Schleswig (, , ; ;

South Jutlandic South Jutlandic or South Jutish ( South Jutish: ; ; ) is a dialect of the Danish language. South Jutlandic is spoken in Southern Jutland (''Sønderjylland''; also called Schleswig or Slesvig) on both sides of the border between Denmark and Germ ...

: ''Sljasvig''; ) is a town in the northeastern part of

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...

, Germany. It is the capital of the '' Kreis'' (district)

Schleswig-Flensburg Schleswig-Flensburg (; ) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the south and clockwise) the districts of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, Dithmarschen and Nordfriesland, the Region Syddanmark in Denmark, the city of Flensb ...

. It has a population of about 27,000, the main industries being leather and food processing. It takes its name from the

Schlei The Schlei (; or e.g. in: Adolph Frederik Bergsøe: ''Den danske stats statistik'', Kjøbenhavn 1844, p. 156) is a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. It stretches for approximately 20 miles (32 kilometer ...

(Slien), an inlet of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

at the end of which it sits, and ''vik'' or ''vig'' which means "bay" in

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

and Danish. Schleswig or Slesvig therefore means "bay of the Schlei".

History

The

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

settlement of

Hedeby Hedeby (, Old Norse: ''Heiðabýr'', German: ''Haithabu'') was an important Danish Viking Age (8th to the 11th centuries) trading settlement near the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, now in the Schleswig-Flensburg district of Schleswig ...

, located south of the modern town, was first mentioned in 804. It was a powerful settlement in the

Baltic region The Baltic Sea Region, alternatively the Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states, refers to the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, including parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Un ...

, 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 a part of the Danish kingdom. In 1544,

Gottorf Castle Gottorf Castle (, , Low German: ''Slott Gottorp'') is a castle and estate in the city of Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is one of the most important secular buildings in Schleswig-Holstein, and has been rebuilt and expanded severa ...

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 In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...

ended, the dukes of Gottorf lost their power and their land became Danish crown land. After the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War (; or German Danish War), 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. The war began on 1 Februar ...

(1864), Schleswig was annexed by the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

Geography

Schleswig lies at the western end of the Schlei Förde, which separates the two peninsulas of

Angeln Angeln (; ) is a peninsula on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of Jutland, in the Bay of Kiel. It forms part of Southern Schleswig, the northernmost region of Germany. The peninsula is bounded on the north by the Flensburg Firth, which separates it ...

and

Schwansen Schwansen ( or ''Svansø'', meaning "swan island/peninsula") is a peninsula in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, protruding into the Baltic Sea. It is located between Eckernförde Bay to the south and the Schlei inlet to the north. The Danish dia ...

, and is on the western edge of the

Schleswig-Holstein Uplands The Schleswig-Holstein Uplands or Schleswig-Holstein Morainic Uplands Dickinson, Robert E (1964). ''Germany: A regional and economic geography'' (2nd ed.). London: Methuen. . (German: ''Schleswig-Holsteinisches Hügelland'') is one of the three l ...

on the transition to the

Geest Geest (, , ) is a type of landform, slightly raised above the surrounding countryside, that occurs on the plains of Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils formed as a glacial outw ...

country. The urban area ranges from 0 to above sea level.

Brautsee Brautsee () is a lake in Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. It ...

(lake) is in the town. The nearest major cities are

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish language, Danish and ; ; ) is an independent city, independent town in the far north of the Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. After Kiel and Lübeck, it is the third-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg's ...

Husum Husum (, ) is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The town was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea". It is also the home of the annual i ...

and

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

Autobahn 7 is the longest German Autobahn and the longest national motorway in Europe at 963 km (598 mi). It bisects the country almost evenly between east and west. In the north, it starts at the border with Denmark as an extension of the Danish part of ...

runs immediately west of the city.

Highways A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

76 and 77 end in Schleswig and B 201 runs to the north of the town.

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. It is currently operated by Deutsche Bahn, which classi ...

is a stop for

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...

and

Intercity-Express Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE () and running under this Train categories in Europe, category) is a high-speed rail in Germany, high-speed rail system in Germany. It also serves destinations in Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland an ...

trains and is on the Hamburg–Neumünster–Flensburg and Husum–Kiel lines.

Climate

The climate is oceanic (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb''), humid and mild with a slight continental influence. The annual mean temperature is 8 °C and precipitation averages 925 mm.

Sights

Schleswig Cathedral Schleswig Cathedral (, ) officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig (), is the main church of the city of Schleswig and was the cathedral of the Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624. It is now a church of the Nor ...

(1134), with the tomb of King

Frederick I of Denmark Frederick I ( Danish and ; ; ; 7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533) was King of Denmark and Norway. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over Denmark and Norway, when subsequent monarchs embraced Lutheranism after the Protestant Reformatio ...

(built 1161), former residence of the dukes, with the baroque Neuwerk garden, containing a replica of the Globe of Gottorf *Holm: old fishing village at the Schlei shore *Hedeby, Viking settlement

Twin towns – sister cities

Schleswig is twinned with: *

Hillingdon Hillingdon is an area of Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon, centred 14.2 miles (22.8 km) west of Charing Cross. It was an ancient parish in Middlesex that included the market town of Uxbridge. During the 1920s the civil pari ...

, England, United Kingdom *

Mantes-la-Jolie Mantes-la-Jolie (, often informally called Mantes) is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region of north-central France. It is located to the west of Paris, f ...

