Rendsburg ( da, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'', nds, Rendsborg, also ''Rensborg'') is a town on the

River Eider A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wat ...

and the

Kiel Canal The Kiel Canal (german: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, literally "North- oEast alticSea canal", formerly known as the ) is a long freshwater canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The canal was finished in 1895, but later widened, and links the N ...

in the central part of

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. , it had a population of 28,476.

History

Rendsburg's foundation date is unknown though some form of

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

s was established by Bjørn Svendsen 1099–1100. Rendsburg was first mentioned in 1199. An old form of its name was Reinoldesburch. It became a part of

Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...

in the 13th century, but was transferred to

Schleswig The Duchy of Schleswig ( da, Hertugdømmet Slesvig; german: Herzogtum Schleswig; nds, Hartogdom Sleswig; frr, Härtochduum Slaswik) was a duchy in Southern Jutland () covering the area between about 60 km (35 miles) north and 70 km ...

in 1460. Many times the town passed from Danish to German control and vice versa. In the

German-Danish War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. T ...

in 1864 Rendsburg was finally seized by

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. After 1866 the town was annexed by the

. Since that time it has remained part of Germany. Although the

Eider Eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ''Somateria''. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quil ...

is navigable for small craft from its mouth on the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

to Rendsburg, the town's importance rose in 1895, when the

was finished. The much larger ships that could navigate the Kiel Canal meant that, although situated inland, Rendsburg became a seaport and a dockyard.

Sights

The most prominent structure in town, the

Rendsburg High Bridge The Rendsburg High Bridge (german: Rendsburger Hochbrücke, officially ''Eisenbahnhochbrücke Rendsburg'') is a railway viaduct on the Neumünster–Flensburg line that also serves as a transporter bridge. The bridge crosses the Kiel Canal at ...

, a railway bridge made of steel, in length and in height, was constructed in 1913 to take the

Neumünster–Flensburg railway The Neumünster Flensburg Railway is part of the Jutland line, the main north–south rail link through Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Together with the line to Husum, which diverges in Jübek, and the line to Kiel, which diverges in Rendsburg, i ...

over the

from the relatively flat land on either side. It is the longest railway bridge in Europe (highway/rail bridge

Øresund Bridge The Öresund or Øresund Bridge ( da, Øresundsbroen ; sv, Öresundsbron ; hybrid name: ) is a combined railway and motorway bridge across the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden. It is the longest in Europe with both roadway and rai ...

is longer): on the northern side, the bridge connects to the

Rendsburg Loop The Rendsburg Loop (german: Rendsburger Schleife) is an elevated spiral railway in Rendsburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, connecting the Rendsburg High Bridge over the Kiel Canal on the Neumünster–Flensburg line to Rendsburg ...

to gain height and to allow trains to continue to serve the

Rendsburg station Rendsburg station is located in the city of Rendsburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and is at the junction of the Neumünster–Flensburg and Rendsburg Kiel lines. It is currently operated by Deutsche Bahn, which classifies it as a ...

. Suspended from the railway bridge, a

transporter bridge A transporter bridge, also known as a ferry bridge or aerial transfer bridge, is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been us ...

– one of only twenty ever built – traverses the canal. The German Army's Air Defence School and the

Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz The Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS) is the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection. The BfS was established in November 1989; the headquarters is located in Salzgitter, with branch offices in Berlin, Bonn, Freiburg, Gorleben, Oberschl ...

are both located in Rendsburg. Other sights include: * Town hall, 16th century * Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church), 1286 * Kiel Canal Pedestrian Tunnel, longest pedestrian tunnel in the world * The longest bench in the world (501 m), on the banks of the Kiel Canal * Jewish Museum Rendsburg * Museums in the Cultural Centre (Historical Museum Rendsburg / Printing Museum)

Notable people

Maria Davids - Portrait of Fräulein von Sydow

Michael Maier Michael Maier ( la, Michael Maierus; 1568–1622) was a German physician and counsellor to Rudolf II Habsburg. He was a learned alchemist, epigramist, and amateur composer. Early life Maier was born in Rendsburg, Holstein, the son of a spe ...

(1568–1622), physician, counsellor to Rudolf II Habsburg *

Christian Scriver Christian Scriver (2 January 1629 – 5 April 1693) was a German Lutheran minister and devotional writer. Biography Christian Scriver was born at Rendsburg in the Duchy of Schleswig, Germany. He entered the University of Rostock in 1647 ...

(1629–1693), Lutheran minister and devotional writer *

Marquard Gude Marquard Gude (Gudius) (1 February 1635 – 26 November 1689) was a German archaeologist and classical scholar, most famous for his collection of Greek and Latin inscriptions. He was born at Rendsburg in Holstein, Germany. He was originally inte ...

(1635–1689), archaeologist and classical scholar *

Calmer Hambro Calmer Hambro (1747-1806) was a Danish merchant and banker. Early life Calmer Hambro was born as Calmer Joachim Levy in 1747 in Rendsburg, a town of Schleswig-Holstein in Denmark, later acquired by Prussia in the Second Schleswig War of 1864.Andr ...

(1747–1806), Danish merchant and banker *

Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19th cent ...

