The group made a day trip to Greifswald, the home of the Pomeranian Archives
and the Pommersches
Landesmuseum. Greifswald is in the former Pomeranian area in the state of
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It borders the Baltic Sea between the islands of
Rügen and Usedom, and has a population of approximately 55,000 people, including
about 11,000 students of Ernst Mortiz Arndt University of Greifswald. Greifswald
has the seat of the bishop of the Pomeranian Protestant Church since 1947.
The first settlers were Danish Cistercian monks, who founded the Brick Gothic
Eldena monastery in 1199. The salt trade helped the monastery grow to a large
religious center. The city was one of the earliest members of the Hanseatic
League, which further increased trade and wealth. As a result of the Thirty
Years' War, Greifswald became part of the Kingdom of Sweden in 1631 and remained
Swedish until 1815, when it became part of Prussia. The city survived World War
II without much destruction. The city surrendered to the Red Army without combat
in 1945. In the years of the German Democratic Republic, the city lost almost
half of its historic buildings due to neglect and demolition of parts of the Old
town. Since German reunification, much of the city has been renovated.
The city has three church towers nicknamed "Fat Mary," "Little Jacob," and
"Long Michael." It has an architectural mix due to 40 years of East German rule.
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
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Greifswald Market Square (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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Greifswald Market Square (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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Plaque of Swedish King Gustav Adolph (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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St. Mary's Church (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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St. Mary's Church Altar (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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St. Mary's Church Description (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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St. Mary's Church Grave Marker - 1608 (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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St. Mary's Church Grave Marker - 1663 (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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St. Mary's Church Grave Marker - 1696 (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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St. Mary's Church Interior (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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Canonball inside St. Mary's Church (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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Greifswald University (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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Greifswald University Monument (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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Greifswald University Square (Photo courtesy of the Swansons)
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