ISSAC '98 Rostock
You are welcome in the Hanseatic and University City of
Rostock
The face of the town reflects its varying fortunes during the eight centuries of
its existence. Rapidly developing into a trading centre for North German merchants
and craftsmen, Rostock was soon the largest and most important city in Mecklenburg
and Western Pomerania. With free access to the Baltic Sea and numerous privileges,
including its own jurisdiction and the right to mint its own coin, Rostock was
repeatedly able to wring new concessions from the local princes.
Imposing churches in the traditional Backstein Gothic architecture of North Germany,
the graceful gabled houses of former patricians and large parts of the former town
wall still testify to the importance of Rostock as one of the first and most
influential members of the Hanseatic League. The wealth of Rostock was underscored
in 1419 by the foundation of the first university in the Baltic region. Following
the decline of the Hanse, a disastrous town fire and several wars left deep scars,
but the revival of trade brought new wealth to the city during the 18th and 19th
Centuries. As home port to 378 sailing ships, Rostock had the largest merchant fleet
of all ports on the Baltic coast. The development of a local foodstuffs industry,
light industry, building construction, mechanical engineering and the aircraft
industry marked stages in the growing industrialization of the city. Shipping and
the port, shipbuilding and fisheries became and still are the mainstays of economic
life in Rostock, which is currently fostering the development of new industries
based on advanced technologies.
Sights worth seeing:
Town hall, Marienkirche, Petrikirche, Nicolaikirche, Universitätsplatz,
Kröpeliner Straße, Stadthafen, Schiffahrtsmuseum, Traditionsschiff,
Kloster zum Heiligen Kreuz.
Visitors to Rostock should take the opportunity to see Warnemünde.
Warnemünde, a former fishing village acquired by Rostock in the early 14th
Century, has acquired a name as one of Germany's leading seaside resorts. Its broad,
sandy beaches, lofty coastal woodlands and cliffs, neat fishermen's cottages and cosy
pubs are still among its chief attractions. And for the sailing fraernity, the waters
of Warnemünde are among the best in the world for coastal sailing.
issac98@informatik.uni-rostock
.de
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