 During the World War II Schwaan suffered no damage from bombing, but the Warnow bridge, built in 1828, was dynamited shortly before the end of the war.Since German reunification in October 1990, the historic center of the town has been completely rehabilitated through an urban renewal program of the German government.Since 1990 Schwaan has had a partnership with Loxstedt, south of Bremerhaven in Lower Saxony.