KIEL INFORMATION

Kiel has been 750 years old in 1992. Founded by Count Adolf IV von Schauenburg, the town was granted the "Laws of Luebeck" in 1242.

The expansion of the port into an "Imperial Navy" harbour in 1871 marked the beginning of a rapid period of unparalleled development. By 1918, the population had risen to 200 000. In the news since 1850 when they made the headlines with the first submarine, the shipyards boomed. Research and skills reached world-class levels. Sporting highlights include the "KIEL WEEK" which made its debut in 1882 and the Olympic sailing regattas in 1936 and 1972. Famous citizens such as Max Planck, the winner of the Nobel Prize for physics in 1918, or Otto Meyerhof, who received the Nobel Prize for his biochemical studies in 1922, conveyed Kiel's good reputation throughout the world. Another facet of Kiel's history which we should not forget is the fact that 80 percent of the town was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.

Today Kiel has about 240 000 inhabitants.

Founded in 1665 by Duke Christian Albrecht and named after him, our university is renowned throughout the world.

If you are interested in the rural history of Schleswig-Holstein, the open-air museum at Molfsee is a must. Old and new masters present their works in exhibitions in the Kiel Art Gallery. Culture can be enjoyed live at the municipal theatre, opera house, the cultural district and in the town gallery of the "Sophienhof".

To the left and right of the Firth, there are lots of bathing resorts with fine sandy beaches and exiting water sports.

And Kiel's attractive countryside offers pure holiday pleasure: bicycle tours to picturesque lakes, meadows and beech groves.

Smart Firth ferries are available for excursions; jumbo ferries open your way to the north.

Whatever the season, there's plenty to see and do in KIEL!