Husum (German pronunciation:[ˈhuːzʊm]ⓘ; North Frisian:Hüsem) is the capital of the Kreis (district) Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The town was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea". It is also the home of the annual international piano festival Raritäten der Klaviermusik founded in 1987.

History

Husum was first mentioned as Husembro in 1252, when king Abel was murdered.[citation needed]

Like most towns on the North Sea, Husum was strongly influenced by storm tides. In 1362 a disastrous storm tide, the "Grote Mandrenke" flooded the town and carved out the inland harbour. Before this date Husum was not situated directly on the coast. The people of the city took advantage of this opportunity and built a marketplace, which led to a great economic upturn.

Between 1372 and 1398 the population of Husum grew rapidly, and two villages, Oster-Husum (East-Husum) and Wester-Husum (West-Husum), were founded.

The name Husum is first mentioned in 1409. It is shown on the Carta Marina in the Frisian form of Husem.

Its first church was built in 1431. Wisby rights were granted it in 1582, and in 1603 it received municipal privileges from Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. It suffered greatly from inundations in 1634 and 1717.

Geography

Husum is located on the Wadden Sea, in the southeast of the North Sea, by the Bay of Husum; 82kmW of Kiel, 139km NW of Hamburg and 43km SW of Flensburg.

Subdivisions

  • Zentrum (Danish: Indreby)
  • Nordhusum (Danish: Nørre Husum)
  • Porrenkoog (Danish: Porrekog, North Frisian: Porekuuch)
  • Osterhusum (Danish: Øster Husum), Osterhusumfeld
  • Altstadt
  • Norderschlag (Danish: Nørreslag)
  • Dreimühlen (Danish: Tremølle)
  • Rödemis (Danish: Rødemis, North Frisian: Rööms)
  • Fischersiedlung
  • Neustadt (Danish: Nystad(en))
  • Gewerbegebiet
  • Schauendahl (Danish: Skovdal)
  • Kielsburg (Danish: Kilsborg)
  • Rosenburg
  • Schobüll (Danish: Skobøl, North Frisian: Schööbel)
  • Halebüll (Danish: Halebøl, North Frisian: Hälbel)
  • Hockensbüll (Danish: Hokkensbøl, North Frisian: Hukensbel)
  • Lund

Culture

Shipping museum
Schloss vor Husum
Market of Husum with the church (Marienkirche) and the Tine-Well

Being a tourist resort and the gateway to the North Frisian Islands, Husum offers many cultural features.

Festival Raritäten der Klaviermusik

The Raritäten der Klaviermusik international festival of rare piano music, specialising in unknown classical piano music, was founded in 1987 by Peter Froundjian[de], and takes place in the Schloss vor Husum.

Museums

The Theodor-Storm-Haus (Wasserreihe 31) was the house of Theodor Storm. It is home to an exhibition about the novelist and his works. The Schiffahrtsmuseum Nordfriesland (Zingel 15) shows ships from the Middle Ages to the present. The models on display give a good impression of life on the coast and at sea. The Ostenfelder Bauernhaus (Nordhusumer Str.13) is an old farmhouse and the oldest open-air museum in Germany.

Sights

  • Marienkirche, Husum[de], collapsed 1807, re-erected 1833
  • The Schloss vor Husum, 1582, was a residence of the dukes of Holstein-Gottorp
  • Old Town Hall, 1601
  • New Town Hall, 1988/1989

Clubs

  • The Spielmannszug & Jugendblasorchester Rödemis[de] is a famous marching band from the district of Rödemis.

Husum is also home of two football clubs, the Husumer SV and the Rödemisser SV.[citation needed]

Husum Cricket Club is based at the Mikkelberg-Kunst-und-Cricket Center which has in the past hosted international women's cricket matches. The ground is located in nearby Hattstedt.

Twinning

Husum is twinned with:

Denmark Gentofte, Denmark Germany Heiligenstadt, GermanyUnited Kingdom Kidderminster, England Poland Trzcianka, Poland

Infrastructure

Husum station is located on the WesterlandHamburg line (Marsh Railway), the Husum–Bad St. Peter-Ording line to the Eiderstedt peninsula and the Husum–Jübek line, which connects to Kiel.

Education

Grammar schools

High schools

  • Gemeinschaftsschule Husum-Nord
  • Ferdinand-Tönnies-Schule
  • Husum Danske Skole (Danish School)

Elementary schools

  • Iven-Agßen-Schule, since 1619, one of the oldest elementary schools in Germany.
  • Bürgerschule
  • Klaus-Groth-Schule
  • Bornschool in Schobüll

Notable people

Theodor Storm (1817–1888)
Fanny zu Reventlow
Janina Uhse, 2012

Sport

See also

Sources

  • Riewerts, Brar V. (1969). Die Stadt Husum in Geschichte und Gegenwart (in German). Husum: Hermann Hansen.
  • Brandt, Otto (1925). Geschichte Schleswig-Holsteins (8. Aufl. 1981) (in German). Kiel: Mühlau.
  • . Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol.1. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. 1875. p.707.

External links

  • Media related toHusumat Wikimedia Commons
  • Husumtravel guide from Wikivoyage