowering and decline of seafaring first-hand. And when the first tourist came in 1854 for a swim, the locals just shook their heads.

The first written mention of Prerow dates back to 1296. The name Prerow has Slavic origins; the Slavic word prerova refers to a ditch or an opening, such as out to the sea. 

The small village went through many hard times with pirate raids, floods, and times of serious privation. It eventually came under Swedish rule and then under Danish rule. In the heyday of seafaring, up to one hundred ship's captains were based out of small Prerow. The colourful, ornate Darß-style house doors stand as a reminder of those earlier times.