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Wismar

Town

Clockwise from top: St Nicholas' Church, St George's Church, Market Square with waterworks, Old Harbour, Gewölbe, colorful houses in the old town

Flag	Coat of arms

Location of Wismar within Nordwestmecklenburg district

Wismar

Location in Germany

Wismar

Location in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Country

Germany

State

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

District

Nordwestmecklenburg

Area

• Total

41.36 km² (15.97 sq mi)

Elevation

15 m (49 ft)

Population

(2022-12-31)

• Total

43,878

• Density

1,060.88/km² (2,747.7/sq mi)

• Summer (DST)

23952, 23966, 23968, 23970

Dialling codes

03841

Vehicle registration

HWI

Wismar is a cool city in northeastern Germany. It's officially called the Hanseatic City of Wismar. About 43,000 people live there. This makes it the sixth-largest city in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Wismar is located on the Bay of Wismar, which is part of the Baltic Sea. It's right across from Poel Island. The city is nestled between two bigger port cities: Lübeck to the west and Rostock to the east. The state capital, Schwerin, is south of Wismar. Wismar is also the main city of the Northwestern Mecklenburg district. Its natural harbor is protected by a piece of land sticking out into the water.

Wismar was likely founded around 1226. In 1259, it became part of the Hanseatic League. This was a powerful group of trading cities. Over time, Wismar was controlled by different German states and even the Swedish Empire. It was part of Sweden from 1648 until 1803. This Swedish history is celebrated every year with a big "Sweden Celebration."

Wismar is a great example of a Hanseatic city. It has many buildings made of red brick in the Brick Gothic style. Its unique houses with stepped roofs are famous. In 2002, Wismar's old town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It shares this honor with the historic old town of Stralsund. Wismar is also home to Hochschule Wismar, a university. The city has a large shipyard, MV Werften Wismar, which builds cruise ships. This shipyard is one of the city's biggest employers. Three important churches, St. George's, St. Nicholas', and St. Mary's, stand tall over the city. Only the tower of St. Mary's Church remains today.

A Look at Wismar's Past
- Wismar Under Swedish Control
- Wismar in the 20th Century
City Leaders: Mayors and Lord Mayors
Amazing Sights and Buildings
Learning in Wismar
Wismar's Economy
Famous People from Wismar
Wismar in Movies and Books
Wismar's Sister Cities
Images for kids
See also

A Look at Wismar's Past

Wismar in the 16th century

The exact date Wismar was founded is not fully clear. The oldest document about Wismar from 1229 already talks about its city rights. In 1301, Wismar came under the rule of the House of Mecklenburg.

In 1259, Wismar joined an agreement with Lübeck and Rostock. This was to fight against the many pirates in the Baltic Sea. More cities soon joined this cooperation. This helped create the Hanseatic League. By the 13th and 14th centuries, Wismar was a busy trading center. It was also important for making wool products. Even after a plague in 1376, the town stayed quite successful until the 16th century.

Wismar Under Swedish Control

Siege of Wismar in 1675

Wismar
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Alter Schwede, built around 1380
Part of	Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iv
Inscription	2002 (26th Session)
Area	88 ha
Buffer zone	108 ha

After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Wismar became part of Sweden. This meant the Kings of Sweden had a say in the Holy Roman Empire. Wismar became an important center for all Swedish lands in the Holy Roman Empire. The city's defenses were made much stronger. Some parts of these old walls can still be seen today. During a war in 1675, Danish forces attacked and captured the town.

In 1803, Sweden gave Wismar to the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sweden kept the right to buy it back after 100 years. But in 1903, Sweden finally gave up its claim to the town. Wismar still has some special rights from its past. For example, it can fly its own flag.

Wismar in the 20th Century

By the late 1800s, Wismar was known for making iron, steel, paper, and machines. Its harbor was busy with international trade. Grains and butter were sent out, while coal, wood, and iron were brought in. Wismar also made parts for trains. From 1933, it was home to a factory for Dornier aircraft. In 1881, Rudolph Karstadt opened his first department store in Wismar. This store later became the well-known Karstadt chain.

During World War II, Wismar was heavily bombed by Allied planes. On May 2, 1945, British troops captured Wismar. A few days later, British and Soviet military leaders met in Wismar. According to agreements, Wismar became part of the Soviet Occupation Zone on July 1, 1945.