(1817–1903), classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist; Germany's first Nobel Prize winner for literature, lived in Rendsburg for many years *Heinrich Adolph Leschen (1836–1916), father of gymnastics and pioneer of medical massage (physiotherapy) in South Australia * Marie Davids (1847–1905), painter *

Ludwig Fahrenkrog Ludwig Fahrenkrog (20 October 1867 – 27 October 1952) was a German painter, illustrator, sculptor and writer. He was born in Rendsburg, Prussia, in 1867. He started his career as an artist in his youth, and attended the Berlin Royal Art A ...

(1867–1952), writer, playwright and artist *

Dagmar Hjort Ane Marie Louise Dagmar Hjort née Harbou (1860–1902) was a Danish schoolteacher, writer and women's rights activist. A member of the Danish Women's Society, she was particularly interested in achieving women's voting rights and became a member ...

(1860–1902), Danish schoolteacher, writer and women's rights activist *

Gustav Kieseritzky __NOTOC__ Gustav Kieseritzky (22 September 1893 – 19 November 1943) was a German admiral during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Kieseritzky was killed on 19 November 1943 during the Kerc ...

(1893–1943), admiral during WWII * Hans Friedemann Götze (1897–1940), SS-Standartenführer in the German Waffen-SS * Hans Egon Holthusen (1913–1997), lyric poet, essayist, and literary scholar *

Hans Blohm Hans-Ludwig Blohm (November 12, 1927 – December 4, 2021) was a German-born Canadian photographer and author. Over three decades, he criss-crossed the Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska, capturing images and stories of the Inuit. He drove 16 t ...

(born 1927), photographer and author, in Canada *

Otto Bernhardt Otto Bernhardt (13 February 1942 in Rendsburg - 8 October 2021) was a German politician of the CDU. Bernhardt had been a member of the Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal rep ...

(born 1942), CDU politician * Hans-Ulrich Buchholz (born 1944), rower *

Hartmut Lutz Hartmut Lutz (born April 26, 1945) is professor emeritus and former chair of American and Canadian studies: Anglophone literatures and cultures of North America at the University of Greifswald, Germany. He is the founder of the Institut für Anglist ...

(born 1945), professor of American and Canadian studies *

Hanne Haller Hanne Haller (January 14, 1950 in Rendsburg, Germany - November 15, 2005 in Tegernsee, Germany; full name Hannelore Haller) was a German pop singer (genre known as " schlager" in German), composer, writer, producer, and sound engineer. Note: this ...

(1950–2005), pop singer, composer, writer, producer and sound engineer *

Gerhard Delling Gerhard Delling (born 21 April 1959) is a German television presenter and sports journalist. Life Delling was born in Rendsburg. From 1980 to 1985 he studied at University of Kiel. He worked since 1987 as a journalist for German broadcaster ...

(born 1959), journalist and author * Jost de Jager (born 1965) CDU politician *

Philip Kraft Philip Kraft (born in Rendsburg on March 24, 1969) is a Germans, German organic chemistry, organic chemist. Since 1996 he has been employed by Givaudan, a leading Flavor and Fragrance company, where he designs captive odorants for use in perfumes. ...

(born 1969), fragrance chemist *

Noah Wunsch Noah Wunsch (born 1970 in Rendsburg) is a German painter, photographer, and designer. Life The artist Noah Wunsch studied design at the well-known, Hamburg based artist Ursula Unbehaun. He attended the University for Music and Art in Vienna, Au ...

(born 1970), painter, photographer and designer. *

Alexander Kühl Alexander Kühl (Kuehl) (born January 7, 1973) is a former 7' 2", 300-lbs. professional basketball player born in Rendsburg, West Germany. He played college basketball in the US at Charlotte after playing 2 years at Palm Beach Community College ( ...

(born 1973), basketball player * Patrik Borger (born 1979), football player and manager * Lauritz Schoof (born 1990), rower, Olympic winner

Twin towns – sister cities

Rendsburg is twinned with: *

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

, Denmark (1976) *

Almere Almere () is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, Netherlands, located about 20 km to the east of Amsterdam (as the crow flies) across the IJmeer. Bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde, the municipality of Almere comprise ...

, Netherlands (2014) *

Haapsalu Haapsalu () is a seaside resort town located on the west coast of Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Lääne County, and on 1 January 2020 it had a population of 9,375. Description Haapsalu has been well known for centuries for its ...

, Estonia (1989) *

Kristianstad Kristianstad (, ; older spelling from Danish ''Christianstad'') is a city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 40,145 inhabitants in 2016. During the last 15 years, it has gone from a garrison town to a devel ...

, Sweden (1992) * Lancaster, England (1968) *

Racibórz County __NOTOC__ Racibórz County ( pl, powiat raciborski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland, on the Czech border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polis ...

, Poland (2004) *

Rathenow Rathenow () is a town in the district of Havelland in Brandenburg, Germany, with a population of 24,063 (2020). Overview The Protestant church of St. Marien Andreas, originally a basilica, and transformed to the Gothic style in 1517-1589, and the ...

, Germany (1990) *

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...

, Norway (1995) *

Vierzon Vierzon () is a commune in the Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography A medium-sized town by the banks of the river Cher with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north. It is situated some northwe ...

, France (1975)

References

{{Authority control Towns in Schleswig-Holstein Rendsburg-Eckernförde