Greifswald, University and Hanseatic city in Vorpommern-Greifswald District, Germany
Greifswald is a university and Hanseatic town in Vorpommern-Greifswald District, Germany, stretching along the River Ryck. The river flows into the Baltic Sea through Greifswald Bay and sits between the islands of Rügen and Usedom.
Cistercian monks founded the settlement in 1199 near Eldena Abbey, and the town received its charter in 1250. The university opened in 1456 and ranks among the oldest higher education institutions in the Baltic region.
The name means Griffin Forest, though its origin remains disputed and may refer to the River Ryck instead. Students shape the cityscape especially in the neighborhoods around the historic faculty buildings, where cafes and bookshops accompany academic life.
Ferry services connect the district capital with several Baltic Sea destinations, while regional trains run to Berlin and other towns in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The center is easy to explore on foot, as most historic buildings stand close together.
Caspar David Friedrich painted the ruins of nearby Eldena Abbey in numerous works that now enjoy worldwide recognition. The depictions helped turn these remains into a symbol of German Romanticism.
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