Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, close to the border with Pomerania. With around 208,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city on the German

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

coast after Kiel and Lübeck, the eighth-largest city in the area of former East Germany, as well as the 39th-largest city of Germany. Rostock was the largest coastal and most important port city in East Germany. Rostock stands on the estuary of the River Warnow into the

Bay of Mecklenburg The Bay of Mecklenburg ( or ''Mecklenburgische Bucht''; ), also known as the Mecklenburg Bay or Mecklenburg Bight, is a long narrow basin making up the southwestern finger-like arm of the Baltic Sea, between the shores of Germany to the south a ...

of the Baltic Sea. The city stretches for about along the river. The river flows into the sea in the very north of the city, between the boroughs of Warnemünde and Hohe Düne. The city center lies further upstream, in the very south of the city. Most of Rostock's inhabitants live on the western side of the Warnow; the area east of the river is dominated by the port, industrial estates, and the forested Rostock Heath. The city's coastline east and west of the river mouth is relatively undeveloped, with long sandy beaches prevailing. The name of the city is of Slavic origin. Rostock is the economic center of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the state's only regiopolis (a city outside the core of a metropolitan area). The port of Rostock is the fourth largest port in Germany after the North Sea ports of Hamburg,

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

/ Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven, and the largest port on the German Baltic coast. The ferry routes between Rostock to Gedser in Denmark and to Trelleborg in Southern Sweden are among the busiest between Germany and Scandinavia. Rostock–Laage Airport lies in a rural region southeast of the city. The city is home to the oldest university in the

Baltic region The terms Baltic Sea Region, Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, mainly in Northern Europe. ...

and one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Rostock, founded in 1419. The university's hospital, ''Universitätsmedizin Rostock'', is one of two university hospitals in the state, along with ''Universitätsmedizin Greifswald'' of the University of Greifswald in Western Pomerania.

History

Early history

In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called ''Roztoc'' (*''ras-tokŭ'', Slavic for "fork of a river"); the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town on fire in 1161. Afterwards the place was settled by German traders. Initially there were three separate cities: * ''Altstadt'' (Old Town) around the ''Alter Markt'' (Old Market), which had St. Petri (St. Peter's Church), * ''Mittelstadt'' (Middle Town) around the ''Neuer Markt'' (New Market), with St. Marien ( St. Mary's Church) and Rostocker Stadtbestätigung 1213

* ''Neustadt'' (New Town) around the ''Hopfenmarkt'' (Hop Market, now University Square), with St. Jakobi (St. James's Church, demolished after World War II). In 1218, Rostock was granted Lübeck law city rights by Heinrich Borwin, prince of Mecklenburg.

Hanseatic League

During the first partition of Mecklenburg following the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg in 1226, Rostock became the seat of the

Lordship of Rostock The Lordship or Principality of Rostock (german: Herrschaft (Fürstentum) Rostock) was a States of the Holy Roman Empire, state of the Holy Roman Empire in the 13th and early 14th centuries. It arose from the first partition of Mecklenburg after t ...

, which survived for almost a century. In 1251, the city became a member of the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...

. In the 14th century it was a powerful seaport town with 12,000 inhabitants and the largest city in Mecklenburg.

Ships A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

for cruising the Baltic Sea were constructed in Rostock. The formerly independent fishing village of Warnemünde at the Baltic Sea became a part of Rostock in 1323, to secure the city's access to the sea. In 1419, the University of Rostock was founded, the oldest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area.

15th to 18th centuries

At the end of the 15th century, the dukes of Mecklenburg succeeded in enforcing their rule over the town of Rostock, which had until then been only nominally subject to their rule and essentially independent. They took advantage of a riot known as ''Domfehde'', a failed uprising of the impoverished population. Subsequent quarrels with the dukes and persistent plundering led ultimately to a loss of the city's economic and political power. Plan von Rostock gez 1780-1790 J

In 1565 there were further clashes with Schwerin that had far-reaching consequences. Among other things, the nobility introduced a beer excise that favoured the dukes. John Albert I advanced on the city with 500 horsemen, after Rostock had refused to take the formal oath of allegiance, and had the city wall razed (slighted) to have a fortress built. The conflict did not end until the first

Rostock Inheritance Agreement The Rostock Inheritance Agreement (german: Rostocker Erbvertrag) describes several agreements reached by the Hanseatic city of Rostock with the dukes of Mecklenburg as landlords. * The First Rostock Inheritance Agreement was reached in 1573 betwe ...

of 21 September 1573, in which the state princes were guaranteed hereditary rule over the city for centuries and recognizing them as the supreme judicial authority; this bound Rostock for a long time. The citizens razed (or slighted) the fortress the following spring. From 1575 to 1577 the city walls were rebuilt, as was the ''Lagebusch'' tower and the ''Stein'' Gate, in the Dutch Renaissance style. The inscription ''sit intra te concordia et publica felicitas'' ("You enter a state of harmony and happiness"), can still be read on the gate, and refers directly to the conflict with the Duke. In 1584 the Second Rostock Inheritance Agreement was enforced, which resulted in a further loss of former city tax privileges. At the same time, these inheritance contracts put paid to Rostock's ambition of achieving

imperial immediacy Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...

