Usedom (Polish: Uznam) is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon (German: Stettiner Haff) estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania. Most of the island belongs to the German district of Vorpommern-Greifswald in the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, with the exception of the eastern part and the city of Świnoujście (German: Swinemünde) which is in Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Its area is 445 km² (the German part 373 km²; the Polish part 72 km²). Its population is 76,500 (the German part 31,500; the Polish part 45,000). read more…
The Elbe rises at an elevation of about 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) in the Krkonoše (also known as Giant Mountains or in German as Riesengebirge) on the northwest borders of the Czech Republic. Of the numerous small streams whose waters compose the infant river, the most important is the Bílé Labe, or White Elbe. After plunging down the 60 metres (197 ft) of the Labský vodopád, or Elbe Falls, the latter stream unites with the steeply torrential Malé Labe, and thereafter the united stream of the Elbe pursues a southerly course, emerging from the mountain glens at and continuing on to Pardubice, where it turns sharply to the west. At Kolín some 43 kilometres (27 mi) further on, it bends gradually towards the north-west. read more…
Pillnitz is a city quarter in the east of Dresden, Germany. The best known sight of this quarter is the Japanese-styled chateau. The quarter is situated in the east of Dresden, a rather long way from the inner city. It can be reached by bus, ship, walking along the river or by bicycle. The park around the castle was founded in 1539 by building the castle church. In 1693 Elector John George IV of Saxony acquired the palace as a present to his mistress Magdalena Sibylla of Neidschutz. Both died in the following years and in 1706 John George’s brother Augustus II the Strong passed the facilities as a gift to Anna Constantia of Brockdorff, one of his numerous women, only to retract it after Anna Constantia had fled to Berlin in 1715. read more…
Schloss Moritzburg is a Baroque castle in the municipality of Moritzburg in the German state of Saxony, about 13 km (8.1 mi) northwest of the Saxon capital Dresden. read more…
Stralsund is a city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, situated at the southern coast of the Strelasund (a sound of the Baltic Sea separating the island of Rügen from the mainland). Two bridges and several ferry services connect Stralsund with the ports of Rügen. The main industries of Stralsund are shipyards, fishing, and, to an increasing degree, tourism. read more…
The Wartburg is a castle situated on a 1230-foot (410 m) precipice to the southwest of, and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. In 1999 UNESCO added Wartburg Castle to the World Heritage List as an “Outstanding Monument of the Feudal Period in Central Europe”, citing its “Cultural Values of Universal Significance”. For centuries, the Wartburg has been a place of pilgrimage for many people from within and outside Germany, for its significance in German history and in the development of Christianity. Several places (especially US towns founded by Lutherans) and a local brand of automobile have been named after the Wartburg. Wartburg College in Iowa, USA is named in commemoration of Martin Luther’s receiving refuge at the castle and because of the college’s forest location and its Bavarian heritage. read more…
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany with 44,000 inhabitants. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Today automobile manufacturing is an important part of Eisenach economy. The German automaker Opel built an entirely new plant in the northwest of the town, after the Wartburg cars plant had ceased operations in 1989. Bosch has a plant in the town too. Eisenach was the place where Martin Luther lived as a child, although he was not born there, and later for his receiving protection by Frederick the Wise after having been pursued for his religious views. It was while he was staying at Wartburg Castle that he translated the New Testament into German. The town is famous as the birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach as well. The Social Democratic Party of Germany was founded in 1869 in Eisenach. read more…
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2007, was 96,000. Schwerin is surrounded by many picturesque lakes. The largest of these lakes, the Schweriner See, has an area of 60 km². In the midst of these lakes there was once an Obotrite settlement (dated back to the 11th century). The area was called Zuarin, and the name Schwerin is derived from that designation. In 1160, Henry the Lion defeated the Obotrites and captured Schwerin. The town was subsequently expanded into a powerful regional centre. A castle was built, and expanded upon over the centuries, on this site. It is supposedly haunted by the small, impious ghost, called Petermännchen. read more…
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, 24 km (15 miles) southwest of Berlin city center. Potsdam has several claims to national and international notability. In Germany, it had the status Windsor has in England. It was the residence of the Prussian kings, and thus the German Emperors, until 1918. Around the city there are a series of interconnected lakes and unique cultural landmarks, in particular the parks and palaces of Sanssouci, the largest World Heritage Site in Germany. The Potsdam Conference, the major post-World War II conference between the victorious Allies, was held at another palace in the area, the Cecilienhof. Babelsberg, in the south-eastern part of Potsdam, was a major movie production studio before the war and has enjoyed increased success as a major centre of European film production since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Filmstudio Babelsberg is the oldest large-scale film studio in the world. Potsdam developed into a center of science in Germany from the 19th century. Today, there are three public colleges and more than 30 research institutes in the city. read more…