, France *

Vejle Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality (''Municipalities of De ...

, Denmark * Waren, Germany

Notable people

Valdemar I of Denmark Valdemar I Knudsen (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great (), was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zenith under his s ...

(1131–1182), King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. *

Christian III of Denmark Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...

(1503–1559), King of Denmark *

Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden Adolf (or Adolph) Frederick (; ; 14 May 171012 February 1771) was King of Sweden from 1751 until his death in 1771. He was the son of Christian August of Holstein-Gottorp, Prince of Eutin, and Albertina Frederica of Baden-Durlach. He was an ...

(1710–1771), King of Sweden *

Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus I () (20 September 1711 – 6 July 1785) was Prince-Bishop of Lübeck from 1750 to 1785, and Count and later the first Duke of Oldenburg from 1773 to 1785. Early life Frederick Augustus was the son of Christian August of H ...

(1711–1785), nobleman * Asmus Jacob Carstens (1754–1798) a Danish-German painter, committed to German

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

. *

Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (; 28 September 1789 – 13 March 1867) was the consort of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and the matriarch of the House of Glücksburg. Early life Louise Car ...

(1789–1867), matriarch of the

House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

Herman Wilhelm Bissen Herman Wilhelm Bissen (13 October 1798 – 10 March 1868) was a Danish sculptor. Bissen created a number of public works, working in plaster, marble and bronze. The National Gallery of Denmark owns a collection of over two hundred of his ...

(1798–1868), Danish sculptor *

Friedrich Bernhard Westphal Friedrich Bernhard Westphal (5 October 1803, Schleswig (city), Schleswig – 24 December 1844) was a German-Danish genre painting, genre painter and illustrator. He was also known by his nickname Fritz Westphal. Life From 1821 to 1826 he stu ...

(1803–1844), German-Danish genre painter and illustrator *

Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 15 November 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schlesw ...

(1818–1906), King of Denmark, 1863 - 1906. * Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Jessen (1821–1889), botanist *

Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (; ; 6 July 1829 – 14 January 1880) was the German pretender to the throne of second duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 1863, although in reality Prussia to ...

(1821–1889), patriarch of the

House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg () was a branch of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg of the House of Oldenburg. The line descended from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. Like all of the secondary ...

* Friedrich Krichauff (1824–1904), politician in colonial South Australia *

Victor Hensen Christian Andreas Victor Hensen (10 February 1835 – 5 April 1924) was a German zoologist and marine biologist (planktology). He coined the term ''plankton'' and laid the foundation for biological oceanography and quantitative studies. Family ...

(1835–1924), zoologist *

Ove H. Berg Ove H. Berg (December 20, 1840 – March 30, 1922) was an American politician and businessman. Born in the Duchy of Schleswig (then a Danish fief) Berg was educated in the public schools. He held what he later described as "several responsibl ...

(1840–1922), American politician and businessman, emigrated to the US in 1881 * Julius Friedrich Theodor Engel (1842–1926), judge and politician *

Hans von Seeckt Johannes "Hans" Friedrich Leopold von Seeckt (22 April 1866 – 27 December 1936) was a German military officer who served as Chief of Staff to August von Mackensen and was a central figure in planning the victories Mackensen achieved for German ...

(1866–1936), military officer *

Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau Ulrich Karl Christian Graf von Brockdorff-Rantzau (29 May 1869 – 8 September 1928) was a German diplomat who became the first Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic. In that capacity, he led the German delegation at the Paris Peace Conference ...

(1869–1928), politician and diplomat, first Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic * Christian Hansen (1885–1972), general *

Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (24 January 1889 – 4 July 1968) was a German general of paratroop forces during World War II. He led units in Crete, North Africa, Italy, the Soviet Union and France, and was captured by American forces at the conc ...

(1889–1968), General of paratroop forces * Anton Franzen (1896–1968), lawyer, judge and politician * Bernhard Rogge (1899–1982), naval officer *

Bernd Kröplin Bernd-Helmut Kröplin (11 November 1944, in Schleswig, Germany – 1 January 2019) was a German engineer and academic. Life After a trade apprenticeship as a bricklayer, Kröplin studied Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Braunsc ...

(1944–2019), engineer and academic *

Ralf Rothmann Ralf Rothmann (born 10 May 1953, in Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein) is a German novelist, poet, and dramatist. His novels have been translated into several languages, with Knife Edge (''Messers Schneide''), Young Light (''Junges Licht''), Fire Doe ...

(born 1953), novelist * Thomas Heberer (born 1965), musician and composer *

Ekkehard Wölk Ekkehard Wölk is a German pianist, arranger, and composer, working in both classical and jazz idioms. Early life He was born in Schleswig, Federal Republic of Germany in 1967. Wölk started piano training at the age of seven. His classical mu ...

(born 1967), pianist, arranger and composer

Sport

* Jobst Hirscht (born 1948), athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres *

Hole Rößler Hole Rößler (born 17 April 1949) is a German modern pentathlete. He competed for West Germany at the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1 ...

(born 1949), modern pentathlete *

Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker (born 23 September 1984) is a German former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Career Callsen-Bracker joined TSV Bollingstedt and SV Beuel 06 before joining Bayer Leverkusen in 1998. In 2011, Calls ...

(born 1984), footballer

References

External links

Official website
* * * * {{Authority control Towns in Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Flensburg