History
Like many of the lakes in Mecklenburg, Lake Crivitz is the result of glacial over-shaping and, according to all scientific findings, was formed during the last so-called Weichselian cold period over 115,000 to 11,600 years ago. More precise estimates suggest that it was formed around 22,000 years ago. The picturesque small town of Crivitz is therefore located in a valley formed during the Ice Age. The erratic boulder nature trail along the lakeside promenade provides an insight into the deposits made by the glaciers during the last ice age as they retreated from Scandinavia.
Around 10,000 years ago, the first settlers inhabited the peninsula of the lake, which lies around 40 meters above sea level. There was already a Slavic castle there in the 12th century. According to records, the town of the same name, Crivitz, or the former settlement, has always been located around the peninsula. Today, the town itself, with a total of 16 associated municipalities, forms a so-called basic center with an associated hospital, located directly on the shores of Lake Crivitz.
Another piece of German history is hidden beneath the surface of Lake Crivitz: According to eyewitness accounts, weapons, explosive devices of all kinds, entire vehicles and even small tanks were dumped in the lake in Crivitz after the end of the Second World War - with devastating consequences for the ecosystem. The untreated wastewater from the GDR era made the situation worse. In 2015, the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Ministry of the Environment classified the lake as contaminated with nutrients and pollutants in an expert report.