Koos is the largest of several small islands in the Bay of Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It has an area of 772 hectares and a maximum elevation of just above three meters.[1] The island is a largely uninhabited natural reserve with restricted access.[2][3] It is separated from the mainland by Kooser Bucht and Kooser See, two bays connected by a tiny strait, Beek.[1]
In 1241, Barnuta, prince of Rügen, granted Koos (then "Chosten") to Eldena abbey (then "Hilda"),[4] later it became a possession of the Hanseatic town of Greifswald, located a few kilometers southward. A medieval burgh has been suggested on the isle, but not verified.[5] A 17th-century Dutch settlement had disappeared in the 18th century. Koos is administered by the nearby town of Greifswald.[3]
^ abMap of Koos, elevation and settlements detailed
^Christian Lübke, Struktur und Wandel im Früh- und Hochmittelalter: eine Bestandsaufnahme aktueller Forschungen zur Germania Slavica, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998, p. 308, ISBN3-515-07114-8
^Christian Lübke, Struktur und Wandel im Früh- und Hochmittelalter: eine Bestandsaufnahme aktueller Forschungen zur Germania Slavica, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1998, p.305, ISBN3-515-07114-8