, as Lübeck had done in 1226. The strategic location of Rostock provoked the envy of its rivals.

Danes Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. Danes generally regard t ...

and Swedes occupied the city twice, first during the Thirty Years' War (1618–48) and again from 1700 to 1721. Later in the early 19th century, the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, under

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, occupied the town for about a decade until 1813. In nearby Lübeck-

Ratekau Ratekau is a municipality in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km northeast of Lübeck. It is the place where Blücher surrendered after the Battle of Lübeck in 1806. The village ...

, Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, who was born in Rostock and who was one of few generals to fight on after defeat at the

Battle of Jena A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, surrendered to the French in 1806. This was only after furious street fighting in the Battle of Lübeck, in which he led some of the cavalry charges himself. By the time of the surrender, the exhausted Prussians had neither food nor ammunition.

19th century

In the first half of the 19th century, Rostock regained much of its economic importance, due at first to the wheat trade, then, from the 1850s, to industry, especially its shipyards. The first propeller-driven steamers in Germany were constructed here. The city grew in area and population, with new quarters developing in the south and west of the ancient borders of the city. Two notable developments were added to house the increasing population at around 1900: * ''Steintor-Vorstadt'' in the south, stretching from the old city wall to the facilities of the new ''Lloydbahnhof'' (Lloyd Railway Station, now

Rostock Hauptbahnhof Rostock Hauptbahnhof, also Rostock Central Station (from 1896 until the turn of the 20th century called ''Rostock Central-Bahnhof''), is the main railway station in the German city of Rostock. It is situated well to the south of the city centre, t ...

), was designed as a living quarter. It consisted mostly of large single houses, once inhabited by wealthy citizens. * ''Kröpeliner-Tor-Vorstadt'' in the west, was designed to house the working population as well as to provide smaller and larger industrial facilities, such as the Mahn & Ohlerich's Brewery (now Hanseatische Brauerei Rostock). The main shipyard, ''Neptun'', was nearby at the shore of the river.

20th century

In the 20th century, important aircraft manufacturing facilities were situated in the city, such as the Arado Flugzeugwerke in Warnemünde and the

Heinkel Heinkel Flugzeugwerke () was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight, with ...

Works with facilities at various places, including their secondary ''Heinkel-Süd'' facility in Schwechat, Austria, as the original Heinkel firm's Rostock facilities had been renamed ''Heinkel-Nord''. The world's first airworthy jet plane prototype made its test flights at their facilities in what used to be named the ''Rostock''- neighborhood (today's ''Rostock''- ''Schmarl'' community, along the west bank of the Unterwarnow estuary). In the early 1930s the Nazi Party began to gain among Rostock's voters, many of whom had suffered economic hardship during the 1920s. In elections in the summer 1932, when the Nazis achieved 37.3 percent, their greatest national showing in a free election, they polled 40.3 percent in Rostock. A year later, after the

Nazi seizure of power Adolf Hitler's rise to power began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919 when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He rose to a place of prominence in the early years of the party. Be ...

and the suppression of other political parties, the Rostock city council (''Stadtrat'') was composed entirely of Nazis. During '' Kristallnacht'' on 10 November 1938, the synagogue in Rostock's Augustenstrasse was destroyed by arson and dozens of Jews were beaten and imprisoned. Feverish rearmament by the Nazi regime boosted Rostock's industrial importance in the late 1930s, and employment soared at the

and Arado factories, and at the Neptunwerft shipyard. The city's population grew from 100,000 in 1935 to 121,192 in 1939. During World War II, Rostock was subjected to repeated and increasingly heavy bombing attacks, especially by the British Royal Air Force. Targets included the Heinkel and Arado plants and the shipyard, but churches and other historic structures in the city centre were also heavily damaged, among them the 14th-century Nikolaikirche (St Nicholas Church) and Jakobikirche (St Jacob's Church). The ruins of the latter were torn down in 1960. The city was eventually captured by the Soviet

2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front (Russian: Второй Белорусский фронт, alternative spellings are 2nd Byelorussian Front) was a military formation, of Army group size, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Soviet army g ...

