The name possibly derives from an Old Polabian word, Lěšane, meaning "forest dweller" or "forest dwelling".[2]
Location
The medieval town church
The town is situated on the Peenestrom river, a branch of the Oder, between the larger towns of Anklam and Wolgast. Both Anklam in the southwest and Wolgast in the north are approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Lassan. Part of the municipality are also the villages of Pulow, Papendorf, Klein Jasedow and Waschow.[2]
Lassan was mentioned in written sources for the first time in 1136, when it was a German settlement with a castle. However this settlement was predated by a Polabian fishing village with a fortification. The Dukes of Pomerania regulated the layout of the town around 1200. Lassan received town privileges in 1274. The town still retains much of its medieval character, with the old street grid and the remains of a town wall.[2] The town church, St. Johannis zu Lassan, is also medieval. Construction started around 1300 and the oldest parts are in a transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic. With its spire, it is 57 metres (187 ft) tall, 37 metres (121 ft) long and 24 metres (79 ft) broad. The church was renovated during the 1990s.[6]
