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Schleswig (city)
Encyclopedia
Schleswig is a town in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis
(district) Schleswig-Flensburg
. It has a population of about 27,000, the main industries being leather and food processing. It takes its name from the Schlei
, an inlet of the Baltic sea
at the end of which it sits, and "vik" or "vig" which means bay in the old Viking
language and modern Danish language. Schleswig or Slesvig therefore means bay of the Schlei. (There is also a suggestion that the state's namesake and the term Slesvig originated from a tribe of West Slavs who lived in "Slavsvick" between the 5th century and 10th century AD.)
Förde
, which separates the two peninsulas of Angeln
and Schwansen
and is on the western edge of the Schleswig-Holstein Uplands
on the transition to the Geest
country. The urban area ranges from 0 to 20 m above sea level. Brautsee
(lake) is in the town.
The nearest major cities are Flensburg
, Husum and Kiel
. Autobahn 7 runs immediately west of the city. Highways
76 and 77 end in Schleswig and B 201 runs to the north of the town. Schleswig station
is a stop for InterCity
and Intercity-Express trains and is on the Hamburg–Neumünster–Flensburg and Husum–Kiel lines.
settlement of Hedeby
, located south of the modern town, was first mentioned in 804. It was a powerful settlement in the Baltic region
, dominating the area for more than 200 years. In 1050, following several destructions, the population was moved to the opposite shore of the Schlei, becoming the city of Schleswig. In 1066 Hedeby was finally destroyed, and Schleswig remained as a part of the Danish kingdom.
In 1544 Gottorf Castle became the residence of the local rulers. The dukes of Gottorf were vassals of the Danish kings and ruled over much of present day Schleswig-Holstein. In 1721, when the Great Northern War
ended, the dukes of Gottorf lost their power and their land became Danish crown land. After the Second Schleswig War (1864), Schleswig was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia
.
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
(district) Schleswig-Flensburg
Schleswig-Flensburg
Schleswig-Flensburg is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Dithmarschen and Nordfriesland, the Region Syddanmark in Denmark, the city of Flensburg and the Baltic Sea.-History:Written history in the area began about 800 AD, when the...
. It has a population of about 27,000, the main industries being leather and food processing. It takes its name from the Schlei
Schlei
The Schlei is a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. It stretches for approximately 20 miles from the Baltic near Kappeln and Arnis to the city of Schleswig. Along the Schlei are many small bays and swamps...
, an inlet of the Baltic sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
at the end of which it sits, and "vik" or "vig" which means bay in the old Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
language and modern Danish language. Schleswig or Slesvig therefore means bay of the Schlei. (There is also a suggestion that the state's namesake and the term Slesvig originated from a tribe of West Slavs who lived in "Slavsvick" between the 5th century and 10th century AD.)
Geography
The city lies at the western end of the SchleiSchlei
The Schlei is a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. It stretches for approximately 20 miles from the Baltic near Kappeln and Arnis to the city of Schleswig. Along the Schlei are many small bays and swamps...
Förde
Forde
Forde as a surname may refer to:* Brinsley Forde , Guyanan actor and musician* David Forde , Irish football player* Eugenie Forde , American silent film actress* Evan Forde , American oceanographer...
, which separates the two peninsulas of Angeln
Angeln
Modern Angeln, also known as Anglia , is a small peninsula in Southern Schleswig in the northern Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, protruding into the Bay of Kiel...
and Schwansen
Schwansen
Schwansen is a peninsula in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, protruding into the Baltic Sea. It is located between the Eckernförde Bay in the south and the Schlei inlet in the north....
and is on the western edge of the Schleswig-Holstein Uplands
Schleswig-Holstein Uplands
The Schleswig-Holstein Uplands is one of the three landscapes of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein; the others being the marsch and the geest...
on the transition to the Geest
Geest (topography)
Geest is a type of slightly raised landscape that occurs in the plains of in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils, usually mantled by a heathland vegetation, comprising glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age during the...
country. The urban area ranges from 0 to 20 m above sea level. Brautsee
Brautsee
Brautsee is a lake in Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. At an elevation of 12 m, its surface area is 7.2 ha....
(lake) is in the town.
