A group who served in the GDR city of Wismar. Open left menu Wismar. Shopping, shopping, gastronomy
Wismar, Germany: the most detailed information about the city of Wismar, the main attractions with photos and descriptions, location on the map.
City of Wismar (Germany)
Wismar is a port city in northern Germany, located on the Baltic coast in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Gabled house facades, brick Gothic churches and cobbled streets give this small, photogenic town a traditional Hanseatic look. Although Wismar joined the Hanseatic League in the 13th century, it spent most of the 16th and 17th centuries as part of Sweden. Wismar is a city with a rich cultural and historical heritage, the historical center of which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Story
Wismar was founded in the 13th century during the period of German colonization of Slavic territories in northern Germany. The city was first mentioned in a document in 1229. Wismar was an important part of the Hanseatic League, which began as an alliance of merchants and merchants from northern Germany and then grew into a vast trading network including approximately 200 ports and cities. The basis of trade was mainly herring, beer and cloth. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) Wismar came under Swedish rule, a status which it retained until 1803. Today, Wismar's old town retains traces of history dating back to the Middle Ages, including several outstanding brick Gothic churches and old houses.
Significant dates in the history of Wismar:
- 1st half of the 13th century - Wismar received city rights.
- 1259 - alliance with Lubeck and Rostock, from which the Hanseatic League later grew.
- 1257 - 1358 - Wismar was the residence of the princes of Mecklenburg.
- 1376 - plague epidemic.
- 1648 - Wismar went to Sweden and turned into a powerful Swedish fortress in the south of the Baltic.
- 1803 - Sweden founded the city for the Dukes of Mecklenburg and became part of the German Empire.
During World War II, Wismar was subjected to severe bombing. In 2002, the historical center of the city was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
How to get there
The nearest major international airport is located in Hamburg. Train connections connect Wismar with Lübeck, Berlin, Rostock and other cities. The railway station is located almost in the city center, a 10-minute walk from the market square. You can find out the schedule and buy tickets on this website - https://www.goeuro.com. It is very convenient to get to Wismar by car. Two highways approach the city: A14 - from the south, A20 - from the east and west.
Geography and climate
Wismar is located at the southern tip of the bay of the same name in the Baltic Sea. The city is located in a temperate climate zone with maritime influence. Summers are warm, winters are quite mild with an average temperature of about 0 degrees. About 600 mm of precipitation falls throughout the year. The driest month is February. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in summer.
Shopping, shopping, gastronomy
One of the centers of shopping and gastronomy in Wismar is the old port. In addition to the charming marine atmosphere, here you will find cozy pubs and restaurants, shops with souvenirs and other goods. You can also buy fresh fish and seafood from fishermen.
A large number of shops and restaurants are located in the old town along the medieval winding streets.
Sights of Wismar
The main attractions of Wismar are concentrated in the old town. The heart of Altstadt is the market square or Markt. The area is 10,000 square meters in size and is one of the largest in Northern Germany.
The town hall is located in the northern part of the square. The modern building was built in the early 19th century on the site of an old Gothic structure, while retaining some of the original elements.
Another interesting building of the Markt is the Wasserkunst. This is a small granite pavilion built according to a Dutch design at the end of the 16th century. Its function was to supply the central part of the city with drinking water.
A little to the left of Wasserkunst is the medieval house "Old Swede", reminiscent of Swedish rule. This brick Gothic style house was built at the end of the 14th century.
Another beautiful house in the brick Gothic style is the Archdeacon's House, built in the mid-15th century.
Among the old historical buildings of Wismar, the Schabbellhaus stands out. This is a brick building in the Dutch Renaissance style that housed a brewery. The house was built in the second half of the 16th century and is one of the first buildings of this style on the Baltic coast.
Church of St. Georgen in Wismar Church of St. Georgena is one of Wismar's three outstanding brick Gothic churches. This is an important architectural monument of Northern Germany, the origins of which go back to the 13th century. This religious building was considered a church for artisans and traders, and its construction continued until the end of the 16th century. There is an observation deck on the 36-meter tower.
