|
|
| DEUTSCHLAND | GERMANY |
| Bundesland: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Mecklenburg-West Pomerania |
| Landkreis: Nordwestmecklenburg |
map →
Wismar is situated at southern end of the Wismar Bay of the Baltic Sea, about 29 km north-northeast of Schwerin, the capital of Germany's state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Wismar is the seat of the administration of the district Nordwestmecklenburg. The municipality has a population of about 43,100 (2025). Visemêr was first mentioned in 1147, Wyssemaria in 1229, Wismaria in 1237. Its town charter, which is based on that of Lübeck, was confirmed in 1266. From 1256 until 1358, Wismar was the residence of the princes of Mecklenburg. Wismar became a member of the Hanse federation of trading towns in 1358. In 1555 it became part of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. During the Thirty Years' War, Wismar was occupied by Swedish troops in 1632. After the war, in 1648, Wismar became part of Sweden. After 1680, the town became Europe's largest fortress, with 18 bastions, 9 ravelins and 2 citadels, armed by 700 canons. When three towers that were used for the storage of gunpowder blew up in 1699, large parts of the town were destroyed. During the Nordic War, the Danish ordered the fortress to be demolished in 1717. During the Seven Years' War, Wismar was conquered by Prussia in 1757. In 1803, Wismar was pawned to the Duchy (since 1815 Grand Duchy) of Mecklenburg-Schwerin for 100 years. In 1903, Sweden renounced of its rights and Wismar became integral part of of the Grand Duchy. Although large parts of the town were destroyed in 1945 and further destructions followed in the 1960s, the old town of Wismar, together with that of Stralsund, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO in 2002 (see also list of other UNESCO heritage sites). After the re-unification of Germany in 1990, the prefix 'Hansestadt' was again added to the city's name.
The 
parish church Sankt Marien [right] was first mentioned in 1250.
This first, wooden, church was replaced by a brick church in about 1260–1280. Finally, the church was rebuilt
as a monumental basilica; the construction of this church lasted from 1339 until 1508.
In 1945, the church was severely damaged, and the ruins were finally blown up in 1960.
The only part of the church remaining today is the tower (80 m high), one of the landmarks of Wismar.
The Gothic Sankt-Georgen-Kirche [left] was begun in 1295.
The church was intended to be one of the largest churches in Northern Germany. However, shortness of money prevented the
completion of the tower of the church. Only the lower parts up until the height of the roof of the nave were completed.
A bomb raid in April 1945 caused severe damages. For decades, the ruins of the church were neglected, and finally the north gable
collapsed in 1990. After the re-unification of Germany it was decided to reconstruct the church until about 2010.
The Wasserkunst in the centre of the market square [near left, no. 3135: bottom left,
right, no. 5029: left, and below, no. 2466: foreground right]
was created in 1602 by the Philipp Brandin from Utrecht. The first, wooden, fountain in this location had been built in 1563.
The bottom right picture on glass no. 3135 [near left] shows a view of the
new watertower
The harbour of Wismar is depicted on glasses no. 5026 [left: top picture], no. 5027
[right], and on glass no. 5028 [below: bottom left picture].
The bottom pictures on glass no. 5026 [near left] depict views of
Bürgerpark
The Schwedenstein [bottom left], a boulder weighing 400 centner bearing the coats of arms of
Wismar, Mecklenburg and Sweden, was created in 1903.
The bottom right picture shows a view of the Pavillon in Bürgerpark. No further information could be found
on this structure, but it is depicted on postcards dating from the time shortly after the creation of the park, mostly refered to as
'Tempel'.
The Ingenieur-Akademie [near left: bottom right picture] was founded in 1908.
In 1922, the Engineering Academy became the property of the City of Wismar as the Municipal Polytechnic (Städtisches Polytechnikum).
In 1989, it was renamed the Warnemünde-Wustrow Maritime University.
Following the closure of the Maritime College in 1990, it was formally taken over by the University of Rostock.
The Wustrow campus was closed in 1992 at the end of the summer term. The Maritime Studies department was incorporated into Wismar University
of Applied Sciences as a new department in the same year.
[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wismar;
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserkunst_Wismar;
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasserturm_Wismar;
https://www.auf-nach-mv.de/reiseziele/a-buergerpark;
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hochschule_Wismar]
![[scale]](lineal.jpg)