Stralsund ( ) is a city in
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
, Germany
, situated at
the southern coast of the Strelasund
(a sound of the
Baltic
Sea
separating the island of
Rügen
from the
mainland).Two bridges (the Rügendamm
and since October 2007 the new Rügen bridge)
and several ferry services connect Stralsund
with the ports of Rügen.
The main industries of Stralsund are
shipyards,
fishing, and, to
an increasing degree,
tourism.
History
In
medieval ages, the Stralsund area was part of the West Slavic Principality of Rügen, which was
part of the Kingdom of
Denmark
since 1168. At that time, the Dänholm
isle and a
small fishing village, both at the site of the latter city, were
named Strale / Stralow, meaning "arrow" (this meaning is
still preserved in the town's coat of arms, showing an
arrow).
In the course of
German Ostsiedlung, many German settlers, gentry and
merchants were called into the principality, and eventually
populated the
Strale site. Merchants from other countries
as well as locals were attracted to the settlement and made up for
one third of the city's population. The Danish navy was using the
isle as well. When the settlement had grown to town size, prince
Wizlaw I of Rügen granted
Lübeck law to "
our town Stralow" in
1234. In 1240, when the prince gave additional land to the city, he
called it
Stralesund.
The
success of the settlement challenged the powerful Free City of
Lübeck
, which burnt Stralsund down in 1249.
Afterwards the town was rebuilt with a massive
city wall having 11
town
gates and 30 watchtowers. The
Neustadt, a town-like
suburb, was merged to Stralsund by 1361.
Schadegard, a
twin town to Stralsund also founded by Wizlaw I nearby, but was not
granted German law, served as the principal stronghold and enclosed
a fort. It was given up and torn down by 1269 under the pressure of
the Stralsund
Bürger.
In 1293 Stralsund became a member of the
Hanseatic League.
A total of 300
ships flying the flag of Stralsund
cruised the Baltic
Sea in the 14th century. In 1325, the
Principality of Rügen became part
of the
Duchy of Pomerania,
Stralsund however maintained a considerable independence.
In the 17th century, Stralsund became a theatre in the
Thirty Years' War.
In the Battle of
Stralsund 
, the town was besieged by Albrecht von Wallenstein after the
council refused to accept the Capitulation of Franzburg..
Stralsund
resisted with Danish and Swedish support. The Swedish garrison
in Stralsund was the first on German soil in history.
With the Treaty of Stettin , the town became
one of two major Swedish forts in the Duchy of Pomerania, besides Stettin
(now
Szczecin).
After the
war, the Peace of Westphalia
(1648) and the Treaty of
Stettin made Stralsund part of Swedish Pomerania
. Lost to Russia
in the
Battle of Stralsund , it
was restored to Sweden in the Treaty of
Saint-Germain-en-Laye . In the
Great Northern War in 1715
Charles XII led the
defence of Stralsund for a year
against the united European armies. Stralsund remained under
Swedish control until the
Battle of Stralsund , when it was
seized by
Napoleon Bonaparte's
army. Seized by
Ferdinand von
Schill's
freikorps in 1809, it was
subsequently re-gained by
France, with Schill killed in action.
In the Congress of Vienna (1815), Stralsund
became a part of the Prussian Province of
Pomerania
and the seat of a government region resembling the former
Swedish
Pomerania.
From 1949
until German Reunification in
1990, Stralsund was part of the German
Democratic Republic
.
Main sights
- The
Brick Gothic historic centre is a
UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
- The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square (Alter
Markt), with the Gothic Town Hall (13th century). Behind the
town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas'
Church), built in 1270-1360. The square is surrounded by houses from different periods, including the Gothic
Wulflamhaus (a 14th-century patrician house, today a
restaurant), and the Baroque Commandantenhaus, seat of the
old Swedish command headquarters.
- The Jakobikirche (Saint James's Church), built in
mid-14th century. It was destroyed several times, e.g. by Wallenstein and in World
War II.
- The
Marienkirche (Saint Mary's
Church
), built in 1383-1473 in Gothic style, is the largest church in
Stralsund, and from 1625—1647 it was the world's tallest
structure. Its octagonal tower
(104 meters high) offers a magnificent view of
Stralsund and the neighboring islands of Rügen and Hiddensee
.
- The Katharinenkloster (Monastery of Saint Catherine),
built in the 15th century, houses two museums: a museum of history,
and an oceanography museum. The ancient
refectory of the monastery is one of the
most spectacular Gothic interiors in Germany.[16822],[16823],[16824]
- The Johanniskloster (Franciscan monastery, 1254), is
one of the oldest buildings in the town.[16825]
- Stralsund is the port of registry for the
former German Reichsmarine Navy Sail Training ship "Gorch Fock"
1
. It is now a floating Museum
- Stralsund has several museums dedicated to marine life and
human interaction with the sea. The biggest ones are the German Oceanographic Museum and
the new Ozeaneum
. There is also a Nautineum. There is also the Marine Museum
containing the history of the Germany Navy. It is located on
Dänholm Island a former historic Navy Base. This museum houses one
of the last remaining DDR Volksmarine torpedo boats.
Transport
Stralsund
is linked to the A20 motorway
(towards Berlin
and Hamburg
), via the B96n
dual-carriageway. Other major roads include the B105 (beginning in the town centre and
continuing to Rostock
) and the B96
(major road to Rügen) and the
B194 to Grimmen.
When
travelling by air, passengers usually do so via Rostock
Laage Airport
with connecting flights from Munich
.
International Relations
Twin towns and sister cities
Stralsund is
twinned with:
Gallery
Image:StralsundVistaStrealsund.jpg|Stralsund as seen from the
seaside.Image:Gründungsurkunde der Stadt Stralsund.jpg|Founding
document from 1234.Image:Stralsund Marienkirche
2006.jpg|Marienkirche (St. Mary's church).Image:Stralsund St
Nikolai.jpg|Nikolaikirche (St. Nicolas's church).
Notes
- Britannica
Online Encyclopedia, "Stralsund" (city), 2007, webpage:
EB-Stralsund.
References
Notable residents
External links
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