Gützkow

Gützkow (German pronunciation: [ˈɡʏt͡sˌkoː] ⓘ) is a town in the District of Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in north-eastern Germany.

It is situated some 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Greifswald, on the north bank of the River Peene.

The name Gützkow is derived from the Slavic Old Polabian language, as is the case of most toponyms in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The oldest records of the name are 1128 as "Gozgauia", 1140 Chozcho, 1163 Gozkowe, 1175 Gotzchowe, 1183 Chozkowe, 1207 Gotzkowe, 1214 Chozcowe, 1228 Gutzkowe and are derived from Polabian Gost = German Gast[2] (English "guest"), the town having had a temple, to which many guests traveled.

[5] Around 1189 the town passed to the Principality of Rügen, a vassal of Denmark, and around 1216 it returned to the Duchy of Pomerania.

17th-century view of the town