German troops destroyed the bridges over the Peene while retreating from Demmin during World War II. This way, the advance of the SovietRed Army was slowed down when they arrived in Demmin on April 30, 1945. During that night and the following morning, Demmin was handed over to the Red Army largely without fighting, similar to other cities like Greifswald.
Although there were only a few pockets of resistance, nearly 900 people committed mass suicides in fear of the Red Army. Coroner lists show that most drowned in the nearby River Tollense and River Peene, where others poisoned themselves. This was fuelled by atrocities and rapes committed by Red Army soldiers until the city commander had the access to the rivers blocked on May 3.