Koos is the largest of several small islands in the Bay of Greifswald,

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It has an area of 772

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...

s and a maximum elevation of just above three meters.Map of Koos, elevation and settlements detailed The island is a largely uninhabited natural reserve with restricted access. It is separated from the mainland by ''Kooser Bucht'' and ''Kooser See'', two bays connected by a tiny strait, ''Beek''. In 1241, Barnuta, prince of Rügen, granted Koos (then "''Chosten''") to

Eldena abbey Eldena Abbey (german: Kloster Eldena), originally Hilda Abbey (german: Kloster Hilda) is a former Cistercian monastery near the present town of Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Only ruins survive, which are well known as a frequent ...

(then "''Hilda''"), later it became a possession of the

Hanseatic The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=German language, Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Norther ...

town of

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (german: Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostoc ...

, located a few kilometers southward. A medieval

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

has been suggested on the isle, but not verified.Christian Lübke, ''Struktur und Wandel im Früh- und Hochmittelalter: eine Bestandsaufnahme aktueller Forschungen zur Germania Slavica'', Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998, p.305, A 17th-century

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

settlement had disappeared in the 18th century. Koos is administered by the nearby town of

.The island is off limits to the general public; driving to the island with a motor vehicle is only permitted to authorised individuals
Detailed list of protected areas within the Greifswald city limits
/ref>

References

External links

German islands in the Baltic Pomerania Protected areas of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Nature reserves in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Bay of Greifswald Islands of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania {{Greifswald-geo-stub