Not far from the church is Fürstenhof, the old residence of the Mecklenburg nobles. The west wing was built in the Gothic style in the early 16th century, and the east in the Renaissance style in the mid-16th century.
Tower of the Church of St. Mary - a high 80-meter brick Gothic tower. This is all that remains of one of the most beautiful churches in Northern Germany. Church of St. Mary's was heavily damaged during World War II. In 1960, it was decided not to restore it and demolish it.
Church of St. Nicholas is a masterpiece of Wismar's Gothic architecture. Built in the 14th century and was considered a church for sailors. The 37-meter central nave is the fourth largest among all medieval churches in Germany.
The Wassertor or water gate is the only surviving one of Wismar's five medieval city gates. Their current structure dates from the mid-15th century, with a typical late Gothic stepped pediment.
Video
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Coat of arms of Wismar |
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| A country | Germany |
| Earth | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
| Population | 45,182 people (2006) |
| Square | 41.36 km² |
| Postcode | 23952, 23966, 23968, 23970 |
| Vehicle code | HWI |
| Official site | http://www.wismar.de/ (German) |
| Official code | 13 0 06 000 |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 53°53′33″ N. w. 11°27′54″ E. d. / 53.8925° n. w. 11.465° E. d. (G) (O) (I)53°53′33″ N. w. 11°27′54″ E. d. / 53.8925° n. w. 11.465° E. d. (G) (O) (I) |
| Burgomaster | Rosemarie Wilcken (SPD) |
| Center height | 15 m |
| Telephone code | +49 3841 |
| Timezone | UTC+1, in summer UTC+2 |
Wismar (German: Wismar) is a city in Germany, a city of state subordination, a Hanseatic city, located in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The population is 45,182 people (as of December 31, 2006). Covers an area of 41.36 km. The official code is 13 0 06 000.
Story
The exact date of the establishment of a settlement called Wismar and the roots of this name are unknown, although the sound of this word is consonant with Slavic languages. The Mecklenburg fortification near Wismar is often identified with Veligrad - the city of the Obodrites from medieval chronicles:
“And there was Prince Vandal, he ruled the Slavs, going everywhere to the north, east and west by sea and land, having conquered many lands on the sea coast and subduing the peoples, he returned to the Great City (Veligrad) ...”
It was there in Veligrad, the city of the Bodrichi, that Rurik and his two brothers first appeared.
Archaeologists suggest that Veligrad was founded in the 7th century. According to the Joachim Chronicle, the “Great City” was located on the seashore.
It is known that in 1293 the city of Wismar, together with Lubeck and Rostock, organized the trading Hanseatic League. From 1257 to 1358 the city served as the residence of the princes of Mecklenburg. General meetings were held in the city 70 times, at which issues of the union were decided. However, after the discovery of America, trade routes shifted to the West, and the Hansa ceased to exist. Since that time, the city has lost its importance. The economic decline was completed by the Thirty Years' War. According to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Wismar came under Swedish rule, which regarded the city as its "largest fortress in Europe".
In 1803, Sweden founded the city and gave supreme power to Mecklenburg for 1,258,000 Reistalers, reserving the right to return the city after 100 years. Based on Swedish rights, the city of Wismar was not incorporated into Mecklenburg until 1897. In 1903, Sweden finally renounced its rights. Wismar still retains several of the old "city liberties" laws, including the right to have its own flag.
The city, which housed the Dornier aircraft company's factories, was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II. Nevertheless, the city center was included in the UNESCO list as a world cultural heritage in 2002.
During the GDR years, the city was considered the second most important sea harbor of the state, specializing in the shipment of potash fertilizers.
Attractions
Market Square
Building "Old Swede"
The photo shows the brick “Old Swede”, built in 1380. The “Old Swede” received its name only in 1878, when a hotel was opened in it.
