Greifswald

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Greifswald
Town Hall, and Cathedral of Greifswald, Germany.
Location in Germany and Europe
Coordinates :
54° 05' N, 13° 23' O		 Time zone :
UTC+1/SummerUTC+2
Flag Coat of arms
 ?
Coat of Arms of Greifswald
Basic information
Area : 50,33   km²
Population : 53,281 (12/2005)
Density : 1,059/km²
Elevation : 6 m
Postal Code : 17489-17493
licence plate code : HGW
Government
Country : Germany
Federal State : Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Lord Mayor : Dr. Arthur König, CDU
Governing Party : CDU
Website : www.greifswald.de

Greifswald (from German Greif, "griffin", and Wald, "forest") is a town in northeastern Germany. Located in the Pomeranian part of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, it borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed by a small river. The population is roughly 55,000, including about 11,000 students of the traditional Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald.

The city is officially known as Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, which means University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald.

Despite its rather small population, Greifswald retains a certain supraregional relevance which can be linked to its intellectual role as a university town and to the take-over of central functions of the former Prussian province Pomerania (German: Pommern) after WW2:

  • seat of the bishop of the Pomeranian Protestant Church since 1947
  • Reichsbahndirektion (railway administration) for Western Pomerania 1945-1990
  • Landesarchiv (state archive) since 1946
  • Pomeranian State Museum
  • Oberverwaltungsgericht (Higher Administrative Court) for the state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
  • Landesverfassungsgericht (State Constitutional Court) for the state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
  • Finanzgericht (Financial Court) for the state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania


Contents

[edit] Geography

Greifswald is situated at the southern end of the Baltic Sea between the islands of Rügen and Usedom, in the Northeast of Germany. It is part of the state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and lies in the smaller Pomeranian part of it.

Wieck, the seaside part of Greifswald.
Wieck, the seaside part of Greifswald.

The small river Ryck passes through the old town which is about 3km away from the Baltic Sea, and then flows into the Bay of Greifswald. The small nearby islands of Koos and Riems are politically also part of the City of Greifswald. The area around Greifswald is relatively low and flat, the highest point reaching only as high as 36 metres.

At the mouth of the river Ryck rests the is the seaside part of Greifswald, Greifswald-Wieck which features a small beach, many restaurants, and hotels.

[edit] History

The first settlers were Danish Cistercian monks, who founded the Brick Gothic Eldena monastery in 1199. The salt trade helped the monastery grow to a monumental religious centre. The earliest known document that refers to Greifswald was written in 1248. Enjoying a steady increase in population, Greifswald also became one of the earliest members of the Hanseatic League at the end of the 13th century, which further increased trade and wealth.

Ruin of Eldena monastery (founded in 1199).
Ruin of Eldena monastery (founded in 1199).

In 1456, Greifswald's mayor Heinrich Rubenow laid the foundations of the second oldest university in Northern Europe, which is one of the oldest in Germany, and was, periodically, the oldest in Sweden and Prussia respectively.

As a result of the Thirty Years' War Greifswald became part of the Kingdom of Sweden in 1631 and remained Swedish until 1815, when it became part of Prussia.


Since the German reunification in 1989/1990 most parts of Greifswald have been renovated though, attracting many tourists, also due to its proximity to the Baltic Sea.

The largest nuclear powerplant in the former East Germany was located near Greifswald. It had four reactors which were successively brought online starting in 1974. The plant was promptly shut down after the reunification of Germany due to safety concerns, particularly in regard to the near-meltdown on November 24, 1989.

The University's main building.
The University's main building.
Monument to Heinrich Rubenow (founder of the university).
Monument to Heinrich Rubenow (founder of the university).
Greifswald's old university campus, with audimax and main building, in the historic city centre.
Greifswald's old university campus, with audimax and main building, in the historic city centre.
Painting of Caspar David Friedrich featuring Greifswald.
Painting of Caspar David Friedrich featuring Greifswald.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Politics

Politcs is traditionally, as in most of Pomerania, dominated by the conservative CDU. However, in recent state elections, the nationalist NPD has also gotten enough votes to enter the state parlamient.

[edit] City Council

Since the last election on 13 June 2004, the 42 city council seats are allocated as follows:

  • CDU (conservatives) - 16 seats
  • Left Party (socialists) - 9 seats
  • SPD (social democrats) - 8 seats
  • Greens - 3 seats
  • FDP (liberals) - 2 seats
  • others - 4 seats

[edit] Twinning

[edit] Education

[edit] Universities and Colleges

[edit] Secondary Schools

[edit] Science

[edit] People from Greifswald

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Tourism links

v • d • e
Flag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Districts of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in Germany
Coat of Arms of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Bad Doberan · Demmin · Güstrow · Ludwigslust · Mecklenburg-Strelitz · Müritz · Nordvorpommern · Nordwestmecklenburg · Ostvorpommern · Parchim · Rügen · Uecker-Randow
Urban districts: Greifswald · Neubrandenburg · Rostock · Schwerin · Stralsund · Wismar ·

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../g/r/e/Greifswald.html"