Husum (Schleswig)

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“Husum” redirects here. For other uses, see Husum (disambiguation).

Country:	Germany
Husum

Coordinates:	54° 28′ N, 9° 3′ E
Time zone:	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Administration
State:	Schleswig-Holstein
District:	Nordfriesland
Mayor:	Rainer Maaß (SPD)
Basic Statistics
Area:	25.20 km² (10 sq.mi.)
Population:	22,491 (31 Dec. 2004)
- Density:	893 /km² (2,312 /sq.mi.)
Elevation:	5 m (16 ft)
Further Information
Postal codes:	25801–25813
Area code:	04841
Licence plate code:	NF
Website:	www.husum.org
Location of the town of Husum within Nordfriesland district

Husum (North Frisian: Hüsem) is a town at the western coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis (district) Nordfriesland. Population: 21,000. It is located 82 km W of Kiel, 139 km NW of Hamburg and 43 km SW of Flensburg.

Husum is most famous for being the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm. He coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea". Nicolaus Bruhns, who was an important influence on Johann Sebastian Bach, was organist in Husum from 1689 to 1697. Like most towns at the North Sea, Husum was ever strongly influenced by storm tides. It is first mentioned 1252, when here was the Danish castle of Husumbro, where king Abel was murdered. In 1362 a disastrous storm tide flooded the town and carved out the inland harbour. Prior to this date Husum was not situated directly at the coast. Today Husum is a tourist resort and a gate to the North Frisian Islands. It is also twinned with the town of Kidderminster, England.