Regional personalities on Fischland-Darß-Zingst

The man looks at the water. In every respect. As harbour master, the 52-year-old is responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly in the sports, sea and commercial port of Barth. He looks after the jetties and quaysides, removes the cause of oil stains in the harbor water, allocates berths and is present at almost every mooring maneuver. Twelve hectares of water belong to the port of Barth, so there is a lot going on. Wenke's desk is on the second floor of the wheelhouse at the harbor, a modern, ship-like wooden construction with all-round glazing for optimum visibility. From here, the harbor master looks out over his realm as if from a ship's bridge. But he prefers to be out and about outside, where he is recognized by everyone thanks to his T-shirt with the harbour master print and is often approached. Wenke is always happy to meet new people in his job, tourists from Berlin, Saxony and even Sweden, which he particularly appreciates. His company car? A 42-horsepower workboat called "Molly“. But that doesn't mean he immediately switches to solid ground in his free time. He likes to cruise through the water on his own sailing boat - preferably through the western waters of Fischland-Darß-Zingst, the Bodstedter Bodden for example. From there, he also likes to look out over the land. »The soul of Fischland-Darß-Zingst is nature«, says the handsome man with the bright blue eyes. »It is particularly beautiful from the water.«

Madita's life reads like a wonderful young adult novel. Suggested title: »The Beach«. Because it is set in the seaside resort of Zingst – and there a lot on the 15-kilometer-long sandy beach. The five-year-olds and their ten-strong "breakwater gang" are out and about there in all weathers (when they are not looking for a new gang headquarters, but that is another story). After school and during the vacations, there are countless things to do on the beach. You can go SUPing or swimming and fly a kite in the fall, you can splint a duck's broken wing or gallop across the beach with your own pony „Scotty“, »preferably into the sunset«, says Madita with shining eyes. Because she is out and about so much, she knows everything about Zingst and also knows the best way to pass the time when the weather is bad: She takes photos of the deer that leave the forest and come within a few meters of her parents' house, „especially when the plums are ripe here“, laughs Madita. But the oversized sunglasses, which stand like a sculpture in the middle of the sand, are also ideal for activities in all weathers. With her friends, Madita tries out daring gymnastics on them - and skillfully stages herself at »shootings«. Life is a beach? In the seaside resort of Zingst by all means!

How does a jazz musician perceive Ahrenshoop? Lutz Gerlach, who moved from Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin to the village between the Baltic Sea and the Bodden many years ago, doesn't have to think twice: through nature. And through art. Ahrenshoop has been shaped by artists and individualists for 125 years. That is what makes it so magical. There is a special, cultural vacation flair here. Many cultural events fill the place with spirit and atmosphere.“ The 60-year-old musician now contributes to this himself. He is the artistic director of the concert series "Naturklänge", which celebrates the special combination of nature and music with its concerts at various locations in the region by the sea, in parks and gardens. He also draws inspiration from the local nature in his own compositions. He has already recorded the sounds of the sea. „It sounds different every day“, he enthuses. "I want to translate the waves of the Baltic Sea, the rustling of the waves, the freshness of the Bodden into sound," says Gerlach. He used to make funk, soul and jazz music, but since he has been living in Ahrenshoop - in a house with a garden fence made of metal notes that form a melody - his music has become quieter and more transparent, he says. „Somehow more chamber music-like“. "Musica Mare" is perhaps the most beautiful example of Lutz Gerlach's musical work on the Baltic Sea. Subtitle: "From the sound of the waves."

Frank Bremer's favorite place is on the back of a horse. Which is why the Stralsund native, who worked in Hamburg for 25 years, fulfilled his lifelong dream a year ago in the Baltic seaside resort of Dierhagen and opened the vacation resort "Free as the Wind". The eight-hectare estate is located in the middle of the countryside, just a few steps from the beach. There is a large indoor riding arena, a riding school, a stable with eleven horses that can also be ridden by guests, a restaurant and accommodation with every comfort in chalets and glamping tents. With the exception of the tents, everything has a noble, rustic brick and half-timbered look. There is a lot to do on the large estate for the tall entrepreneur, but he always makes time for a ride with his 14-year-old horse Aragon. In summer, he likes to do this in the morning, for example across the Bodden meadows. In the fall, Bremer likes to ride along the beach at sunset, close to the waves. Sitting up there in the saddle, feeling the vastness and seeing the horizon as the sun sinks behind it - it's so beautiful, you can't even describe it," he says. "Fischland-Darß-Zingst is simply ideal for riding. Endless meadows and forests, no obstructions and hardly any roads to disturb.

All the luck on earth!