Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the central part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde., it had a population of 28,476.
History
Rendsburg's foundation date is unknown. Rendsburg was first mentioned in 1199. An old form of its name in Danish was Reynoldsburgh.It became a part of Holstein in the 13th century, but was transferred to Schleswig in 1460. Many times the town passed from Danish to German control and vice versa. In the German-Danish War in 1864 Rendsburg was finally seized by Kingdom of Prussia and Austria. After 1866 the town was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. Since that time it has remained part of Germany.
Although the Eider is navigable for small craft from its mouth on the North Sea to Rendsburg, the town's importance rose in 1895, when the Kiel Canal was finished. The much larger ships that could navigate the Kiel Canal meant that, although situated inland, Rendsburg became a seaport and a dockyard.
Main sights
The most prominent structure in town, the Rendsburg High Bridge,a railway bridge made of steel, in length and in height, was constructed in 1913 to take the Neumünster–Flensburg railway over the Kiel Canal from the relatively flat land on either side. It is the longest railway bridge in Europe : on the northern side, the bridge connects to the Rendsburg Loop to gain height and to allow trains to continue to serve the Rendsburg station. Suspended from the railway bridge, a transporter bridge - one of only twenty ever built - traverses the canal.
The German Army's Air Defence School and the Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz are both located in Rendsburg.
Other sights include:
- Town hall, 16th century
- Marienkirche, 1286
- Kiel Canal Pedestrian Tunnel, longest pedestrian tunnel in the world
- The longest bench in the world, on the banks of the Kiel Canal
- Jewish Museum Rendsburg
- Museums in the Cultural Centre
Notable residents, sons and daughters of Rendsburg
- Michael Maier a German physician, counsellor to Rudolf II Habsburg, a learned alchemist, epigramist and amateur composer
- Christian Scriver a German Lutheran minister and devotional writer
- Marquard Gude a German archaeologist and classical scholar
- Calmer Hambro a Danish merchant and banker.
- Theodor Mommsen a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist; Germany's first Nobel Prize winner for literature, lived in Rendsburg for many years
- Levin Moses Wallach a German-Danish rabbi
- Heinrich Adolph Leschen father of gymnastics and pioneer of medical massage in South Australia
- Marie Davids a German painter
- Ludwig Fahrenkrog a German writer, playwright and artist
- Dagmar Hjort, Danish schoolteacher, writer and women's rights activist
- Gustav Kieseritzky a German admiral during WWII
- Hans Friedemann Götze Colonel in the German Waffen-SS
- Erhard Asmus author of Low German comedies
- Hans Egon Holthusen lyric poet, essayist, and literary scholar
- Hans Blohm a photographer and author, in Canada
- Ralph-Rainer Wuthenow, literary scholar
- Hinrich Seidel a German chemist and President of the University of Hannover
- Otto Bernhardt, CDU politician
- Peter Reichel, political scientist and historian
- Hartmut Lutz University Professor with a special interest in Native American and Native Canadian studies.
- Gesine Froese, journalist and author
- Dorit Urd Feddersen-Petersen, behavioral scientist
- Herbert H. Klement, Protestant theologian and academic
- Hanne Haller a German pop singer, composer, writer, producer and sound engineer
- Ingo Langner, a documentary filmmaker, author, publicist
- Andreas Willers, German jazz musician
- Gerhard Delling a German journalist and author
- Pierre Gilgenast, SPD Mayor of Rendsburg
- Jost de Jager CDU politician
- Philip Kraft a German fragrance chemist
- Noah Wunsch a German painter, photographer and designer.
- Arne Feldhusen film director
- Marco Wriedt, guitarist and composer
- Hans-Ulrich Buchholz a German rower, competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Alexander Kühl a former professional basketball player
- Patrik Borger a German football coach and former footballer
- Lauritz Schoof, rower, gold medal in the men's quadruple sculls at the 2012 Summer Olympics
International relations
- Aalborg, Denmark, since 1967
- Haapsalu, Estonia, since 1989
- Kristianstad, Sweden, since 1992
- Lancaster, England, since 1950
- Ledyard, United States, since 2013
- Rathenow, Germany, since 1989
- Skien, Norway, since 1995
- Vierzon, France, since 1954
- Almere, Netherlands, since 2014
- Racibórz County, Poland, since 2004
Friendship agreements
- Piteå, Sweden, since 1978