Bandelin – Landarbeiterburg, Manor House and Park History

Bandelin brings together the history of a manor house, a workers’ housing settlement and a landscaped park. Its varied architectural forms offer several ways to explore the town’s history: from its first documented mention to residential architecture and the development of a historic garden. For travellers interested in architectural heritage, this contrast between different types of housing, the manor house and the park provides a clear point of reference for planning a trip.

From the charter to historic residential buildings

Bandelin was first documented in 1321 in a deed of sale by the Lords of Behr. The old castle was built in 1737 south of the village, in the park, on the site of an earlier fortified building. These mark different stages in the town’s history: an early written record and the later construction of the castle.

The workers’ housing settlement offers a different perspective. In 1865, clay cottages were added to form a square with several dwellings; the complex was called the “Landarbeiterburg” (Workers’ Castle). Parts of the complex have survived and remain inhabited to this day. In contrast to the single manor house, the focus here is on a form of housing with multiple dwellings.

Bandelin’s architectural sights include the Neo-Baroque manor house and its associated estate. Inside the manor house, features have been preserved in the hunting room, including corbels and heraldic reliefs, as well as the staircase and stucco ceilings. The cemetery is home to the von Behr family mausoleum, built in 1922: a granite-block structure with a temple façade. Today, it serves as a funeral hall.

The manor park and its landscaped grounds

Bandelin Manor Park was laid out in 1750 and redesigned as a landscape garden in the 19th century, with a pond and small island. Mature trees and the adjacent fountain pond shape the village’s appearance. Behind the old aristocratic residence in Bandelin lies a water parterre more than 200 metres long. The ponds, island and backdrop of trees add the development of a landscaped park to the town’s history.

Getting here and choosing where to stay

Bandelin can be reached via State Road 35 and the A20. When choosing accommodation, consider whether Bandelin itself will be the main focus of your stay, or whether you plan to visit other places within the wider destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald. Choose where to stay based on the specific destinations that matter to you.

More to explore in the wider destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald

The wider destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald offers further cultural highlights in their respective locations. In Greifswald, the Pomeranian State Museum displays the Croy Tapestry from 1554, a unique cultural and historical artefact from the Reformation. The Otto Lilienthal Museum in Anklam is a technical museum dedicated to the aviation pioneer, mechanical engineer and humanist Otto Lilienthal in his home town. The Juliett U-461 is moored at Peenemünde harbour as a museum ship and can be explored on a tour. A culinary tour of Greifswald’s historic old town takes visitors to four Greifswald restaurants serving sweet and savoury treats.

For active days out, the Ueckermünde Heath is ideal for hiking, cycling and horse riding. Regional cycling routes for exploring Vorpommern-Greifswald include the Baltic Sea Cycle Route, part of EuroVelo Route EV10, the Stettiner Haff Circular Route and the Route of North German Romanticism.

Discover more destinations: Rubkow, Ziethen, Karlsburg, Lühmannsdorf, Wrangelsburg, Gribow, Gützkow, Murchin.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Amt Züssow.