on 2 May 1945 during the Stettin-Rostock offensive operation. After the war, Rostock – now in the German Democratic Republic – became East Germany's largest seaport. The state expanded the national shipyards in the district of Warnemünde. The city's population, boosted in part by resettled ethnic German refugees who had been expelled from territories in the east, increased in the GDR years to a peak of 260,000. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, Rostock lost its privileged position as the No. 1 port of the GDR, and the city's population declined to about 200,000. However, after 2006, the population increased again. Today, Rostock and Warnemünde are significant tourist destinations on the Baltic Sea. Since the late 20th century migrants have come to Germany from Turkey and Africa seeking work. In response to high rates of joblessness and increased levels of crime, some Germans took part in the

Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots From August 22 to August 24, 1992 violent xenophobic riots took place in the Lichtenhagen district of Rostock, Germany; these were the worst mob attacks against migrants in postwar Germany. Stones and petrol bombs were thrown at an apartment block ...

which occurred from 22 to 24 August 1992. Lisch-Rostock Beginenberg.jpg, Depiction of Rostock in 1845 Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1985-0306-032, Rostock, zerstörte Krämerstrasse.jpg, Rostock bomb damage, 1942 Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H28029, Rostock, Marktplatz mit Rathaus.jpg, City hall, Market Square after war Rostock Panorama Nikolaikirche nach Norden 2011-03-08.jpg, Rostock in 2011 Rostock asv2018-05 img47 Steintor.jpg, The 16th-century ''Steintor'' city gate Rostock Marienkirche 2011-03-08.jpg, St. Mary's Church (''Marienkirche''), 2011

Politics

Districts

Symbols

Rostock has had three different coats of arms, known as the ''Signum'', the ''Secretum'' and the ''Sigillum''. The Signum, which can be traced back to 1367, was developed last and is to this day the coat of arms of the city. The Signum depicts a golden

griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

on a blue background, with bars of silver and red, the colours of the

, below. It can be seen not only on flags and houses, and at bus stops, but also on bridges, gullies, fences, ships and restaurants.

Administration

Since the 13th century, the governing body of the city has been the city council (''Rat''), first consisting of ten, later of 24 elected aldermen (''Ratsherren''). The chairman of the city council was the city mayor. In the 19th century there were three mayors. Since 1925, the head of the city has borne the title of Lord Mayor. Having been elected by the city council for centuries, since 2002 this position is now elected directly by the citizens of Rostock, following a reform. If a candidate does not achieve an absolute majority in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes stand in a second round. 2019 Rostock mayoral election (2nd round)

2019 Rostock mayoral election (2nd round)

The current Lord Mayor of Rostock is Chris von Wrycz Rekowski, who became mayor in 2022 after independent politician Claus Ruhe Madsen resigned to join the

second Günther cabinet The Second Günther cabinet is the current state government of Schleswig-Holstein, sworn in on 29 June 2022 after Daniel Günther was elected as List of Ministers-President of Schleswig-Holstein, Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein by the mem ...

. Madsen was elected in the 2019 local elections with the support of the CDU and FDP. As Danish citizen, he became the first person of foreign nationality to serve as mayor of a major German city. The most recent mayoral election was held on 26 May 2019, with a runoff held on 16 June, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Claus Ruhe Madsen , align=left, Independent ( CDU/ FDP) , 35,046 , 34.6 , 43,341 , 57.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Steffen Bockhahn Steffen Bockhahn (29 December 1978 in Rostock) is a German politician. He is the Senator for Social Affairs, Youth, Health and Schools of the Hanseatic City of Rostock. From 24 October 2009 to 5 November 2012 he was the state chairman of the Lef ...

, align=left, The Left , 19,177 , 18.9 , 32,617 , 42.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Chris von Wrycz Rekowski , align=left,

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

, 13,433 , 13.2 , - , , align=left, Dirk Zierau , align=left, Independent Citizens for Rostock , 11,958 , 11.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Uwe Flachsmeyer , align=left,

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...

, 10,378 , 10.2 , - , , align=left, Sybille Bachmann , align=left, Rostock Alliance , 6,240 , 6.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Tom Reimer , align=left, Independent , 2,475 , 2.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Edgar Schulze , align=left, Independent , 1,598 , 1.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Matthias Bräuer , align=left, Independent , 1,118 , 1.1 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 101,423 ! 99.0 ! 75,958 ! 99.4 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 1,067 ! 1.0 ! 455 ! 0.6 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 102,490 ! 100.0 ! 76,413 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 173,650 ! 59.0 ! 173,187 ! 44.1 , - , colspan=7, Source: City of Rostock
1st round
2019 Rostock City Council election - Wahlbezirke

2019 Rostock City Council election - Wahlbezirke

2019 Rostock City Council election - Results

The city parliament (''Bürgerschaft'') represents the citizens. Representative are elected for five years. The number of representatives is currently 53. The city parliament is presided by the ''Präsident der Bürgerschaft'', who heads and prepares the sessions and, together with the Lord Mayor, represents the city. The most recent city council election was held on 26 May 2019, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 58,405 , 19.9 , 6.5 , 11 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(Grüne) , 55,616 , 19.0 , 7.5 , 10 , 4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 42,422 , 14.5 , 6.0 , 8 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(SPD) , 42,269 , 14.4 , 2.5 , 8 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...

