History

Founding of the Cities

Wismar and Stralsund have planned city layouts as a result of German colonization of Slavic territories in the 12th and 13th centuries. It can be assumed that relatively large settlements already existed at the time of the first documented mentions of Wismar and Stralsund – in 1229 and 1234 respectively. Continue reading …

The Hanseatic Period

In the 13th century both Stralsund and Wismar experienced rapid growth, ecomically and politically. The cities were part of the political centre of the medieval association of cities, the Hanseatic League. Continue reading …

The Swedish Period

The outbreak of the Thirty Years' War lead to decisive changes for both cities. In 1632 the city of Wismar fell to Sweden. In 1628 Stralsund entered an alliance agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden following an unsuccessful siege of the city by the imperial troops under Wallenstein. Continue reading …

19th and 20th Centuries

The beginning of the 19th century saw the end of the Swedish period in both cities. Wismar initially returned to the duchy of Mecklenburg for 100 years as a security of the Swedish crown. Following a brief period of occupation by France, Stralsund became part of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.  Continue reading …