The city lies in theHolsatian part of Schleswig-Holstein, on the mouth of theTrave, which flows into theBay of Lübeck in the borough ofTravemünde, and on the Trave's tributaryWakenitz. The island with the historic old town and the districts north of the Trave are also located in the historical region ofWagria. Lübeck is the southwesternmost city on the Baltic Sea, and the closest point of access to the Baltic fromHamburg. The city lies in theHolsatian dialect area ofLow German.
The nameLübeck ultimately stems from theSlavic rootlub- ('love-'). Before 819,Polabian Slavs founded a settlement which they calledLiubice on the mouth of theSchwartau into the Trave. Since the 10th century, Liubice was the second-most important settlement of theObotrites afterStarigard. Lübeck was grantedSoest city rights in 1160, and, in 1260, it became animmediate city within theHoly Roman Empire. In the middle of the 12th century, Lübeck developed into the cradle of theHanseatic League, of which it was considered the de facto capital and most important city from then on. TheLübeck law was eventually adopted by around 100 cities in theBaltic region. Lübeck could preserve its status as an independent city, which it held since 1226,until 1937.
Lübeck's historic old town, located on a densely built-up island, is Germany's most extensiveUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[3] With six church towers surpassing 100 metres (330 ft), Lübeck is the city with thehighest number of tall church towers worldwide.[note 1] Nicknamed the "City of the Seven Towers" (Stadt derSieben Türme [de]), Lübeck's skyline is dominated by the seven towers of its fiveProtestant main churches:St Mary's,Lübeck Cathedral,St James',St Peter's, andSt Giles's. Thecathedral, constructed in various stages between 1173 and 1335, was the first largebrickwork church in the Baltic region. St Mary's Church, built between 1265 and 1351, is considered the model on which most of the otherBrick Gothic churches in the sphere of influence of the Hanseatic League are based. It is the second-tallest church with two main towers afterCologne Cathedral (which only surpassed it in 1880), has the tallest brickvault, and is the second-tallest brickwork structure afterSt. Martin's Church inLandshut.
Around 700 AD,Slavic peoples started moving into the eastern parts ofHolstein, an area previously settled byGermanic inhabitants who had moved on in theMigration Period.Charlemagne, whose efforts toChristianise the area were opposed by the GermanicSaxons, expelled many of the Saxons and brought inPolabian Slavs allies.Liubice (the place-name means "how lovely") was founded on the banks of the River Trave about 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the present-day city-center of Lübeck.
In the 10th century, it became the most important settlement of theObotrite confederacy and a castle was built. In 1128, the paganRani fromRügen razed Liubice.
In 1143,Adolf II, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein, founded the modern town as a German settlement on the river island ofBucu. He built a new castle, first mentioned by the chroniclerHelmold as existing in 1147. Adolf had to cede the castle to the Duke of Saxony,Henry the Lion, in 1158. After Henry's fall from power in 1181, the town became anImperial city for eight years.[citation needed]
EmperorBarbarossa (reigned 1152–1190) ordained that the city should have a ruling council of 20 members. With the council dominated by merchants, pragmatic trade interests shaped Lübeck's politics for centuries. The council survived into the 19th century. The town and castle changed ownership for a period afterwards and formed part of theDuchy of Saxony until 1192, of the County ofHolstein until 1217, and of the kingdom of Denmark until theBattle of Bornhöved in 1227.
Around 1200, the port became the main point of departure for colonists leaving for the Baltic territories conquered by theLivonian Order, and later, by theTeutonic Order. In 1226, EmperorFrederick II elevated the town to the status of an Imperial free city, by which it became theFree City of Lübeck.[citation needed]
In the 14th century, Lübeck became the "Queen of theHanseatic League", being by far the largest and most powerful member of that medieval trade organization. In 1375, EmperorCharles IV named Lübeck one of the five "Glories of the Empire", a title shared withVenice,Rome,Pisa, andFlorence.
Several conflicts about trading privileges resulted in fighting between Lübeck (with the Hanseatic League) and Denmark and Norway – with varying outcome. While Lübeck and the Hanseatic League prevailed in conflicts in 1435 and 1512, Lübeck lost when it became involved in theCount's Feud, a civil war that raged in Denmark from 1534 to 1536. Lübeck also joined the pro-LutheranSchmalkaldic League of the mid-16th century.
