Schleswig (, , ; ; South Jutlandic: Sljasvig; ) is a town in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis (district) Schleswig-Flensburg. It has a population of about 27,000, the main industries being leather and food processing. It takes its name from the Schlei, an inlet of the Baltic sea at the end of which it sits, and vik or vig which means "bay" in Old Norse and Danish. Schleswig or Slesvig therefore means "bay of the Schlei".
History
The Viking settlement of Hedeby, located south of the modern town, was first mentioned in 804. It was a powerful settlement in the Baltic region, dominating the area for more than 200 years. In 1050, following several destructions, the population was moved to the opposite shore of the Schlei, becoming the city of Schleswig. In 1066 Hedeby was finally destroyed, and Schleswig remained a part of the Danish kingdom.
In 1544, Gottorf Castle became the residence of the local rulers. The dukes of Gottorf were vassals of the Danish kings and ruled over much of present-day Schleswig-Holstein. In 1721, when the Great Northern War ended, the dukes of Gottorf lost their power and their land became Danish crown land. After the Second Schleswig War (1864), Schleswig was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.
Geography
Schleswig lies at the western end of the Schlei Förde, which separates the two peninsulas of Angeln and Schwansen, and is on the western edge of the Schleswig-Holstein Uplands on the transition to the Geest country. The urban area ranges from 0 to above sea level. Brautsee (lake) is in the town.
The nearest major cities are Flensburg, Husum and Kiel. Autobahn 7 runs immediately west of the city. Highways 76 and 77 end in Schleswig and B 201 runs to the north of the town. Schleswig station is a stop for InterCity and Intercity-Express trains and is on the Hamburg–Neumünster–Flensburg and Husum–Kiel lines.
Climate
The climate is oceanic (Köppen: Cfb), humid and mild with a slight continental influence. The annual mean temperature is 8 °C and precipitation averages 925 mm.
Sights
Schleswig Cathedral (1134), with the tomb of King Frederick I of Denmark
Gottorf Castle (built 1161), former residence of the dukes, with the baroque Neuwerk garden, containing a replica of the Globe of Gottorf Holm: old fishing village at the Schlei shore Hedeby, Viking settlement
Twin towns – sister cities
Schleswig is twinned with: Hillingdon, England, United Kingdom Mantes-la-Jolie, France Vejle, Denmark Waren, Germany
Notable people
Valdemar I of Denmark (1131–1182), King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. Christian III of Denmark (1503–1559), King of Denmark Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden (1710–1771), King of Sweden Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg (1711–1785), nobleman Asmus Jacob Carstens (1754–1798) a Danish-German painter, committed to German Neoclassicism. Princess Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (1789–1867), matriarch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Herman Wilhelm Bissen (1798–1868), Danish sculptor Friedrich Bernhard Westphal (1803–1844), German-Danish genre painter and illustrator Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Jessen (1821–1889), botanist Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein (1821–1889), patriarch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg Friedrich Krichauff (1824–1904), politician in colonial South Australia Victor Hensen (1835–1924), zoologist Ove H. Berg (1840–1922), American politician and businessman, emigrated to the US in 1881 Julius Friedrich Theodor Engel (1842–1926), judge and politician Hans von Seeckt (1866–1936), military officer Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau (1869–1928), politician and diplomat, first Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic Christian Hansen (1885–1972), general Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (1889–1968), General of paratroop forces Bernhard Rogge (1899–1982), naval officer Bernd Kröplin (1944–2019), engineer and academic Ralf Rothmann (born 1953), novelist Thomas Heberer (born 1965), musician and composer Ekkehard Wölk (born 1967), pianist, arranger and composer