and the so-called foremen's homes. As a result, the population grew by more than 4,000. In Warenshof, a naval base (Marinenlager) was established as hutted camp for training the intelligence service of the Navy. During the Second World War a naval hospital was set up in the Müritzhöhe spa centre. In addition, during the final months of the war, the primary school (Volksschule) on Denkmalstraße, the grammar school and the Warener Hof hotel became emergency wards. On 1 May 1945 the Red Army occupied the town without a fight. Post-1945 In October, the Soviet military commander became the new mayor by order of Frederick Dethloff (KPD). The Soviet NKVD centre at Kietzstraße 10, the "House of Horrors", was known for its tough interrogation and torture. By the end of the year, over 6,000 refugees from the eastern territories had entered the town. By the spring of 1946, there was a typhus epidemic that claimed many victims. The facilities of the "Memefa" and the steam mill and Thiele Buggisch were dismantled as war reparations and sent to the Soviet Union. The Rostock to Neustrelitz railway and the sections of line from Malchow to Karow and Möllenhagen to Neubrandenburg were closed and the track removed. In the 1970s, large parts of the historic old town were demolished; sacrificed for a large-scale new traffic system. This devastation resulted in a raising of awareness in Waren among many of the residents, especially for the preservation of the remaining, often centuries-old buildings of the Old Town. A citizen's movement "Save the Old Town" was established long before the Berlin Wall fell and the border re-opened and their work has contributed greatly to the charm of the town centre today. During the Cold War, Waren was home to one of the four central nuclear missile depots of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. In 1991, after German reunification, the historic town centre between Lake Müritz and the Tiefwarensee lake was renovated as part of an urban development programme. The town with its two churches, town hall, old and new markets and the stores has been improved. Since 1 May 1999 the town has been able to call itself a "state-approved health resort", but its target is to become a recognised saltwater health spa. Population growth (as a 31 December in each case) 1 December Culture and places of interest There is a number of official