During the Napoleonic Wars some of Rügenwalde's inhabitants, in particular ship owners and businessmen, profited from smuggling British goods to the continent.
In 1871 the town, along with Prussia, became a part of the German Empire.
A railway reached the town in 1878.
The Royal Swedish Vice Consulate was located in the town in 1859–1901 (Vice Consul Bertold August Riensberg, b. 1823) and in 1914–1936 (Vice Consul Albert Rubensohn, b. 1879).

In 1935 the German Army Firing Test Range Rügenwalde-Bad, designed for testing heavy guns, including long-range railway guns such as Krupp K5, was built between Rügenwalde's harbour Rügenwaldermünde and the village of Suckow.
Some of the largest guns in military history were tested here: Schwerer Gustav and Mörser Karl.
Gun barrels with a length of up to 47 metres (154 feet) were tested.
For long-distance tests, target areas within the Baltic Sea North of Großmöllendorf and Henkenhagen (about 80 kilometres (50 miles) away from Rügenwaldermünde) and North of Dievenow and Swinemünde (120 to 130 kilometres (75–81 miles) away) were used.
The test site was visited by high-ranking officers of the German Army, Air Force and Navy, including Admiral of the Fleet Erich Raeder and field marshals von Rundstedt, Wilhelm Keitel and Hermann Göring.
During the Napoleonic Wars some of Rügenwalde's inhabitants, in particular ship owners and businessmen, profited from smuggling British goods to the continent. In 1871 the town, along with Prussia, became a part of the German Empire. A railway reached the town in 1878. The Royal Swedish Vice Consulate was located in the town in 1859–1901 (Vice Consul Bertold August Riensberg, b. 1823) and in 1914–1936 (Vice Consul Albert Rubensohn, b. 1879).
In 1935 the German Army Firing Test Range Rügenwalde-Bad, designed for testing heavy guns, including long-range railway guns such as Krupp K5, was built between Rügenwalde's harbour Rügenwaldermünde and the village of Suckow. Some of the largest guns in military history were tested here: Schwerer Gustav and Mörser Karl. Gun barrels with a length of up to 47 metres (154 feet) were tested. For long-distance tests, target areas within the Baltic Sea North of Großmöllendorf and Henkenhagen (about 80 kilometres (50 miles) away from Rügenwaldermünde) and North of Dievenow and Swinemünde (120 to 130 kilometres (75–81 miles) away) were used. The test site was visited by high-ranking officers of the German Army, Air Force and Navy, including Admiral of the Fleet Erich Raeder and field marshals von Rundstedt, Wilhelm Keitel and Hermann Göring.
Darłowo