Greifswald

Greifswald is a city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It is situated at the coast of the Baltic Sea and the mouth of the Ryck river. Population: 57,700 (1997).

The first settlers at the place were Danish Cistercian monks, who founded the Eldena monastery in 1199. Due to the salt trade the monastery grew to a monumental religious centre. The town of Greifswald close to the monastery was first time mentioned in 1248. After rapid growth Greifswald was one of the co-founders of the Hanseatic League at the end of the 13th century. The town of Greifswald was captured by Sweden in 1631. It remained swedish until 1815.

The painter Caspar David Friedrich was a citizen of Greifswald.

In the 1970s the communist government decided to remodel the town. Thereby parts of the historic city were destroyed and replaced by concrete slab buildings. After the German reunification these destructions were stopped, and the renovation of the remaining medieval buildings began.