During the time of East Germany (1949-1990), Wismar became the second-largest port in East Germany. It also developed a big shipbuilding industry. The government promised to fix the damaged churches and historic sites. But most of these repairs did not happen.

After Germany reunited in 1990, the churches and historic buildings in Wismar's old town were finally restored. In 2002, the old towns of Wismar and Stralsund were named World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. In 2011, Wismar became the capital of the Nordwestmecklenburg district.

View over the city

City Leaders: Mayors and Lord Mayors

Here is a list of some of Wismar's leaders over the years:

1919–1929: Hans Rasp
1929–1933: Heinrich Brechling
1933–1945: Alfred Pleuger
May 1945 – June 1945: Heinrich von Biel
June 1945 – August 1945: Heinz Adolf Janert
August 1945 – 1945: Karl Keuscher
September 1945 – 1945: August Wilke
December 1945 – December 1950: Herbert Säverin
January 1951 – June 1952: Erhard Holweger
August 1953 – June 1957: Herbert Kolm
July 1957 – April 1969: Herbert Fiegert
April 1969 – November 1989: Günter Lunow
November 1989 – May 1990: Wolfram Flemming (temporary)
1990–2010: Rosemarie Wilcken
Since July 2010: Thomas Beyer

Amazing Sights and Buildings

Reconstruction of the Medieval Gothic Georgenkirche (St. George's Church) was completed in 2010.

Wismar's old town is centered around a huge marketplace. It's one of the biggest in northern Germany! The area is full of old town houses and trading buildings. They were built in the Brick Gothic style between the 13th and 15th centuries. You can also see 19th-century Romanesque Revival architecture and Art Nouveau houses. Buildings from the Swedish period (17th and 18th centuries) add another layer of history.

The main attraction in the market square is the Wasserkunst. This is a fancy iron fountain brought from Holland in 1602. The Town Hall is on the north side of the square. It was built in a Neoclassical style from 1817 to 1819. Another famous building is the Alter Schwede (Old Swede). This brick house was built around 1380.

St. George's Church is the third church built on its site. It dates back to 1404. It was badly damaged during World War II. After Germany reunited, it was rebuilt. The reconstruction finished in 2010.

The tall tower of St. Mary's Church (Marienkirche) is all that's left of the original building. It was built in the early 13th century. It was heavily damaged in World War II and partly torn down in 1960.

St. Mary's Church and St. Nicholas' Church (Nikolaikirche) are great examples of the Lübeck's St. Mary's Church style. St. Nicholas' has very high ceilings and was built from 1381 to 1460.

The Fürstenhof is a beautifully decorated building in an early Italian Renaissance style. It used to be a home for dukes. Later, it became the seat of the city government. It was built from 1552 to 1565 and restored later. The Old School, from about 1300, has not been restored yet. The Town Hall has a gallery of paintings. The Baumhaus art gallery is located in the old harbor area.

Learning in Wismar

Hochschule Wismar – University of Technology, Business and Design is a university in Wismar.

Wismar's Economy

Nordic Yards Wismar is a shipbuilding company in Wismar. Shipbuilding has been happening at this location since 1946.

Famous People from Wismar

Klaus Störtebeker (around 1360–1401), a famous privateer (like a pirate working for a government).
Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1557–1631), who became queen of Denmark and Norway.
Friedrich Christoph Dahlmann (1785–1860), a historian and statesman.
Gottlob Frege (1848–1925), a very important mathematician and philosopher.
Marita Koch (born 1957), a track and field athlete who won an Olympic gold medal in 1980.
Simone Oldenburg (born 1969), a politician who became Deputy Minister-President in 2021.

Wismar in Movies and Books

Wismar was used as the setting for the 1922 silent horror film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. In the movie, Wismar was called "Wisborg." This famous German horror film was partly filmed in Wismar. Shots of the Marienkirche tower and the Wismar marketplace were used. Other filming spots included the Wassertor (Water Gate), St. Nicholas' Church, the Heilig-Geist-Kirche (Holy-Spirit-Church), and the harbor.

Werner Herzog made a remake of Nosferatu in 1979 called Nosferatu, Phantom der Nacht. He wanted to film in Wismar, but couldn't. So, he filmed in cities in the Netherlands instead. The 2000 horror film Shadow of the Vampire, which is about the making of the 1922 Nosferatu movie, also takes place in Wismar.