The Town Greifswald has that certain something that makes it easy for the visitors to quickly grow very fond of this beautiful town. Probably it's the lively mixture of Greifswald's history of over 750 years, being at the same time a young, bright and likeable town that equally delights locals, students and tourists.
Greifswald's history began in 1199, when Danish Cistercian monks founded the monastery Eldena south of the river Ryck's mouth. In 1241, duke Witzlaw I. of Ruegen and duke Wartislaw III. of Pomerania-Demmin granted the market rights to the monks that did trade with their rich output from the salt production as well as from agriculture and forestry. On Mai 14, 1250 the small maket town received the Lubian City Law by the duke Wartislaw III. of Pomerania-Demmin.
© Mercure Hotel Greifswald, Marketplace
In its exiting history, the city that was first mentioned in a document in 1248 as "oppidum gripheswald", experienced its own share of ups and downs. Commerce, craft and shipping helped the young Hanseatic city between the 13th and 16th century to make a rapid upturn of which, to this day, architectural masterpieces made of brick bear testimony. In 1456, the Ernst Moritz Arndt University of today was founded, now being the second oldest university of Northern Germany.
The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was followed by misery and destruction, from which Greifswald recoverd only very slowely. On the tide of the Thirty Years' War, Greifswald came under the government of the Swedish king Gustav Adolf II. In 1815, Swedish Pomerania and with it Greifswald were given to Prussia in the course of the Congress of Vienna. At the end of the 19th century, the city experienced a modest industrial upturn. The university especially became a growing economic factor, due to the construction of several new clinics.
The old part of the town with its historical market place has been lovingly restored. It is one of the greatest cultural assets of Greifswald and a must for each visitor. The market place and the churches being visible from near and far offer the viewer one of the most beautiful Northern German market place ensembles with magnificently decorated gable houses.
© Mercure Hotel Greifswald, Marketplace with Dom St. Nicolai
200 years ago, the old part's skyline has already fascinated the probably most popular Greifswald resident, Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840). His romantic paintings have made him, but also his native town, famous far beyond the limits of Germany. A visit of the picture gallery of the Pomeranian Regional Museum is one of many opportunities to follow in the painter's tracks. Apart from the famous painter of landscapes, personalities like the poets Hans Fallada (1893-1947) and Wolfgang Koeppen (1906-1996), but also sportsmen like boxing professional Sebastian Sylvester (born in 1980) and soccer player Henri Fuchs (born in 1970) saw the light of day in Greifswald.
The cathedral St. Nikolai, the church where Caspar David Friedrich's baptism took place, belongs to the most impressive sacred buildings of Northern Germany. If the visibility is high, you will feel you could almost touch the islands Ruegen and Usedom. The church was first mentioned in a document in the year 1280.
Dom St. Nicolai
In spite of its more than 750 years old history, Greifswald is a young, lively town: rather a university with a town, the residents say. More than 10,000 students from 74 countries live in the town that counts about 53,000 residents. Thanks to the excellent scientific work of the university Ernst Moritz Arndt that celebrated its 550th anniversary in 2006, the town Greifswald has more and more gained in charisma and importance, on a national as well as international level.
Presently, the most modern university hospital of Germany is built in Greifswald, where patients and students will soon find outstanding conditions.
With the Max-Planck-Institute for Plasma Physics and the Biotechnikum (biotechnological centre), the town distinguished itself in the most recent past as a place for technology and research as well.
© Hans-Werner Hausmann, Main building of
University of Greifswald
The museal harbour, being only a few minutes walk away from the town centre, offers the visitor a maritime touch. Lovingly restored and well-kept historical ships that remind you of the ancient maritime trade tradition of Greifswald. Thanks to the yacht centre, the marinas along the shore area of the river Ryck and the sailing area of the Greifswalder Bodden just outside the town, Greifswald and its sourroundings probably are the most attractive sailing area at Germany's Baltic Sea coast.
Museal harbour
Where the river Ryck flows into the Greifswalder Bodden, the small fishing village Wieck is situated. The wooden Wieck Bascule Bridge, a technical monument dating back to the year 1897, as well as the reet-covered houses rank among the most popular photo subjects of each and every visitor to Greifswald. If you have great luck, you can cast a view on the opened bascule bridge, the mechanism of which is still operated by hand and which is, as a monument being still used, unique in Germany. The visitor to Wieck has the choice of many cosy restaurants and ship excursions.
Bascule Bridge in Wiek
Only a few minutes away from Wieck you'll find the monastery ruins of Eldena, that place where the history of Greifswald began. Today, the impressive ruins of the Cistercian monastery that was largely destroyed by the troops of Wallenstein in 1633, and was used as a quarry during the time of the Swedish occupation, can be admired here. Thanks to their portrayal in the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, the witnesses of the time in stone have become famous all over the world and are now a symbol of Romantic Movement. Caspar David Friedrich's picture "Ruin Eldena in the Riesengebirgre" that he painted in 1830, can be seen among other pictures in the gallery of the Pomeranian Regional Museum.
The fantastic Caspar David Friedrich view that the artist enjoyed when he created his art piece "Meadows near Greifswald", presents itself almost unchanged. Those who look from the village Wackerow north of town over the meadows toward the town centre, will discover what Friedrich already saw over 180 years ago: the silhouette of Greifswald.
© Stadtinformation Greifswald, Textauszug
Ruins of the monastery Eldena