(AfD) , 28,294 , 9.6 , 5.2 , 5 , 3 , - , , align=left, Independent Citizens for Rostock (UFR) , 21,483 , 7.3 , 0.8 , 4 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Rostock Alliance (RB) , 12,086 , 4.1 , 0.5 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party ideologically based on liberalism. Current parties with that name include: *Free Democratic Party (Germany), a liberal political party in ...

(FDP) , 9,645 , 3.3 , 0.8 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI) , 7,373 , 2.5 , New , 1 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Voters (FW) , 3,790 , 1.3 , New , 1 , New , - , , align=left, New Start 09 (A'09) , 2,897 , 1.0 , 0.5 , 1 , ±0 , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

The Grays – Gray Panthers The Grays – Gray Panthers () was a small German political party and interest group which existed between 1989 and 2008. The party was founded by former Die Grünen MP and activist Trude Unruh, having emerged from the Senior Citizens Protectio ...

(Graue) , 1,869 , 0.6 , 0.1 , 0 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Pirate Party Germany (Piraten) , 1,714 , 0.6 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, National Democratic Party (NPD) , 1,633 , 0.6 , 1.2 , 0 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Independents , 3,779 , 1.3 , , 0 , ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 293,275 ! 98.6 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 4,179 ! 1.4 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 102,304 ! 100.0 ! ! 53 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 173,650 ! 58.9 ! 18.4 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Rostock
Regiopole Rostock Verflechtungen

Regiopolis Rostock

Rostock is the first city region that defines itself not only as a city in its boundaries, but as a regiopolis, with a supra-regional sphere of influence. A regiopolis can be compared to a metropolis, but on a smaller scale. This is a sign for the inter-regional cooperation and economic dynamics that can be found in the Rostock area. A taskforce with different actors such as the hanseatic city of Rostock, the administrative district of Rostock, the ''Regional Planning Association Middle Mecklenburg/Rostock'' and the local business organisations are working on the promotion and advancement of the concept.

Geography

Geographic location

Rostock is located nearly centrally on Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's Baltic Sea coast. The city is crossed by the Warnow. The seaside part of Rostock, Rostock- Warnemünde, is about to the north of the historic city centre. The west and the southeast are the most densely populated parts of town. The overseas port is to the east of Rostock. Rostock stretches from the Baltic Sea to the south and from east to west.

Climate

Rostock has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

( Köppen: ''Cfb'') with strong influence of the Baltic Sea, more similar with Denmark and far southern

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

than to the rest of Germany. The Warnemünde station is located on the open sea and thus has a stronger maritime influence and slightly smaller variations than the downtown that is further inland.

Main sights

Rostock

One of the most picturesque places in Rostock is the ''Neuer Markt'' (New Market Square), with the Town Hall – that was originally built in the 13th century in

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...

style, but extensively transformed in the 18th century, with the addition of a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

façade and a banqueting hall. The square also preserved six original, carefully restored gable houses from the 15th and 16th centuries. The other historical houses in Hanseatic style that once bordered the square were destroyed in an Allied air-raid in 1942, and rebuilt in a simplified manner. The 15th-century ''Kerkhofhaus'' (at Große Wasserstraße, behind the Town Hall) is considered the best-preserved brick Gothic house in Rostock. St. Mary's Church ''Marienkirche'', on Ziegenmarkt, is an imposing

church. Built in the 13th century, it was enlarged and modified at the end of the 14th century into the present cross-shaped basilica. The huge tower was not completed until the end of the 18th century. Inside there is an astronomical clock erected in 1472 by Hans Düringer. Rostock Kröpeliner Straße

The main pedestrian precinct is ''Kröpeliner Straße'', which runs east from the Neuer Markt to the 14th-century ''Kröpeliner Tor'', a former town gate. The main buildings of Rostock University lie at Universitätsplatz, near the middle of the street, in front of the lively fountain of ''zest for life (Brunnen der Lebensfreude)'', known colloquially as Pornobrunn (fountain of pornography), for its nude sculptures. The ''Kloster St Katharinen'' (Convent of St. Catherine), is an old Franciscan monastery founded in 1243, and extended several times during the 14th and 15th centuries. Now used as the seat of the Academy of Music and Theatre (HMT-Rostock). The Brick Gothic ''Nikolaikirche'' (St. Nicholas Church), which is the oldest church in Rostock, was built in the mid-13th century. Heavily damaged during World War II and subsequently restored, the building is now used as an exhibition centre and concert hall, due to its outstanding acoustics. Some parts of the medieval city wall, with four

city gate A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway. Uses City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...

s, have survived to the present day.

