Biddle (CG 34) - Naval Cruise Book

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11 Hi-] ' ' ,1 »i i» III

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Travemunde ii iA Lubeck is a city of 230,000 today. It was begun in 1000 when Slavonic tribes settled on the River Trave. Modern origins began when Count Adolf Zu Schaumburg - Holstein founded a settle- ment between the Trave and Wakenitz. Henry the Lion rebuilt the town, which had been destroyed and through the settlement of Westphalian and Lower Rhenish merchants started the traditions which made the city a commercial and cultural center for Northern Europe. In 1226 the city was made a free imperial city by Emperor Frederick II, a condition which prevailed until 1937. As a result of early ties with other towns and the growth of commercial enterprise, with Lubeck as the dominant trade mart, the birth of the Hanseatic League occurred. The Treaty of Stralsund in 1370 recognized her leadership in this organization. With religious and social strife, the league diminished, and with it, the power of Lubeck in Baltic trade. But she still wielded considerable influence in the commercial activities of the area until Napoleonic occupation and the blockade of Europe ended her supremacy early in the 1800s. By the time of the construction of the Elbe-Lubeck canal in 1900, she had again risen to the forefront as a trading focal point. In 1937, she became part of the Prussian province of Schleswig- Holstein, losing her status as a free imperial city. The end of the Second World War found Lubeck badly bomb damaged and burdened with refugees. However, she has managed to harmoniously rebuild and now is a lovely city. There are the Holstentor Gate with its massive twin towers; the Seaman ' s Guild with its intricate woodwork and ships ' models; the Town Hall, a complex assem- bly of black glazed tiles, spires and brickwork, the Cathedral with the Triumphal Cross, and the ancient Fuchtingshof courtyard. With modern ferry connections to Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, she exists today as the northern portal of the continent, a vital and dynamic entity. Travemunde, 14 miles from Lubeck is the first of a string of Baltic resorts. Backed by thick woods and steep cliffs, Travemunde is a gay resort and the casino (the largest in Europe) offers a fine restaurant, gaming tables, and night life. Yachting, fishing, golf and hiking are popular there.