During World War II Rügenwalde was used to house families made homeless after the Allied bombing of Hagen and Bochum in the Ruhr district.

Shortly before the end of World War II, numerous German refugees from East Prussia and West Prussia arrived in the region.
In early 1945, about 5,600 people escaped by ships of Operation Hannibal before Soviet Troops reached the town on 7 March 1945.
About 3,500 citizens remained in the town or returned again after failing to escape.

Following the defeat of Nazi Germany, border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference assigned the town to Poland, and its German population was expelled.
The first expulsion of the surviving German inhabitants took place on 17 October 1945, followed by a series of further expulsions beginning on 17 August 1946.
In 1949 only about 70 Germans were left in the town.
In 1946–47, the town was repopulated with Poles and Lemkos, who partly came from what had been eastern Poland but was annexed by the Soviet Union.
The town was given the Polish name Dyrłów, and later Darłów, before changing to the current name.

The German name Rügenwalde was best known in Germany for the production of the Rügenwalder Teewurst in the town; after World War II the production was restarted in West Germany under the old name.

Today the Polish Darłowo is a summer resort.
A coast aquapark with desalinated seawater is available there, the only one in Poland.
During World War II Rügenwalde was used to house families made homeless after the Allied bombing of Hagen and Bochum in the Ruhr district. 
Shortly before the end of World War II, numerous German refugees from East Prussia and West Prussia arrived in the region. In early 1945, about 5,600 people escaped by ships of Operation Hannibal before Soviet Troops reached the town on 7 March 1945. About 3,500 citizens remained in the town or returned again after failing to escape.
Following the defeat of Nazi Germany, border changes promulgated at the Potsdam Conference assigned the town to Poland, and its German population was expelled. The first expulsion of the surviving German inhabitants took place on 17 October 1945, followed by a series of further expulsions beginning on 17 August 1946. In 1949 only about 70 Germans were left in the town. In 1946–47, the town was repopulated with Poles and Lemkos, who partly came from what had been eastern Poland but was annexed by the Soviet Union. The town was given the Polish name Dyrłów, and later Darłów, before changing to the current name.
The German name Rügenwalde was best known in Germany for the production of the Rügenwalder Teewurst in the town; after World War II the production was restarted in West Germany under the old name.
Today the Polish Darłowo is a summer resort. A coast aquapark with desalinated seawater is available there, the only one in Poland.
Darłowo