About Travemuende
Travemuende
In
1187 the Schauenburg Count Adolf III of Holstein had a defensive tower
built as a bastion against the Slaves and “Norman Pirates” as the
Vikings were sometimes referred to in those days. This step represents
the founding of Travemuende albeit that according to earlier records
Adolf II had already commissioned the construction of defensive works on
this spot to check the advance of Slavic tribes. The destruction of
this bulwark in 1181 and the subsequent founding of a new village in
1187 are also mentioned in the records of that time.
Travemuende
was originally founded as a small village at the mouth of the river
Trave and for centuries survived from fishing and shipping.
A good deal for Luebeck`s merchants
The
citizens of Luebeck further upriver were concerned as to the potential
blockage of the mouth of the river Trave by count Adolf and after
lengthy negotiations succeeded in purchasing the defensive tower at
Travemuende in 1320 for the sum of 6,000 Luebsche Mark, followed by the
acquisition of the whole village for a further 1060 Marks in 1329.
Strategically this was a sound decision as through the ownership and
control of Travemuende safe access to the harbour of Luebeck was
assured.
Fishing and shipping have traditionally been the main
sources of income for Travemuende. Initiated by the wealthy merchants of
Luebeck in search of building sites for their summer residences it was
considered toward the end of the 18th century to convert the sleepy
village into a seaside resort (Seebad). Therefore since 1802 Travemuende
could officially refer to itself as such besides such established
places as Heiligendamm and Norderney.
Rush on the fashionable Seaside Resort
At
around 1824 the first wave of visitors arrived by sea. Regular shipping
lines connecting Travemuende with Copenhagen, Riga and St Petersburg
were established. Especially the direct access to the Tsarist Empire was
important as it brought wealthy Russians to Travemuende, which
accelerated the growth of the sleepy village.
The main point for
visitors in 1803 was already a “Kurhaus” (Sanatorium) replaced in 1912
with the current structure (again totally renovated and refurbished in
2005). Guests could take a bath for 6 Marks, assured by strict
regulations and the presence of a tough supervisor that the water was
always clean. Word about the magnificent facilities spread quickly and
Travemuende became the meeting place for the rich and famous of the
time, further attracted by the gambling casino established in 1833 with
proceeds going to the poor and needy. This notwithstanding, the casino
often became the focal point for controversy, culminating in the
decision to close the place by government decree in 1872. The casino
only opened as recently as 1949 to cater for the needs of those who get a
kick out of roulette, baccarat and black jack.
Travemuende has
always attracted prominent people of their time, such as Joseph von
Eichendorff, Iwan Turgenjew and Richard Wagner. Emanuel Geibel wrote
poetry about the place and Clara Wieck wrote in glowing colours to her
future husband Robert Schumann about a sailing trip of the Travemuende
shore. The best description as to how high society spent their summer
vacations can be found in Thomas Mann’s famous novel “The Buddenbrooks”.
It has also been reported that Franz Kafka caused quite some mayhem in
1914 when he walked barefoot along Travemuende beach
Quelle: www.travemuende.de
