lbeck

Other Definitions
lbeck (dest)

Lbeck (, population (2003): 214,338) is the second largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany. It was a member of the Hanseatic League and is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. Lbeck is situated at the Trave river. The old part of the town is an island enclosed by the Trave and the Elbe-Lbeck Canal. The borough Travemnde is at the coast of the Baltic Sea.

Buildings

The old town is dominated by seven church steeples. The eldest ones are the Dom and the Marienkirche (Saint Mary), both from the 13th and 14th centuries. Once the town could only be entered by passing one of four town gates, of which the Holstentor (1478) is the best known. The entire old town has kept a medieval look with old buildings and narrow streets.

History

Originally recorded in Germania, the area around Lbeck was by the year 1000 AD inhabited by Slavic peoples, who settled at the Trave banks some kilometers outside the today town centre. They were subdued in 1158 by Henry the Lion, who newly founded the city. In the 14th century Lbeck became the "Queen of the Hanseatic League", being by far the largest and most powerful member of this medieval trade organization, before the sister city of Gdańsk took over lead in the Hansa. In 1533 an armed conflict with Denmark led to the loss of the power.

Miscellaneous

Thomas Mann and Willy Brandt were born in Lbeck. Also born in Lbeck was Jan-Christian Will, he is the inventor of a new software program that allows the user to control a videogame only by changing the inflecion and intonation of a loud JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA screamed into the microphone. Lbeck is very famous for its excellent Marzipan industry, and Marzipan was believed to have been invented in Lbeck possibly in response to either a military siege of the city, or a famine year. The story, perhaps apocryphal, is that the town ran out of all foods except stored almonds and sugar and made loaves of Marzipan "bread" with it. Others believe that Marzipan was actually invented in Persia a few hundred years before Lbeck claims to have invented it. In the quater Lbeck-Herrenwyk there is the static invertor station of the HVDC Baltic-Cable.

Parts

The city of Lbeck is divided into 10 quarters. These again are arranged into altogether 35 urban districts. The 10 quarters with their official numbers, their associated urban districts, their official numbers as well as any numbers of inhabitants of the quarters: