Ziegelwerder, Protected inland island in Schwerin, Germany

Ziegelwerder is a 30-hectare inland island in the southern Schweriner See, formed about 20,000 years ago as part of a submerged ridge. Its core is boulder clay, and the northern part has riparian forests and a meadow orchard, while the southern part is closed to visitors and has grown into pre-forest.

The island took its name from a brick factory that operated during the 19th century, supplying building materials for numerous structures throughout Schwerin. After the factory closed, the land gradually transformed into a protected natural reserve.

The name Ziegelwerder comes from the clay dug here for a brickworks and from lime burning; in the 19th century the works left the island almost treeless. The southern part is closed to visitors, so the former industrial ground is not accessible today; the northern part is private land with one inhabited farmstead.

Visitors can explore the northern section of the island, while the southern area remains off-limits for environmental protection. A 100-meter water buffer zone around the island restricts water sports and ensures conservation efforts.

The southern part of the island, closed to visitors, has developed into pre-forest, while the northern shore shows beach ridges and alder carr formed as water levels dropped after the Stör Canal was built. Until 1970 there were two farms on the northern section; one inhabited farmstead remains, with a single resident.