Friedrichstadt, Dutch-inspired municipality in Nordfriesland, Germany.
Friedrichstadt is a municipality in Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, laid out following the model of Dutch canal towns. The canals intersect at right angles and are lined with houses featuring stepped gables typical of Dutch architecture.
Duke Friedrich III of Holstein-Gottorp founded the town in 1621 and invited Dutch settlers to drain and cultivate the marshland. The settlers received freedom of worship, which drew many religious minorities from the Netherlands and led to the construction of several places of worship.
The town's name honors the duke who promised freedom of worship, drawing Remonstrants, Mennonites and others to settle here. Along the canals you find houses with stepped gables reflecting Dutch building customs that still shape the townscape today.
Boat trips through the canals run from April to October and offer a comfortable way to see the townscape from the water. The tourism office on the market square organizes guided walks that explain the architecture and settlement history.
The municipality belongs to the few places in Germany where Remonstrant and Mennonite churches are preserved and still in use today. This diversity of faith communities in a small area arose from the far-reaching tolerance policy of the founding duke.
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