Warnemünde

Warnemünde is the seaside part of Rostock and a major attraction of the city. Locals and tourists alike enjoy the maritime flair of old houses, a large beach, a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

and the old fisherman's port.

Economy

The economy is mainly characterised by maritime industries (especially shipbuilding), high-tech industries ( IT, biotechnology/

life sciences This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life – such as microorganisms, plants, and animals including human beings. This science is one of the two major branches of natural science, the ...

medical engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...

), the University of Rostock, tourism and the service sector. Major companies include: ;Maritime Industry * Caterpillar Inc., manufacturer of diesel engines for ships * Deutsche Seereederei Rostock, transport, cruises, property and tourism holding *

F. Laeisz F. Laeisz ( ; short form ''FL'') is a German shipping company with offices in Hamburg, Rostock, Bremerhaven and Grabow, Germany, as well as Japan and the Philippines. History The firm was established by Ferdinand Laeisz on 24 March 1824 as a ...

Neptun Werft Neptun Werft is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Rostock. Since 1997 it has been part of the Meyer Neptun Group together with Meyer Werft in Papenburg. History The company was founded as the "Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik von ...

, shipyard belonging to Meyer Neptun Group * Nordic Yards Warnemünde, shipyard * Schiffselektronik Rostock * Tamsen Maritim shipyard ;Other engineering *

Nordex SE Nordex SE is a European company that designs, sells and manufactures wind turbines. The company's headquarters is located in the German city of Rostock while management is situated in Hamburg. Production takes place in Rostock as well as in China ...

, a major producer of wind turbines * Suzlon, world's 5th largest wind turbine manufacturer * Liebherr, manufacturer of cranes ;Tourism industry * AIDA Cruises, German company for cruises * Scandlines, German-Danish ferry operator (by ''Scandferries Holding'') ;Others * Hanseatische Brauerei Rostock, German brewery belonging to the

Oetker-Gruppe Dr. Oetker () is a German multinational company that produces baking powder, cake mixes, Pizza#Preparation, frozen pizza, pudding, cake decoration, cornflakes, party candles, and various other products. The company is a wholly owned branch of ...

* Rostock University Hospital (''Universitätsmedizin'') * Yara International, supplier of plant nutrients

Education

Rostock is home to one of the oldest universities in the world. Founded in 1419, the University of Rostock is the third oldest university in Germany in continuous operation, and one of the oldest universities of the world. It also maintains a botanical garden, the

Botanischer Garten Universität Rostock The Botanischer Garten Universität Rostock (7.8 hectares), also known as the Botanischer Garten Rostock, is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Rostock. It is adjacent to the university sports fields along Hans-Sachs ...

. The Academy of Music and Theatre (''Hochschule für Musik und Theater'') offers graduate degrees in artistic fields. Founded in 1994, the institution combined ''Ernst Busch'', the former drama school, and the outpost school of the Hanns Eisler Music School Berlin. Today, the combined school is a member of the Association of Baltic Academies of Music (ABAM), a union of 17 music conservatories at the Baltic Sea and Israel. Unique in Europe is the postgraduate degree in piano duo performance. The school possesses a large opera stage (Katharinensaal) and two chamber music halls. There are concerts every day throughout the year. Rostock also hosts the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, as well as two branches of Fraunhofer Institutes, one for Computer Graphics and one for Large Structures in Production Technology.

Culture

Theatre

The municipal theatre is the

Volkstheater Rostock The Volkstheater Rostock ( en, Rostock People's Theatre, link=no) is the municipal theatre of the Hanseatic city of Rostock. It has three venues: the ''Großes Haus'', the ''Theater im Stadthafen'' and the ''Kleine Komödie'' and puts on plays, ...

where the

Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock The Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, based in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, is the state's largest symphony orchestra and also the orchestra of the Volkstheater Rostock. Founded in 1897, the orchestra grew to 90 musicians by 1991. Th ...

plays.

Events

The city is home to the annual

Hanse Sail The Hanse Sail in Rostock is the largest maritime festival in Mecklenburg (Germany) and one of the largest in Europe. About 250 traditional sailing ships of all types and sizes from a vast variety of countries visit the coast of the city of Ro ...

festival, during which many large sailing ships and museum vessels are brought out to sea, drawing over 1.5 million visitors. An annual jazz festival, ''Ostsee-Jazz'' ("Baltic Sea Jazz"), takes place in June.

Cinemas

The Lichtspieltheater Wundervoll is the

art house An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

cinema of Rostock. It opened in 1993 and offers a daily programme in two venues, the Metropol and the Frieda 23 with three cinemas. At Frieda 23 is the Institut für neue Medien (IFNM), Rostock's Institute for New Media, which includes a media workshop. Both Liwu and IFNM are active members of the ''Landesverband Filmkommunikation Mecklenburg-Vorpommern''. Special screenings for schools, educational programmes and special programmes are offered as well. It is the central venue for Rostock's Film Festival, the Festival im Stadthafen (FISH), the German Federal Festival for Young German Film.