This is the largest market square in the world with a size of 100100 m. In 1602, according to the drawings of Philip Brandin, a 12-sided pavilion made in the style of the Dutch Renaissance was installed on it. The pavilion, called Wasserkunst, served as a distribution point until 1897, from which 220 residential and 16 public buildings were supplied with water. This pavilion, along with the Church of St. Mary, is considered one of the most important attractions of the city.
Before the war, it was one of the largest North German churches built in the brick Gothic style. Its architect, Johann Groth, took the three-nave basilica of Mary's Church in Lübeck as a model. In April 1945, during the bombing, the main building was heavily damaged. The ruins were finally blown up in 1960. All that remains of the church is a high tower (81 m), on which 9 bells of the 16th-17th centuries hang. Here, in 1647, a clock with a dial of 55 m was installed, which performs one of 20 chorales four times a day.
Today's story is for those who served in Wismar.
We have lived in Wismar since 1998 and have observed how the territory of the former military unit has changed. But the checkpoint has not changed at all during this time, except that the gates blocking the passage into the former military unit have disappeared.
The fence along the road leading deeper into the territory has also been preserved.
To the right of the road is a building with columns. Externally, it has changed little, but inside the renovation is in full swing - the Technical Museum will open here in the fall.
View of the same building from the back side. You may notice that renovations are only taking place in the central building and one wing. The other wing is not yet in order
We're on it discovered a bas-relief preserved from earlier times
From here you can see the blue building of the Wismar shipyard
Next to the future Technical Museum is a former barracks building. A couple of years ago it was renovated, balconies were added and now This is a nursing home.
This panoramic photograph of this house was published in the local newspaper Wismar-Zeitung
The field next to the former barracks was built up with small houses
Now this area is calledKasernenhof.And the residents still call itRussenberg
For further inspection of the area, we will return to the road leading from the checkpoint. We passed the barracks, turned left and saw a long building. As far as we understand, these are former garages or warehouses
Behind them is a brick house. It now houses a kindergarten.
To the right of it is the road to the Zoo (Tierpark)
And to the left there is a view of the shipyard. As far as we understand, this path used to lead to the glass store. When we arrived in Wismar, the glass was still standing. It was demolished a few years ago
You and I don’t turn off to the Zoo, but go straight (the kindergarten is behind us). We are heading to the former landfill. We pass a large building (it looks like a large barn). Now it hosts all sorts of events like concerts of rock bands, festivals, etc.
There is a new building next to it. It refers to a park that was built in 2002 on the site of a former landfill.
There is a parking lot opposite this building. A former barracks can be seen in the distance
And this is the park itself
It's called Burgerpark. On one side it borders on the zoo (there is now an entrance to the zoo from here too). A small part of the new park is also occupied by animals.
A few more photos to complement the story. We made them in October 2014.
The Technical Museum opened a long time ago and is operating successfully. This year there was an exhibition “The Legacy of the Soviet Army in Germany”. The exhibition did not seem very interesting to us... They demolished the wing of the building on which we photographed the bas-relief (a tank against the background of a star). But it seems that the bas-relief itself was preserved. The development of the territory continues. The checkpoint until recently had a completely abandoned appearance, but now it has become prettier. New windows and doors were installed and the gates were repaired. 
The yard is now being tidied up 
We were asked whether the commandant's office building had survived. Since we don't know where exactly she was, we'll show all the buildings that are currently nearby.
This building is located directly opposite the checkpoint, but it is definitely a new building
Photo 1 
We climb up Lubsche Strasse. Here are all the buildings that stand opposite the former military unit.
Photo 2 
Photo 3 
Photo 4 
A red brick house and several other small residential houses complete the row. Next is an intersection, near which there is a recently built supermarket.
Photo 5 
Now let's return to the checkpoint and move down the street.
