Warnemünde

This article is about the district of Rostock in Germany. For the German discus thrower, see Wolfgang Warnemünde.

Rostock - Warnemünde
—  Sea Resort & District  —
Beach promenade with Hotel Neptun
Rostock - Warnemünde
Coordinates: 54°10′N 12°05′E
Country	Germany
Region	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Area
• Total	5.57 km2 (2.2 sq mi)
Population
• Total	8,441
Postal code	18119
Area code(s)	0381
Website	www.warnemuende.de

Warnemünde (German pronunciation: [vaʁnəˈmʏndə], meaning Warnow mouth) is a sea resort and northmost district of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, situated on the Baltic Sea in the northeast of Germany at the estuary of the river Warnow.

History

Founded in about 1200, Warnemünde was for centuries a mere fishing village with minor importance for the economic and cultural development of the region. In 1323 Warnemünde lost its autonomous status as it was purchased by the city of Rostock in order to safeguard the city’s access to the Baltic Sea. It was not until the 19th century that Warnemünde began to develop into an important sea resort. Today Warnemünde has approximately 8,400 inhabitants.

Economy

Once completely dependent on the fishing industry, Warnemünde’s economic alignment has shifted inevitably from the primary to the secondary and tertiary sector. Besides the Aker Warnow Werft ship yard, the economy largely depends on tourism. The construction of a modern cruise line centre in 2005 has contributed crucially to Warnemünde’s establishment as the most important harbour for cruise line ships in Germany.

Warnemünde was formerly the site of the original LFG aircraft factories during World War I. Prior to World War II a number of other companies, mostly related in some way to the now bankrupt LFG, started operations in the area. These included Heinkel and Arado Flugzeugwerke. The factories and surrounding living areas were bombed several times during the war. Many of these factories were used to form Warnow Werft.

Sights

Alter Strom at dusk

The Lighthouse

Being a centre of maritime traffic, the district of Warnemünde comprises numerous navigational aids, the oldest is the lighthouse, which is currently still in use. The lighthouse was built in 1897. In the summer, the tower, approximately 37 metres (121 ft) high, allows visitors to enjoy an impressive view over the Baltic Sea and the northern districts of Rostock. The nearby Teepott (Teapot) with its slightly curved roof, the resort’s second famous landmark, is an interesting example of East German (DDR) architecture. Built in the 1960s and renovated in 2002, it today houses different restaurants and a sea voyage exhibition.

In the vicinity of the canal called der Alte Strom (Old Channel), with its various restaurants, pubs and traditional fishing boats, regional specialties are offered in a fish market.

Warnemünde’s broad, sandy beaches are the largest on the German Baltic Sea coast and stretch out over a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi).

Old lighthouse and Teepott in Warnemünde

A view of the town. Old Lighthouse partially seen on the right. The sphere next to the lighthouse represents the Sun in the Planetenwanderweg.

There is a simple 1:1 billion scale model of the Solar System, the Warnemünder Planetenwanderweg, with a 1.4m diametre sphere as a model of the Sun installed near the light house, and signs with true scale depictions of the planets at the appropriate distances of their orbits along a coastal walking trail westwards. Some of these signs are over a kilometre apart, and the total length of the Planetenwanderweg is close to 6km (5,870m). The model includes Pluto and has not been updated since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. Walking along the Planetenwanderweg allows hikers to get an intuitive idea of the relative distances between the orbits of the planets and the Sun.

Culture and sport

There are a lot of musicians and bands in Warnemünde who are involved in cultural events.

• De Klaashahns
• De Plattfööt
• TonArt
• Irish Coffee
• Heide Mundo

Sport

Because of the low current and good sailing conditions, Warnemünde is one of the best sailing grounds in Germany. The beach is especially good for kitesurfing, windsurfing, underwater diving, swimming and nordic walking. In the summertime there are a lot of international competitions. Many people flock to Warnemunde to witness these competitions.

Personalities

• Stephan Jantzen (1827 – 1913), seaman, commander of the Pilots and Rescue Team
• Ernst Heinkel
• Klaus Lass (1950), singer and songwriter, city-guide
• Mathias Rieck (1979), sportsman
• Karl Heinz Robrahn (1913 – 1987), lyricist

References

• Karge, W; Münch, E; Schmied, H (1996) (in German). Die Geschichte Mecklenburgs. Rostock: Hinstorff. ISBN 9783356005271. OCLC 75680668. 
• Kloock, Joachim; Schade, A (2005) (in German). Rostock mit Warnemünde. Rostock: Redieck und Schade. ISBN 9783934116436. OCLC 181531749. 
• Fleury, Alain (2007) (in French). Le voyage à Warnemünde. Paris: Harmattan. ISBN 9782296017375. OCLC 77493852. 

External links

• Warnemünde official page
• Cruiseline port of Warnemünde