Museums and zoo

Rostock Art Gallery The Rostock Art Gallery (german: Kunsthalle Rostock) was opened on 15 May 1969 as a museum of contemporary art in Rostock in the German federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is in the grounds of the park around the Schwanenteich lake in the ...

(''Kunsthalle Rostock'') * Museum of Cultural History (''Kulturhistorisches Museum'') * Stasi Museum (''Dokumentations- und Gedenkstätte der Bundesbeauftragten für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik'') * Warnemünde Local History Museum (''Heimatmuseum Warnemünde'') * Shipbuilding and Shipping Museum (''Schiffbau- und Schifffahrtsmuseum'') *

Rostock Zoo Rostock Zoo (German: ''Zoologische Garten Rostock'') is a zoo in the city of Rostock, founded in 1899. It covers 56 hectares and with 4,500 animals from 320 species, Rostock Zoo is the largest zoo on the German east coast. Rostock Zoo is studbook ...

* Walter Kempowski Archive * Max-Samuel-Haus, Rostock Jewish Heritage Centre

Food and drink

Rostock manufactures its own local beer, called Rostocker Pilsner, manufactured at the Hanseatische Brauerei Rostock GmbH (Rostock Hanseatic Brewery Ltd.). The beer is well known throughout the city and is also sold in cities nearby. To celebrate Rostock's 800th birthday, a special light beer called Heller Freude was brewed to commemorate the occasion.

Sport

Transport

Car

Rostock can be reached by motorway ('' Autobahn'') A 1 from Hamburg via Lübeck on A 20 and by A 19 from Berlin and A 20 from

Stettin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...

in Poland.

Public transport

'' offers fast rail connections to Hamburg and Berlin and from there to almost any other European city. Rostock is served by the Rostock tramway network, with six tram lines that serve the inner city as well as the suburbs. The city is also served by an extensive bus fleet, as well as a handful of ferries that cross the Warnow.

Ferry/ship

Rostock is Germany's largest Baltic port. Rostock is also home to a large ferry port. It is a main base for ferry operators Scandlines and TT-Line, which both connect Rostock with major Scandinavian destinations. Furthermore, Rostock receives the highest number of cruise tourists in Germany every year. Ferries leave for * Helsinki, Finland * Gedser, Denmark * Trelleborg, Sweden * Nynäshamn, Sweden * Visby, Sweden

Air

The Rostock–Laage Airport offers connections to major German and international destinations; regular flights to e.g. Munich are offered. The nearest larger international airports are in Hamburg and Berlin. There are also a number of airfields for smaller aircraft, such as Purkshof.

Twin towns - sister cities

Rostock is twinned with: *

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

, Poland (1957) * Turku, Finland (1959) *

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

, Latvia (1961) *

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, Belgium (1963) *

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

, Denmark (1964) *

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, Sweden (1965) * Bergen, Norway (1965) *

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

, Croatia (1966) *

Varna Varna may refer to: Places Europe *Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria **Varna Province **Varna Municipality ** Gulf of Varna **Lake Varna **Varna Necropolis *Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy *Varniai, a city in Lithuania * Varna (Šaba ...

, Bulgaria (1966) *

, Germany (1987) *

Dalian Dalian () is a major sub-provincial port city in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, and is Liaoning's second largest city (after the provincial capital Shenyang) and the third-most populous city of Northeast China. Located on the ...

, China (1988) * Raleigh, United States (2001) *

Guldborgsund Guldborgsund is the strait between the Danish islands of Lolland and Falster. It connects Smålandsfarvandet in the north with the Bay of Mecklenburg in the south. The strait is about 30 kilometers long; its breadth varies from 150 meters at Gu ...

, Denmark (2014)

Notable people

Portret van Simon Paulli, RP-P-1878-A-961

; Before 19th century * Henry Borwin I (–1227), Lord of Mecklenburg * Tycho Brahe (1546–1601), Danish astronomer. * Simon Paulli (1603–1680), Danish physician and naturalist * Franz Aepinus (1724–1802), German-Russian natural philosopher. *

Johann Heinrich Bartholomäus Walter Johann Heinrich Bartholomäus Walter or Walther (1734–1802) was a Baltic German architect, working in Tartu where he produced a number of buildings including Tartu Town Hall. Life Walter was born in Rostock in 1734. He moved to Tartu in wh ...

(1734–1802), Baltic-German architect, working in Tartu * Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (1742–1819), Prussian field marshal. *

Matthias Christian Sprengel Matthias Christian Sprengel (24 August 1746, in Rostock – 7 January 1803, in Halle an der Saale) was a German geographer and historian. He was notably the author of works on North American history, the American Revolution and Maratha history. ...