After its defeat in theCount's Feud, Lübeck's power slowly declined. The city remained neutral in theThirty Years' War of 1618–1648, but the combination of the devastation from the decades-long war and the new transatlantic orientation of European trade caused the Hanseatic League – and thus Lübeck with it – to decline in importance. However, even after thede facto disbanding of the Hanseatic League in 1669, Lübeck still remained an important trading town on the Baltic Sea.[citation needed]
From the Napoleonic wars to the Franco-Prussian war
In the course of the war of theFourth Coalition againstNapoleon, troops under MarshalJean Baptiste Bernadotte (who would later become King of Sweden) occupied Lübeck after a battle against Prussian GeneralGebhard Blücher on 6 November 1806 due to the latter's illegal use of the city as a fortress, in violation of Lübeck's neutrality, following the French pursuit of his corps after theBattle of Jena-Auerstadt. Under theContinental System, the State bank went into bankruptcy. In 1811, theFrench Empire formally annexed Lübeck as part of France but the anti-Napoleonic allies liberated the area in 1813.[citation needed]
Entry of the Fusilier battalion on June 18, 1871, in Lübeck
During theFranco-Prussian War, the battalion de Fusilier of Lübeck was part of the "2nd Hanseatic Infantry Regiment No. 76".On the day of theBattle of Loigny the commander of the17th Division, Hugo von Kottwitz, of the morning advanced in front of the Fusilier battalion of the regiment, urging them to "commemorate the bravery of the Hanseatic League". his attack in the north while the other battalions turned towardsLoigny.[citation needed]
This shock surprised the French so much that they were invaded by their flank. They fled to the Fougeu place and were kicked out of this. The battle was to become the founding myth of the last Lübeck regiment, 3rd Hanseatic Infantry Regiment No. 162, which was founded in 1897. When the battalion commander returned to Lübeck with his battalion, he was appointed regimental commander.
Additionally, on 30 January 1934, the Reich government enacted the "Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich," formally abolishing all the state parliaments and transferring the sovereignty of the states to the central government. With this action, the Lübeck popular assembly, theBürgerschaft, was dissolved and Lübeck effectively lost its rights as a federal state. Under the provisions of theGreater Hamburg Act, Lübeck was absorbed into thePrussianProvince of Schleswig-Holstein, effective 1 April 1937, thereby losing its 711-year status as an independent free city.
DuringWorld War II (1939–1945), Lübeck became the first German city to suffer substantialRoyal Air Force (RAF) bombing. The attack of 28 March 1942 created afirestorm that caused severe damage to the historic centre.This raid destroyed three of the main churches and large parts of the built-up area; the bells of St Marienkircke plunged to the stone floor.[5] Nearly 1,500 houses were completely destroyed, 2,200 heavily damaged and 9,000 slightly damaged.[6] More than 320 people lost their lives. The industrial area of Lübeck was bombed on 25 August 1944 and 110 people were killed. In total, nearly 20% of the city centre was entirely destroyed, with particular damage in the Gründungsviertel neighborhood, where the rich merchants from the Hanseatic League had once lived.[3] Germany operated aprisoner-of-war camp for officers,Oflag X-C, near the city from 1940 until April 1945. The BritishSecond Army entered Lübeck on 2 May 1945 and occupied it without resistance.
On 3 May 1945, one of the biggest disasters in naval history occurred in theBay of Lübeck when RAF bombers sank three ships: theSSCap Arcona, theSSDeutschland, and theSSThielbek – which, unknown to them, were packed with concentration-camp inmates. About 7,000 people died.[citation needed][7]
Lübeck's population grew considerably, from about 150,000 in 1939 to more than 220,000 after the war, owing to an influx of ethnic German refugees expelled from theformer eastern provinces of Germany in theCommunist Bloc. Lübeck remained part of Schleswig-Holstein after World War II (and consequently lay withinWest Germany). It stood directly on what became theinner German border during the division of Germany into two states in theCold War period. South of the city, the border followed the path of the riverWakenitz, which separated Germany by less than 10 m (33 ft) in many parts. The northernmost border crossing was in Lübeck's district of Schlutup. Lübeck spent decades restoring its historic city centre. In 1987,UNESCO designated this area aWorld Heritage Site.
In April 2015, Lübeck hosted the G7 conference.[8]
Lübeck has anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb;Trewartha:Dobk). Lübeck is located on the eastern coast of theBaltic Sea and is greatly regulated by the ocean. The average annual temperature ranges from 2 °C (36 °F) in winter to 18 °C (64 °F) in summer. Although the summer is relatively cooler than inland, there is still a high probability of high temperature days. On average, there are 6.6 days per year with maximum temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F).[9]
The Lübeck weather station has recorded the following extreme values:[10]
Highest Temperature 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) on 9 August 1982.
Warmest Minimum 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) on 30 July 2018.
Coldest Maximum −16.1 °C (3.0 °F) on 18 January 1893.