The place where the glass shop was located now looks like this
Photo 6
There are two houses directly opposite
Here they are closer
Photo 8 
Photo 9 
There are other houses like this nearby
Photo 10 
Photo 11 
Then there are a couple more residential buildings and a large OBI building materials store, and beyond that there is an intersection
Now a couple of photos that were asked to be shown in the comments
One of the oldest hospital buildings. This is where the maternity hospital is now located (what was described in the comments as Kinderklinik)
Former officers' houses on Tschaikowskistraße (now ordinary residential buildings) oma). Only two houses are visible in the photo, but all three houses have been preserved.
The Garrison House of Officers, which was located nearby, no longer exists. This building was demolished about 18 years ago. A new one was built in its place - there are apartments for students and a hotel. This place is the corner of Tschaikowskistraße and Lübschestraße
And the entrance itself is number 46
If anyone has old photographs of the territory of a military unit or residential buildings, we are ready to post them here.
Wismar is one of the most beautiful, exciting and atmospheric cities in modern Germany. Few travelers know that this territory previously belonged to the Swedish state, and was also part of the so-called “Hanseatic” League. That is why the architecture of the city has retained the features of several cultures united under a common principle. All this has been preserved in the Old Town, a special area that has been under UNESCO protection since 2002.
The city is distinguished by its extremely photogenic nature. Even if you do not have professional knowledge in photography, you will definitely bring back beautiful pictures from your trip. So how can lovers of such classics as Nosferatu from 1922 not visit the Old Harbour? After all, this very place was depicted in one of the most famous films about creatures of the night almost a hundred years ago. Have you not yet fully realized the magic that Wismar gives to every visitor? Then we will look in detail at what interesting places you can visit, what are the most interesting and healthy things to do, and even places where you can try local cuisine or just have a delicious lunch!
View of colorful Wismar, Germany (Photo above© pxhere.com / CC0 Public Domain License)
Old town and its surroundings. Let's start with those moments that you can watch on your own and for free. This list includes the Old Town, which is the heart of Wismar. Here, for example, is the largest square of the Middle Ages - Market Square. Perhaps the largest markets were located here in the past, but now the main attractions are slightly different objects.
One of them is the Wasserkunst well, the history of which dates back to 1602. It is decorated with mosaic patterns and people once used it as a source of drinking water. Nearby are the ancient buildings "Red Swede" (AlterSchwede) and the Town Hall. There you can also visit a special historical exhibition from 10 am and 6 pm, the cost of which is 2 euros per adult and 1 euro per child.
MuseumSchabbellhaus. Another museum of the history of the city, which is located in the Renaissance brewery building (Schabbellhaus), located near the Church of St. Nicholas.
Church of St. Nicholas. A unique architectural monument that survived the Second World War awaits all visitors for a fee of 2 euros. Opening hours vary slightly depending on the month: from 8am to 8pm from May to September, from 10am to 6pm in October and April. During the remaining hours, the museum is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
St. Mary's Church spire. The spire is all that remains of the once beautiful and majestic building. On the lower floor there is a museum that tells about the construction technologies of ancient churches. You can visit the exhibition from 10 am and 6 pm from April to October. In other months from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
St. George's Church. There are truly a lot of churches in the city, and they are all unique, with stunning architecture. This building is undergoing a long post-war reconstruction and will soon become a monument of cultural and historical heritage.
Top 5 things to do while in Wismar
Places to eat
All active vacationers sometimes need to refresh themselves in order to move forward with new strength.
- T’onZägenkrog is a restaurant for those who love fish. It is cooked superbly here. There are other seafood on the menu, and the view from the restaurant is truly inspiring - overlooking the harbor. The approximate cost of lunch is 25 euros.
- AlterSchwede – in this restaurant you can order a traditional dish – Baltic eel. There are also many other seafood dishes with a wide variety of side dishes. Lunch will cost you an average of 25 euros.
(Photo above© Okieh / commons.wikimedia.org / Licensed under CC BY 2.0)
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