(1746–1803), geographer and historian * Christian Martin Frähn (1782–1851), German-Russian numismatist and historian. ; 19th century * John Brinckman (1814–1870), poet and short story writer * Moritz Wiggers (1816–1894), politician, lawyer and notary *

Paul Tischbein Paul Ludwig Philipp Wilhelm Tischbein (12 July 1820, Rostock - 17 May 1874, Rostock) was a German illustrator and painter; primarily of landscapes and genre scenes. He was a member of the Tischbein family of artists. Biography His father was t ...

(1820–1874), illustrator and painter primarily of landscapes *

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...

(1825–1896), German-Australian physician, geographer and botanist. * Johann Georg Noel Dragendorff (1836–1898), pharmacist and chemist * Adolf Wilbrandt (1837–1911), a German novelist and dramatist. *

Rudolph Sohm Gotthold Julius Rudolph Sohm (29 October 1841 in Rostock – 16 May 1917 in Leipzig) was a German jurist and Church history, Church historian as well as a Theology, theologian. He published works concerning Roman law, Roman and German law, C ...

(1841–1917), jurist, Church historian and theologian * Hermann von Maltzan (1843–1891), malacologist known for his work in the field of conchology * Albrecht Kossel (1853–1927), biochemist and pioneer in genetics, recipient of 1910 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for determining the chemical composition of nucleic acids *

Mathilde Mann Mathilde Mann ( née 'Mathilde Charlotte Bertha Friederike Scheven') was a prominent German translator and editor, especially for Nordic languages. Life Mann was born on 24 February 1859 in Rostock. She was the daughter of the physician Ernst ...

(1859–1925), prominent German translator and editor *

Paul Walden Paul Walden ( lv, Pauls Valdens; russian: Павел Иванович Вальден; german: Paul von Walden; 26 July 1863 – 22 January 1957) was a Russian, Latvian and German chemist known for his work in stereochemistry and history of che ...

(1863–1957), Latvian-German chemist *

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( , ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His best known work, ''The Scream'' (1893), has become one of Western art's most iconic images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dr ...

(1863–1944), Norwegian painter.https://www.rostock.de/erlebnisse/munch-haus.html * Gustav Mie (1868–1957), physicist, worked on electromagnetic waves * Carl Brockelmann (1868–1956), Semiticist and orientalist * Heinrich Tessenow (1876–1950), architect, professor and urban planner *

Paul Wallat Paul Wallat (June 1, 1879 – November 24, 1964) was a German landscape artist, draftsman and sculptor. Life Paul Wallat was the son of the shoemaker Gustav Wallat and brother of the sculptor . He graduated from a painter's apprenticeship in Ros ...

(1879–1964), landscape artist, draftsman and sculptor *

Hans Paasche Hans Paasche (3 April 1881, in Rostock – 21 May 1920, in Waldfrieden, Neumark) was a German politician and pacifist. He was the son of the Reichstag vice president Hermann Paasche and Lisi Paasche, and was married to Gabriele (Ellen) Witting. ...

(1881–1920), politician and pacifist *

Margarete Scheel Margarete Scheel (28 september 1881 – 9 november 1969) was a German artist, specializing in sculpture and ceramics. Scheel was born in Rostock to a family involved professionally in medicine. She, however, took a different path, pursuing her sec ...

(1881–1969), artist, specializing in sculpture and ceramics * Ernst Heinkel (1888–1958), aviation pioneer *

Karl Leo Heinrich Lehmann Karl Leo Heinrich Lehmann (1894–1960) was a German-born American art historian, archaeologist, and professor. He was known for archaeology work in Samothrace, Greece and the related publications. He was a professor at New York University Instit ...

(1894–1960), American art historian, archaeologist and professor *

Arthur R. von Hippel Arthur Robert von Hippel (November 19, 1898 – December 31, 2003) was a German American Materials science, materials scientist and physicist. Von Hippel was a pioneer in the study of dielectrics, ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials, and ...

(1898–2003), German-American materials scientist and physicist ; 20th century *

Walter Hallstein Walter Hallstein (17 November 1901 – 29 March 1982) was a German academic, diplomat and statesman who was the first President of the European Commission, President of the European Commission, Commission of the European Economic Community ...

(1901–1982), diplomat and politician, wrote the

Hallstein Doctrine The Hallstein Doctrine (), named after Walter Hallstein, was a key principle in the foreign policy of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1955 to 1970. As usually presented, it prescribed that the Federal Republic would not estab ...

Erika Fuchs Erika Fuchs, née Petri (7 December 1906 in Rostock – 22 April 2005 in Munich), was a German translator. She is largely known in Germany due to her translations of American Disney comics, especially Carl Barks' stories about Duckburg and its i ...