Lowest Temperature −27.2 °C (−17.0 °F) on 4 February 1912.[11]
Highest Daily Precipitation 95.7 mm (3.77 in) on 17 July 2002.
Wettest Month 188.9 mm (7.44 in) in August 2010.
Wettest Year 933.9 mm (36.77 in) in 1998.
Driest Year 381.3 mm (15.01 in) in 1959.
Longest annual sunshine: 2,064.5 hours in 1959.
Shortest annual sunshine: 1,300.7 hours in 1998.
Climate data for Lübeck (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present[a])
^Temperature data for Lübeck have been recorded since 1890. The weather station data used from 1 January 1890 to 30 June 1973 came fromLübeck-Werft, and temperature data from 1 July 1973 to 28 February 1985 came from Lübeck weather station, and temperature data from 1 March 1985 to the present are fromLübeck Airport.
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.Source:[14]
Lübeck has a population of about 217,000 people and is the 2nd largest city inSchleswig-Holstein. Lübeck became a major city after becoming a part of theHanseatic League in the 15th century. Lübeck later became one of the important and leading Hanseatic cities in Europe. FollowingWorld War II, the population of Lübeck grew rapidly due to the refugee crisis, as many people fromEast Prussia and other former parts of Germany and had to flee there after the war. The population began to decline in the 1970s but grew again in 1990s after theGerman Reunification, as many people from the formerEast Germany came to Lübeck due to the fact that it lies directly on the former East German border. Today Lübeck attracts many tourists due to its rich history and Hanseatic architecture, and it is known as one of the most beautiful cities in Germany.
The largest ethnic minority groups areTurks, Central Europeans (Poles), Southern Europeans (mostlyGreeks andItalians), Eastern Europeans (e.g.Russians andUkrainians),Arabs, and several smaller groups.
In 2019, Lübeck reached 2 million overnight stays. Lübeck is famous for its medieval city centre with its churches,Holstentor, and small alleys. Lübeck has been called "Die Stadt der 7 Türme" (the city of seven towers) because of its seven prominent church towers. Like many other places in Germany, Lübeck has a long tradition of a Christmas market in December, which includes the famous handicrafts market inside the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital (Hospital of the Holy Spirit), located at the northern end of Königstrasse.
Over 80% of the old town has preserved itsmedieval appearance, with historic buildings and narrow streets. The rest has been and is currently in a process of restoration and reconstruction. At one time, the town could only be entered by any of fourtown gates, two of which remain today, the well-knownHolstentor (1478) and theBurgtor (1444).[citation needed]
The old town centre is dominated by seven church steeples. The oldest areLübeck Cathedral and theMarienkirche (Saint Mary's), both dating from the 13th and 14th centuries.
Built in 1286, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit at Koberg is one of the oldest existing social institutions in the world and one of the most important buildings in the city. The Hospital functions both as a retirement and a nursing home. Some historical parts have been made available for public viewing.
The composerFranz Tunder was principal organist in theMarienkirche, Lübeck, when he initiated the tradition of weeklyAbendmusiken. In 1668, his daughter Anna Margarethe married the Danish-German composerDieterich Buxtehude, who became the new organist at the Marienkirche. Some of the rising composers of the day travelled to Lübeck to witness his performances, notablyHandel andMattheson in 1703, andBach in 1705.[15][16]
Writer and Nobel laureateThomas Mann was a member of theMann family of Lübeck merchants. His well-known 1901 novelBuddenbrooks made readers in Germany (and later worldwide, through numerous translations) familiar with the manner of life and mores of the 19th-century Lübeckbourgeoisie.
Lübeck became the scene of a notable art scandal in the 1950s.Lothar Malskat was hired to restore medievalfrescoes of the Marienkirche, which were unearthed as a result of severe bomb damage during World War II. Instead, he painted new works, which he passed off as restorations, fooling many experts. Malskat later revealed the deception himself. Writer and Nobel laureateGünter Grass featured this incident in his 1986 novelThe Rat; from 1995 he lived close to Lübeck inBehlendorf, where he was buried in 2015.
Lübeck is famous for itsmarzipan industry. According to local legend, marzipan was first made in Lübeck, possibly in response either to a military siege of the city or a famine year. The story, perhaps apocryphal, is that the city ran out of all food except stored almonds and sugar, which were used to make loaves of marzipan "bread".[17] Others believe that marzipan was actually invented inPersia a few hundred years before Lübeck claims to have invented it. The best known producer isNiederegger, which tourists often visit while in Lübeck, especially at Christmas time.[18]
The Lübeck wine trade dates back toHanseatic times. One Lübeck specialty is Rotspon (listenⓘ), wine made from grapes processed and fermented in France and transported in wooden barrels to Lübeck, where it is stored, aged and bottled.[19]
Lübeck is home to3. Liga sideVfB Lübeck who play at the 17,849 capacityStadion an der Lohmühle. In addition to the football department the sports club has departments for badminton, women's gymnastics, handball, and table tennis.
