Güstrow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Güstrow
Town
Güstrow Palace, a marvel of Renaissance architecture
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Güstrow within Rostock district
Güstrow Location in Germany Show map of Germany Güstrow Location in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Show map of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Country	Germany
State	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
District	Rostock
Area
• Total	70.86 km2 (27.36 sq mi)
Elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	29,556
• Density	417.10/km2 (1,080.29/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	18273
Dialling codes	03843
Vehicle registration	LRO
Website	www.guestrow.de

Güstrow is a cool town in north-eastern Germany, located in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It's the main city of the Rostock district.

About 29,000 people live in Güstrow, making it the seventh largest town in its state. Since 2006, it's also known as Barlachstadt (Barlach City), named after a famous artist who lived there.

Güstrow is famous for its amazing Güstrow Palace, which is a beautiful example of Renaissance style. It also has a really old old town and a stunning brick gothic cathedral. Inside the cathedral, you can see a special sculpture called Floating Angel by Ernst Barlach.

Geography

Güstrow is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Rostock. It sits by the Nebel River, which is a branch of the Warnow River. There's a special channel, the Bützow-Güstrow-Kanal, that connects the town to the Warnow River, and tourists often use it.

Around Güstrow, you'll find five lakes: Inselsee, Sumpfsee, Parumer See, Grundloser See, and Gliner See. There are also many forests, making it a great place for nature lovers!

History

Güstrow in the 1600s

The name Güstrow comes from an old language called Polabian. It means "lizard place," which is pretty cool!

Around the year 1219, a castle called Güstrowe was built by the Wends (an old Slavic group) right where the beautiful Renaissance palace stands today. The town of Güstrow was likely started between 1219 and 1226 by Heinrich Borwin II, who was the grandson of a famous leader named Henry the Lion. Güstrow was first officially mentioned in 1228.

From 1229 to 1436, Güstrow was the home of the lords of Werle. In 1441, the town's first special shooting club was started.

In 1330, a difficult event for the Jewish community led to the building of a chapel called the Kapelle des heiligen Bluts (Chapel of the Holy Blood) on the site of the synagogue. The town also faced tough times with big fires in 1503, 1508, and 1512, and the palace itself burned down in 1556.

After Mecklenburg was divided in 1621, Güstrow became the capital of a small area called the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. A famous general from the Thirty Years' War, Albrecht von Wallenstein, was even a duke of this region for a while.

In 1695, the last duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow passed away, and the duchy became part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

The well-known sculptor Ernst Barlach lived in Güstrow from 1910 until his death in 1938. His art is still a big part of the town's identity.

During World War II, Güstrow was used for labor camps and prisons. After the war, it became part of East Germany.

Sights

Güstrow has many interesting places to visit:

• The Güstrow Palace (or Schloss Güstrow in German) was built in 1589. It's a fantastic example of Renaissance architecture and was once home to the dukes of Mecklenburg. It's considered one of the most important buildings of its kind in the whole Baltic Sea area. The palace was carefully restored between 1963 and 1981, and a beautiful Renaissance garden was added, designed to look like old drawings.
• Güstrow Cathedral is a Brick Gothic cathedral built between 1226 and 1335. Inside, you can see a beautiful high altar from around 1500, and the tombs of Duke Ulrich III and his two wives. The most famous artwork here is the Schwebende Engel ("Hovering Angel"), a sculpture by Ernst Barlach created in 1926 to remember those who died in World War I.
• St. Mary's Church is another Brick Gothic church, though some parts were changed in the 1800s.
• Ernst Barlach's Atelierhaus (studio) is a museum that shows off many of his amazing sculptures and drawings.
• The Town Hall was first built in the 1200s and then rebuilt around 1800. It stands in the main market square.

Gallery

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  Renaissance Güstrow Palace

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  Brick Gothic Güstrow Cathedral

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  Floating Angel by Ernst Barlach, 1927 expressionist WW1 memorial in the Cathedral

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  St. Mary's Parish Church

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  Cathedral School (Domschule)

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  Cathedral school

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  City Hall at the Market Square

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  Gable houses at Güstrow's market square

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  Theatre of Güstrow (Ernst-Barlach-Theater)

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  Main Post Office (historicist architecture)

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  City museum and tourist info

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  Soviet Cemetery

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  Inselsee (Island Lake)

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  Nature and Environment Park (Natur- und Umweltpark Güstrow)

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  The Armesünderturm

Education

Güstrow has several schools and even a university:

• University of Administration, Judicature and Police in Güstrow
• John-Brinckman-Gymnasium Güstrow (a public high school)
• ecolea – International School Güstrow (a private high school)
• Freie Schule Güstrow e.V.
• Secondary School "Richard Wossidlo"
• Secondary School "Thomas Müntzer"
• Primary and Secondary School "Schule am Inselsee"
• Primary School "Georg Friedrich Kersting"
• Primary School "Fritz Reuter"
• Primary School "Schule an der Nebel"

Transport

Getting around Güstrow is easy with city buses run by rebus GmbH. The town is also the southern end point for the Rostock S-Bahn, which is like a local train system.

Sport and leisure

If you like sports, the motorcycle speedway team MC Güstrow races in the German league at the Güstrow Speedway Stadium.

Notable people

Karl Christian Johann Holsten, a German theologian

Many interesting people have come from Güstrow or lived there:

• Christian Geist (around 1650–1711), a German composer and organist.
• Joachim Daniel von Jauch (1688–1754), a major general and architect.
• John Brinckman (1814–1870), a poet and writer known for his funny stories.
• Karl Christian Johann Holsten (1825–1897), a German religious scholar.
• Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky (1933–2023), a jazz musician often called the "father of free jazz" in East Germany.
• Peter Kurth (born 1957), a German actor.

Historical Figures

Charles I, Duke of Mecklenburg

• Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg (1486–1547), a Duke of Mecklenburg.
• John Albert I (1525–1576), a duke who ruled both Mecklenburg-Güstrow and Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
• Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg (1527–1603), another Duke of Mecklenburg.
• Charles I, Duke of Mecklenburg (1540–1610), a Duke of Mecklenburg who lived in Güstrow.
• Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1633–1695), the very last ruler of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.

Sport Stars

• Torsten Voss (born 1963), a decathlete who won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
• Frank-Peter Roetsch (born 1964), a biathlete who won two gold medals at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
• Patrick Kühl (born 1968), a swimmer who won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Twin towns – sister cities

Güstrow is connected with other cities around the world as "twin towns" or "sister cities":

• Ribe, Denmark
• Gryfice, Poland
• Kronshagen, Germany
• Neuwied, Germany

Climate

See also

In Spanish: Güstrow para niños