(1906–2005), translator *

Marianne Hoppe Marianne Hoppe (26 April 1909 – 23 October 2002) was a German theatre and film actress. Life and work Born in Rostock, Hoppe became a leading lady of stage and films in Germany. She was born into a wealthy landowning family and was initiall ...

(1909–2002), actress * Hans von Ohain (1911–1998), physicist and engineer *

Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg Woizlawa Feodora Princess Reuss (née ''Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin'', 17 December 1918 – 3 June 2019) was a German royal and by birth member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At the time of her death at the age of 100, she was the ol ...

(1918–2019), member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin *

Berndt von Staden Berndt Robert Alexander Michael von Staden (24 June 1919 – 17 October 2014) was a German diplomat who was the West German Ambassador to the United States from 1973 until 1979. Life Von Staden grew up as a Baltic German in Tallinn, Estonia. He ...

(1919–2014), diplomat, Ambassador to the United States 1973–1979 *

Peter Borgelt Peter Borgelt (20 September 1927 – 18 March 1994) was a German television actor. Borgelt was best known for playing the character of Hauptmann Fuchs in the long-running series ''Polizeiruf 110'' between 1971 and 1991. As with this series he o ...

(1927–1994), actor *

Walter Kempowski Walter Kempowski (; 29 April 1929 – 5 October 2007) was a German writer. Kempowski was known for his series of novels called ''German Chronicle'' ("Deutsche Chronik") and the monumental ''Echolot'' ("Sonar"), a collage of autobiographical repo ...

(1929–2007), writer *

Peter Schulz Peter Schulz (25 April 1930 – 17 May 2013) was a German politician, member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and First Mayor of Hamburg (1971 – 1974). Schulz was born in Rostock. He studied law at the University of Hamburg and after ...

(1930–2013), politician (SPD) and first Mayor of Hamburg 1971–1974 * Egbert Brieskorn (1936–2013), mathematician who introduced

Brieskorn sphere In mathematics, a Brieskorn manifold or Brieskorn–Phạm manifold, introduced by , is the intersection of a small sphere around the origin with the singular, complex hypersurface :x_1^+\cdots+x_n^=0 studied by . Brieskorn manifolds give examples ...

s *

Klaus Kilimann Klaus Kilimann (born Ortelsburg 11 October 1938) is a physicist who became an SPD politician after 1989. Between 1990 and 1993 he served as Oberbürgermeister of Rostock. Life Klaus Kilimann was born in East Prussia. His father was a railway ...

(born 1938), physicist, politician (SPD) and Mayor of Rostock 1990–1993 * Joachim Gauck (born 1940), politician, civil rights activist and President of Germany 2012–2017 * Sibylle Günter (born 1964), theoretical physicist *

Heinz Eggert Heinz Eggert (born 6 May 1946 in Rostock) is a German theologian and politician (Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU). He was Saxon Minister of the Interior from 1991 to 1995 and a member of the Saxon State Parliament from 1994 to 2009. ...

(born 1946), theologian and CDU politician *

Franziska Knuppe Franziska Knuppe (born 7 December 1974 in Rostock) is a German model and actress. Biography She was discovered by designer Wolfgang Joop in 1997 at a café in Potsdam. She was featured prominently in campaigns of Triumph International, JOOP!, O ...

(born 1974), fashion model *

Hinnerk Schönemann Hinnerk Schönemann (born 30 November 1974) is a German actor.
in

< ...

(born 1974), actor * Marteria (born 1982), hip hop artist ; Sport *

Friedrich Wilhelm Rahe Friedrich Wilhelm "Fieten" Rahe (; 16 April 1888 – 18 February 1949) was a German tennis and field hockey player. Biography Rahe was born at Rostock on 16 April 1888 and grew up in the family house in ''Kröpeliner Straße 37''. His gra ...

(1888–1949), tennis and field hockey player * Jan Ullrich (born 1973), cyclist, Tour de France winner and Olympic medalist * Britta Kamrau (born 1979), long-distance swimmer * André Greipel (born 1982), road bicycle racer *

Paul Martens Paul Martens (born 26 October 1983) is a German former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2006 and 2021. Career Amateur years Martens started racing junior level events in 2000 showing no particular specialization f ...

(born 1983), road bicycle racer *

Stephan Krüger Stephan Krüger (born 29 November 1988, Rostock) is a German rower. He was part of the German quadruple sculls team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, with René Bertram, Hans Gruhne and Christian Schreiber. The team finished in 6th. In 2009, he ...

(born 1988), rower

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Official tourism siteEuropean Route of Brick Gothic: Rostock
* {{Authority control Cities and towns in Mecklenburg Denmark–Germany border crossings Members of the Hanseatic League Port cities and towns in Germany Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea Populated coastal places in Germany (Baltic Sea) 1218 establishments in Europe Populated places established in the 11th century Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Holocaust locations in Germany