Flensburg

From Free net encyclopedia

For the short-lived May 1945 Nazi government led by Karl Dönitz see Flensburg government.

Template:Infobox Town DE Template:Clearright Flensburg (Danish: Flensborg, North Frisian: Flansborj) is an independent town in the North of the German state Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region Südschleswig. After Kiel and Lübeck it is the third largest town in Schleswig-Holstein.

The nearest larger towns are Kiel (68 km south) and Odense in Denmark (92 km north-east). Flensburg is the northernmost town of Germany

In Germany, Flensburg is known for

the nation-wide database of traffic violators
the large erotic mail-order companies Beate Uhse and Orion
its beer Flensburger Pilsener, also called "Flens"
the center of the Danish national minority in Germany
the greeting Moin
its handball team SG Flensburg-Handewitt

1 Geography
2 History
3 Danish minority
4 See also
5 External links

[edit]

Geography

Flensburg is situated in the north of the German state Schleswig-Holstein, on the German-Danish border satellite image. After Westerland on Sylt it is Germany's northernmost town. Flensburg lies at the innermost tip of the Flensburg Fjord, an estuary of the Baltic Sea. Flensburg's eastern shore is part of the peninsula Angeln.

[edit]

History

Flensburg was founded in the 13th century at the innermost tip of the Flensburg Fjord and began to rise after the decline of the Hanseatic League. Between 1460 and 1864 it was one of the major ports of the Danish monarchy. In the Second war of Schleswig in 1864 the city was captured by Prussia, and Germany retained the city in the Schleswig Plebiscite following World War I. There is still a large Danish community living in Flensburg. The Danish name of the town is Flensborg. In the Second World War the town remained virtually undamaged. Admiral Karl Dönitz fled here in 1945 to escape the Allied troops. The remnants of the German government continued to operate what the Allies referred to as the Flensburg government after the fall of Berlin (May 2, 1945), and even after the surrender of Germany, until being shut down on May 23.

[edit]

Danish minority

Image:Olofsamsonkils.jpg The Danish minority in Flensburg and the surrounding towns run their own schools, libraries and Lutheran churches but do not exclude themselves from the German majority. Rather than that, the co-existence of these two groups is considered a sound and healthy symbiosis.

In Denmark, Flensburg seems to be mainly associated with its duty-free shops where, amongst other things, spirits, beer and candy can be purchased at cheaper prices than in Denmark. However, the price difference is not as large as it used to be.

[edit]