ROSTOCK
History
History I
Sightseeing I
Practical I hotels in Rostock
(Information hereunder
courtesy of
Historic
Highlights of Germany - an excellent tourist guide for
Rostock)
The name "Roztoc" first appears in 1161
AD in a chronicle by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus. At that time
the Slavic stronghold was attacked by the king of the Danes. In 1200
German merchants and craftsmen founded the settlement of Rostock here.
Eighteen years later, it received its charter from Prince Borwin I. In
the course of time, the Middle and New Towns were built. In 1265 they
and the Old Town united in a single community. Trade and crafts
flourished and the city gained monetary sovereignty as well as full
judicial authority. In 1323 Rostock acquired the little fishing hamlet
of Warnemünde, thus securing free access by water to the Baltic Sea.
Soon Rostock, Lübeck and Wismar founded the Hanseatic League. Rostock
became one of the largest and most powerful cities on the Baltic – due
not least of all to establishment here of Baltic regions first
university in 1419.
The city's dynamic growth was halted for a lengthy period by collapse of
the Hanseatic League, effects of the Thirty Years' War and the
devastating conflagration of 1677. Only in the late 19th century did
Rostock experience a renaissance of shipping under sail, becoming an
important harbor for the export of grain.
Today Rostock is a vibrant seaport which proudly bears the name
"Hansestadt" (Hanseatic City). Her churches, Town Hall and typical
patrician town houses recall a glorious era of sailing ships dating back
to the early Middle Ages. Old and new harmoniously blend to form a
city-scape that could only have emerged over the course of many
centuries. University Square, the Convent of the Holy Cross, the old
town walls and St. Mary's Church are but a few of the witnesses to the
past bringing Rostock's history to life