The nearest major cities are Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
, Husum and Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. Autobahn 7 runs immediately west of the city. Highways
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
76 and 77 end in Schleswig and B 201 runs to the north of the town. Schleswig station
Schleswig station
Schleswig station is the station of the city of Schleswig in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is located on the Neumünster–Flensburg and Husum–Jübek-Schleswig–Kiel lines...
is a stop for InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...
and Intercity-Express trains and is on the Hamburg–Neumünster–Flensburg and Husum–Kiel lines.
Climate
The climate is humid and maritime. The annual mean temperature is 8°C and rainfall averages 814 mm.History
The VikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
settlement of Hedeby
Hedeby
Hedeby |heath]]land, and býr = yard, thus "heath yard"), mentioned by Alfred the Great as aet Haethe , in German Haddeby and Haithabu, a modern spelling of the runic Heiðabý was an important trading settlement in the Danish-northern German borderland during the Viking Age...
, located south of the modern town, was first mentioned in 804. It was a powerful settlement in the Baltic region
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, dominating the area for more than 200 years. In 1050, following several destructions, the population was moved to the opposite shore of the Schlei, becoming the city of Schleswig. In 1066 Hedeby was finally destroyed, and Schleswig remained as a part of the Danish kingdom.
In 1544 Gottorf Castle became the residence of the local rulers. The dukes of Gottorf were vassals of the Danish kings and ruled over much of present day Schleswig-Holstein. In 1721, when the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
ended, the dukes of Gottorf lost their power and their land became Danish crown land. After the Second Schleswig War (1864), Schleswig was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
.
Sights
- Schleswig CathedralSchleswig CathedralSchleswig Cathedral , officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig , is the main church of Schleswig and was the cathedral of the Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624...
(1134), with the tomb of King Frederick I of DenmarkFrederick I of DenmarkFrederick I of Denmark and Norway was the King of Denmark and Norway. The name is also spelled Friedrich in German, Frederik in Danish, and Fredrik in Swedish and Norwegian... - Gottorf Castle (built 1161), former residence of the dukes, with the baroque Neuwerk garden, containing a replica of the Globe of GottorfGlobe of GottorfThe Globe of Gottorf is a 17th century large globe of the earth in the Kunstkammer museum in St.Petersburg in Russia. It measures 3.1 meters in diameter....
- Holm: old fishing village at the Schlei shore
- HedebyHedebyHedeby |heath]]land, and býr = yard, thus "heath yard"), mentioned by Alfred the Great as aet Haethe , in German Haddeby and Haithabu, a modern spelling of the runic Heiðabý was an important trading settlement in the Danish-northern German borderland during the Viking Age...
, Viking settlement
Notable residents
- Herman Wilhelm BissenHerman Wilhelm BissenHerman Wilhelm Bissen was a Danish sculptor.Bissen first studied painting in Copenhagen, then became a pupil of the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. In 1824, he travelled to Rome and met Christian Daniel Rauch in Berlin. Under the influence of Thorvaldsen, his style changed from romanticism to...
(1798–1868), sculptor - Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau (1869–1928), politician
- Jan-Ingwer Callsen-BrackerJan-Ingwer Callsen-BrackerJan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker is a German footballer who plays as a defender for FC Augsburg.- External links :*...
(b. 1984), footballer - Asmus Jakob Carstens (1754–1798), painter
- Jobst HirschtJobst HirschtJobst Hirscht is a German former athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres.Born in Schleswig, he competed for West Germany in the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany in the 4 x 100 metre relay where he won the bronze medal with his team mates Karlheinz Klotz, Gerhard Wucherer and...
(b. 1948), athlete - Hermann-Bernhard RamckeHermann-Bernhard RamckeHermann-Bernhard "Gerhard" Ramcke was a German general. He was a recipient of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Swords, Oak Leaves, and Diamonds, one of only 27 people in the German military so decorated...
(1889–1968), General - Ralf RothmannRalf RothmannRalf Rothmann is a German novelist, poet, and dramatist. His novels have been translated into several languages with Knife Edge and Young Light being translated into English.Main subject of his work are both the bourgeois and proletarian reality of life in the Ruhr Metropolitan area...
(b. 1953), novelist - Edward Selig Salomon (1836–1913), General in the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and Governor of Washington TerritoryWashington TerritoryThe Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
(1870–1872) - Hans von SeecktHans von SeecktJohannes Friedrich "Hans" von Seeckt was a German military officer noted for his organization of the German Army during the Weimar Republic.-Early life:...
(1866–1936), General