7 February 1657, and many inhabitants were kidnapped. In 1657, Brandenburg gained full suzerainty over the Duchy of Prussia from Poland. In 1701 Rhein became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Between 1709–1711, it suffered from plague. Despite these setbacks, King Frederick William I of Prussia granted the town its town charter in 1723. The decisive reason for this was the role of Rhein as an administration center for a larger rural area. At that time church services were held only in Polish. During the Napoleonic Wars, soldiers took up quarters in Rhein. The development of the town largely stagnated during the 19th and 20th centuries. It was not until 1902 that Rhein received a railroad connection, though it was only a one-track link of a light railway with a narrow gauge. Additionally, the castle was bought and converted into a prison in 1853, and suffered a fire in 1881, after which it was not fully rebuilt until thirty years later. Rhein was administered by Landkreis Lötzen within East Prussia from 1818–1945. The town became part of the German Empire after the unification of Germany by Prussia in 1871. As a result of the treaty of Versailles the 1920 East Prussian plebiscite was organized on 11 July 1920 under the control of the League of nations, which resulted in 1,460 votes to remain in Germany and none for Poland. A Nazi German prison was located in the town. After Germany's defeat in World War II, the town once again became part of Poland due to the borders changes dictated by the Potsdam Agreement. Population 1782: 1000 1885: 2285 1925: 2084 2005: 3037 Sports The local football club is Pogoń Ryn. It competes in the lower leagues. Notable residents Nicholas von Renys (1360–1411), secular member of the Teutonic Knights Bruno Hofer (1861–1916), fishery scientist See also Ryn Castle References External links Municipal website History of Ryn/Rhein Map of East Prussia, ca. 1900 - Rhein is near Lötzen Pics ex Ryn Castle in Ryn seen from a drone Castles of the Teutonic Knights Cities and towns in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Giżycko County