Heiligenhafen

Heiligenhafen is a Baltic port at the eastern end of the Wagria peninsula. Mentioned several times in the thirteenth century, it received confirmation of Lübeck town law from Count Gerhard II in 1305. In 1325 Count John III allowed its citizens to export their goods without tolls, and the port became the principal outlet for the Oldenburg district.

Fire destroyed almost the whole town in 1391, and King Eric of Denmark laid it waste again in 1428. Rebuilt afterwards, Heiligenhafen suffered anew in the Thirty Years' War and sold the neighbouring village of Klaustorf in 1625 as hardship increased. Plague struck from 1627 to 1630, while later fires and storm floods brought further hardship. Only after 1720 did the small Baltic harbour enjoy a longer period of peace.