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Greifswald

Coat of Arms Map of Germany
red griffin standing on a tree Map of Greifswald in Germany
Data
State Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Area 50,2 km²
Population 52 140 (01 Sept 2003)
Population Density 1039 per square km
Altitude 17 m above sea level
Location 54° 5' N
13° 23' E
Postal Code 17489 (City Centre)
Telephone Code +49-3834
Car Code HGW
City Council Markt
17489 Greifswald
Homepage http://www.greifswald.de
E-mail [email protected] mailto:[email protected]
Politics
Lord Mayor Dr Arthur König (CDU)


Greifswald (German Greif=griffin, Wald=forest) is a city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. Located at the south end of the Baltic Sea, and the mouth of the Ryck river . Population: about 55,000. Officially Hansestadt Greifswald in German (Hanseatic Leaque City of Greifswald).


Contents

Historical notes

The first settlers were Danish Cistercian monks, who founded the Eldena monastery in 1199. Due to the salt trade the monastery grew to a monumental religious centre. The town of Greifswald, close to the monastery, was first time mentioned in 1248. Enjoying a steady rise in population, Greifswald also became one of the earliest members of the Hanseatic League at the end of the 13th century, which helped increase trade and wealth.

In 1456, Greifswald's mayor Heinrich Rubenow set the foundations of the second oldest university of Northern Europe, one of the oldest in Germany, for a time the oldest in Sweden and Prussia.

The town of Greifswald became part of the Kingdom of Sweden in 1631 as a result of the Thirty Years War and remained Swedish until 1815.

During the period of socialist rulership following the Second World War, parts of the historic city have seen little renovation efforts. Since the German reunification of 1989/1990 this has changed substantially.

The largest nuclear powerplant in East Germany was located near the town. It had four reactors which were successively brought online starting in 1974. The plant was promptly shut down after the reunification of Germany, in 1990, due to safety concerns.

Education & science

People

See also

External links

  • Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald http://www.uni-greifswald.de
  • Official website of the City of Greifswald http://www.greifswald.de
  • Pomeranian State Museum Greifswald http://www.pommersches-landesmuseum.de
  • Theater Vorpommern http://www.theater-vorpommern.de
  • Information about Greifswald http://www.greifswald-infoweb.de

Tourism links

  • Regional Tourist Board Vorpommern (D) http://www.vorpommern.de (English, German, Swedish, Polish)
  • Ost|See|Land - Tourism site (D) http://www.ostseeland.de (English, German, Swedish, Polish)


Last updated: 02-25-2005 14:33:09