The skyline of the old town as seen from NorthLübeck main station (Lübeck Hauptbanhof)Lübeck civil registration office, in the St. Jürgen zoneThe beach of Travemünde
The city of Lübeck is divided into 10 zones. These again are arranged into altogether 35 urban districts. The 10 zones with their official numbers, their associated urban districts and the numbers of inhabitants of the quarters:
01 City centre (~ 12,000 inhabitants)
TheInnenstadt is the main tourist attraction and consists of the old town as well as the former ramparts. It is the oldest and smallest part of Lübeck.
Sankt Jürgen is one of three historic suburbs of Lübeck (alongsideSt. Lorenz andSt. Gertrud). It is located south of the city centre and the biggest of all city parts.
Moisling is situated in the far south-west. Its history dates back to the 17th century.
04 Buntekuh (~ 10,000 inhabitants)
Buntekuh lies in the west of Lübeck. A big part consists of commercial zones such as theCitti-Park, Lübeck's biggest mall.
05 St. Lorenz-South (~ 12,000 inhabitants)
Sankt Lorenz-Süd is located right in the south-west of the city centre and has the highest population density. The main train and bus station lie in its northern part.
Sankt Gertrud is located in the east of the city centre. This part is mainly characterized by its nature. Many parks, the riversWakenitz andTrave and the forestLauerholz make up a big part of its area.
08 Schlutup (~ 6,000 inhabitants)
Schlutup lies in the far east of Lübeck. Due to forestLauerholz in its west and riverTrave in the north, Schlutup is relatively isolated from the other city parts.
Travemünde is located in far northeastern Lübeck at theBaltic Sea. With its long beach and coast line, Travemünde is the second biggest tourist destination.
Lübeck is connected to three main motorways (Autobahnen). The A1 Motorway is heading north to the Island ofFehmarn andCopenhagen (Denmark) and south toHamburg,Bremen andCologne. The A20 Motorway heads east towardsWismar,Rostock andSzczecin (Poland) and west toBad Segeberg and to the North Sea. The A226 Motorway starts in central Lübeck and is heading to the north-east and the Seaport-City ofTravemünde.
Lübeck is served by multiple railway stations. The principal one isLübeck Hauptbahnhof, with about 31,000 passengers per day, is the busiest station in Schleswig-Holstein. The station is mostly served by regional rail services to Hamburg, Lüneburg,Kiel, the Island of Fehmarn and Szczecin (Poland). There are some long-distance trains to Munich, Frankfurt-am-Main and Cologne. During the summer holidays, there are many extra rail services. Until the end of 2019, Lübeck was a stop on theVogelfluglinie train line from Hamburg to Copenhagen (Denmark).
Public transport by bus is organised by the Lübeck City-Traffic-Company (Lübecker Stadtverkehr). There are 40 bus lines serving the city and the area around Lübeck, in addition to regional bus services.
The district ofTravemünde is on the Baltic Sea and has the city's main port. The Scandinavienkai (the quay of Scandinavia) is the departure point for ferry routes toMalmö andTrelleborg (Sweden);Liepāja (Latvia);Helsinki (Finland) andSaint Petersburg (Russia). It is the second-biggest German port on the Baltic Sea.
Lübeck Airport is located in the south of Lübeck in the town of Blankensee. It has limited international airlines' services. The nearest major airport isHamburg Airport, located 74 km (46 mi) to the south west of Lübeck.
Lübeck Martyrs Three Roman Catholic priests and one Evangelical Lutheran clergyman were executed by beheading on 10 November 1943 less than 3 minutes apart from each other at Hamburg's Holstenglacis Prison (1943)
Ephraim Carlebach (1879–1936), rabbi and founder of the Higher Israelite School in Leipzig
^ab"Hanseatic City of Lübeck".UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved11 June 2022.
^Miller, Michael D.; Schulz, Andreas (2012).Gauleiter: The Regional Leaders of the Nazi Party and Their Deputies, 1925–1945. Vol. 1 (Herbert Albrecht - H. Wilhelm Hüttmann). R. James Bender Publishing. p. 485.ISBN978-1-932-97021-0.
^There are five churches taller than 100 metres (330 ft) in Hamburg and four in Lübeck, but two of the churches in Lübeck have two towers, and in Hamburg there are just five towers overall.
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