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Schleswig-Holstein
Hub of the Baltic region. Schleswig-Holstein is the only
German state bordered by two seas, the North Sea and the Baltic.
The sparsely populated state (2.6 million inhabitants) makes the
most of its geographical location between Scandinavia and Eastern
Europe: It is a hub for the countries encircling the Baltic Sea,
which with a total population of more than 50 million constitute
one of Europe's regions of the future. If Schleswig-Holstein's
natural beauty is to be preserved, great importance must be accorded
to environmental protection measures. Efforts to keep the seas
clean as well as nature and soil conservation measures are therefore
key priorities of state policy.
Forever undivided. As early as 1460, a treaty stated that
the region's two parts, Schleswig and Holstein, should remain
"forever undivided”. In Schleswig-Holstein not only
German and the dialect Low German are spoken but Frisian and Danish
as well. The Frisians, an ethnic group numbering 40,000, live
on the state's western coast with its many outlying islands. Some
50,000 Danes live in Schleswig-Holstein, a fact attributable to
Denmark's role in the region's history. As a consequence of this
mixture of nationalities, the state has a cosmopolitan attitude
toward visitors: Approximately 13 million people come here every
year.
Cities with long-standing traditions. Every summer during
"Kiel Week” the state capital Kiel (247,000 inhabitants)
is the meeting place for the international sailing elite and the
venue of the popular cultural festival held in conjunction with
the regatta. Shipbuilding and ferry traffic - especially to Scandinavia
- are just as much a part of the city as the imposing sailing
ship "Gorch Fock”, a training ship which documents Kiel's
close ties to the navy. Lübeck (217,000 inhabitants), the
"Queen of the Hanseatic League” graced with many notable
medieval buildings, has been entered in the UNESCO World Heritage
List. The novels of Lübeck's famous sons Heinrich and Thomas
Mann rank among the world's great literary works. Lübeck-Travemünde
is one of Europe's most important ferry ports. Once a year, meticulously
restored sailing ships and replicas converge in Flensburg (88,000
inhabitants) for the "Rum Regatta”.
An economy in transition. In recent years Schleswig-Holstein
has undergone a profound structural transformation from a region
based on agriculture and fisheries to a modern location for business,
industry and technology. The shipbuilding industry, which at one
time dominated the economy of the state capital Kiel in particular,
survived the structural crisis by focusing on construction of
specialized ships. Approximately one million hectares of the state's
land is given over to farming; the future, however, belongs to
modern technologies such as marine and medical technologies, software
production, and energy and environmental technologies. With more
than 1,000 wind turbines, Schleswig-Holstein is Germany's number-one
supplier of wind power. It also ranks near the top in terms of
technology centers and boasts more than 4,000 firms in the information
and communications sector alone. At the same time, the state has
taken action to create the necessary infrastructure. Autobahns
form not only the important north-south axis; links with the west
coast are equally important for tourism, business and industry.
Three universities, four technically-oriented Fachhochschulen
and two colleges of art furnish ample in-state facilities for
training young scholars and scientists. All of the above have
helped to solidify Schleswig-Holstein's acknowledged strong position
in relation to the other federal states as an attractive site
for business and industry.
"Gentle tourism”. The North Sea island of Helgoland
with its famous red cliffs was the backdrop for the poet Heinrich
Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1841 when he wrote the German anthem.
The North Frisian Islands, including cosmopolitan Sylt, pleasant
Amrum and the family resort Föhr, are a vacationer's paradise;
the same is true of the resorts on the Baltic such as modern Damp,
dreamy Hohwacht and genteel Timmendorf. Nature lovers are drawn
to the tidal mud flats of the Wattenmeer National Park on the
North Sea. Farther inland, the area known as "Holstein Switzerland”
with its many lakes likewise offers opportunities for relaxation
and recreation. Well worth a visit are places such as Mölln,
the town of the legendary jester Till Eulenspiegel, or the cathedral
town of Schleswig with the Late Gothic Bordesholm Altarpiece,
a masterpiece of woodcarving created in 1514-1521 by Hans Brüggemann,
and of course the city of Lübeck.
Museums and music. Every town of any size has its own museum of local history, but the regional museum in Gottorf Palace near Schleswig enjoys a particularly high reputation nationwide. Other notable attractions are the Molfsee Open-Air Museum near Kiel, where visitors can not only see but also experience what country life was like in the old days, and the museum on the site of the old Viking town Haithabu. For eight weeks during the summer - 1995 marked the tenth year in succession - the entire state of Schleswig-Holstein is transformed into a concert hall. The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, established at the initiative of the pianist Justus Frantz with the assistance of the state government, entices international stars and audiences to such unusual settings as barns and stalls - but also to estates, manor houses and palaces. Not only musicians are drawn to the north; many prominent literary figures have chosen to live in Schleswig-Holstein as well: Günter Grass, Günter Kunert, Siegfried Lenz and Sarah Kirsch all find inspiration and leisure here.