Ozyorsk, Kaliningrad Oblast


Ozyorsk, known prior to 1938 by its German name Darkehmen, and from 1938 to 1946 as Angerapp, is a town and the administrative center of Ozyorsky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Angrapa River near the border with the Polish Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, southeast of Kaliningrad, the administrative center of the oblast. Population:

History

Before the arrival of the Teutonic Order and German settlers, the river valley was here settled by the Nadruvians, as evidenced by traces of settlements and fortifications found in the area. German overlordship was established around 1388, but the town is mentioned for the first time in written sources in 1539 as Darkyem. A first church was built in 1615. The settlement remained a village until 1724, when it received city rights by Frederick William I of Prussia. Soon afterwards, the town plan was revised with a market square and a new grid plan. An influx of immigrants followed and craft production of leather and cloth established in the town. In the 19th century the industry had to close due to competition from more efficient industries in western Germany.
Due to its location on the Angrapa River, a power station established in the watermill was already in 1880 able to produce electrical light for the town. The town was heavily damaged during fighting in World War I but rebuilt after garden city ideals following the war, with financial support from the city of Dresden.
It was captured by Red Army on 22 January 1945. After World War II and the subsequent border shift, the region was placed under Soviet administration. It was renamed as Ozyorsk in 7 September 1946.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Ozyorsk serves as the administrative center of Ozyorsky District. As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Ozyorsky District as the town of district significance of Ozyorsk.
Within the framework of municipal divisions, since June 11, 2014, the territories of the town of district significance of Ozyorsk and of three rural okrugs of Ozyorsky District are incorporated as Ozyorsky Urban Okrug. Before that, the town of district significance was incorporated within Ozyorsky Municipal District as Ozyorskoye Urban Settlement.

Notable residents