Welcome Note
My fellow new citizens
Welcome here to Wismar!
As the saying goes, first impressions are the most lasting. What then may have been the first impressions you had of the hanseatic and UNESCO World Heritage town of Wismar? Undoubtedly this depends on your reasons for moving to us - which are most likely many and several. Wismar has witnessed several different eras throughout its almost 800 year old history. Times of departure, times of prosperous trade, times of war, occupation and liberation, times of struggle with nature. Times that ultimately made Wismar the town it is today. Importantly however, Wismar is a town that learns from its past and present, and which wishes to learn with you in order to become even more attractive and diverse. Today I wish to invite you to this, your new home town, and to show you why it was the right decision to choose Wismar. This is a place to enjoy life; to work, play, study, relax and celebrate family life., In addition to its well-developed infrastructure, Wismar enjoys the wonderful atmosphere of its historic old town and port, all located in a very attractive geographical location on the Baltic Sea coast. Our town's local businesses offer a wide range of qualified jobs and thus a solid economic foundation for families and children, while the town's education opportunities are well established, open to both young and old.
A complete range of child care facilities offering a broad spectrum of educational concepts are present in the town. We offer four primary schools, two regional schools, an integrative comprehensive school and two high schools all under state auspices, supplemented by three private schools. We also have good quality further education; the Berufsschulzentrum Nord (Technical College North) offers a wide variety of opportunities for vocational training, while at Wismar University courses in economics, design (architecture, interior design) and engineering are available to study. This nationally recognized seat of learning can pave the way to a variety of successful careers, either as an entrepreneur or within existing businesses.
Of course, you'll also find lots of sports and leisure activities available in Wismar. There is the town library located in the lovingly restored former arsenal, while our music school offers courses for all ages. The Wonnemar leisure park provides fun in the water even in the cold wintry months as well as hosting many sports club activities. Municipal playgrounds and playing fields give children and young people areas to play diverse sports and generally have fun. Our animal park and the Bauernscheune are also very popular attractions for young families. Wismar is popular for a variety of events aimed equally at all generations. The city hosts big annual events such as the Swedish Festival, the Harbour Festival or our great children's party to mark Universal Children's Day. There are also annual film and (children's film) festivals, while our theater offers other cultural delights all year round.
For those of you who are art lovers can find satisfaction at the varied exhibitions that take pace in the harbour at the so called Baumhaus, or in the Kunstraum in St. George's Church. For those interested in history, the UNESCO World Heritage House is always worth a visit, as are the permanent exhibitions in the Town Hall basement or St. Mary's Church.
Concert goers can take advantage of the NDR Concert Series at St. George's Church, performances forming part of the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as diverse other concerts at various locations in and around the town.
If however you prefer a first hand experience of Hanseatic history, please take the time to visit our replica mediaeval hanseatic cog - the Wissemara - anchored in the old port and enjoy the atmosphere there. Both in the harbour and throughout the old town, you will find cozy restaurants, pubs and cafes in which to relax. Soak in the atmosphere of the city; the historic façades that tell of the splendor of the Hanseatic period and which still radiate their unique charm to the present day. From the observation deck of St. George's Church tower you can take a bird's eye view of several of the town's sightseeing attractions. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world are attracted to Wismar every year. As such, you have the pleasure of living somewhere where others can only spend their vacation!
Nevertheless, the town is of course, not finished - in any sense of the word! We want to keep on developing our available options and we heartily invite you to make your contribution to the fabric of the town's cultural life. In addition to the many opportunities for participation in clubs and associations, there are institutions - just to name three examples - such as the Youth and Children's Parliament (KiJuPa), the Old Town Funding Advisory Committee (Altstadtbeirat) and the Senior Citizens Committee (Seniorenbeirat) to participate in. These demonstrate our desire to have all kinds of people of all generations and backgrounds to feel at home in our town, and it is precisely for this reason it is vital that we learn from one another.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you here and I wish you all a great future in Wismar!
Thomas Beyer
Mayor
Welcome here to Wismar!
As the saying goes, first impressions are the most lasting. What then may have been the first impressions you had of the hanseatic and UNESCO World Heritage town of Wismar? Undoubtedly this depends on your reasons for moving to us - which are most likely many and several. Wismar has witnessed several different eras throughout its almost 800 year old history. Times of departure, times of prosperous trade, times of war, occupation and liberation, times of struggle with nature. Times that ultimately made Wismar the town it is today. Importantly however, Wismar is a town that learns from its past and present, and which wishes to learn with you in order to become even more attractive and diverse. Today I wish to invite you to this, your new home town, and to show you why it was the right decision to choose Wismar. This is a place to enjoy life; to work, play, study, relax and celebrate family life., In addition to its well-developed infrastructure, Wismar enjoys the wonderful atmosphere of its historic old town and port, all located in a very attractive geographical location on the Baltic Sea coast. Our town's local businesses offer a wide range of qualified jobs and thus a solid economic foundation for families and children, while the town's education opportunities are well established, open to both young and old.
A complete range of child care facilities offering a broad spectrum of educational concepts are present in the town. We offer four primary schools, two regional schools, an integrative comprehensive school and two high schools all under state auspices, supplemented by three private schools. We also have good quality further education; the Berufsschulzentrum Nord (Technical College North) offers a wide variety of opportunities for vocational training, while at Wismar University courses in economics, design (architecture, interior design) and engineering are available to study. This nationally recognized seat of learning can pave the way to a variety of successful careers, either as an entrepreneur or within existing businesses.
Of course, you'll also find lots of sports and leisure activities available in Wismar. There is the town library located in the lovingly restored former arsenal, while our music school offers courses for all ages. The Wonnemar leisure park provides fun in the water even in the cold wintry months as well as hosting many sports club activities. Municipal playgrounds and playing fields give children and young people areas to play diverse sports and generally have fun. Our animal park and the Bauernscheune are also very popular attractions for young families. Wismar is popular for a variety of events aimed equally at all generations. The city hosts big annual events such as the Swedish Festival, the Harbour Festival or our great children's party to mark Universal Children's Day. There are also annual film and (children's film) festivals, while our theater offers other cultural delights all year round.
For those of you who are art lovers can find satisfaction at the varied exhibitions that take pace in the harbour at the so called Baumhaus, or in the Kunstraum in St. George's Church. For those interested in history, the UNESCO World Heritage House is always worth a visit, as are the permanent exhibitions in the Town Hall basement or St. Mary's Church.
Concert goers can take advantage of the NDR Concert Series at St. George's Church, performances forming part of the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as diverse other concerts at various locations in and around the town.
If however you prefer a first hand experience of Hanseatic history, please take the time to visit our replica mediaeval hanseatic cog - the Wissemara - anchored in the old port and enjoy the atmosphere there. Both in the harbour and throughout the old town, you will find cozy restaurants, pubs and cafes in which to relax. Soak in the atmosphere of the city; the historic façades that tell of the splendor of the Hanseatic period and which still radiate their unique charm to the present day. From the observation deck of St. George's Church tower you can take a bird's eye view of several of the town's sightseeing attractions. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world are attracted to Wismar every year. As such, you have the pleasure of living somewhere where others can only spend their vacation!
Nevertheless, the town is of course, not finished - in any sense of the word! We want to keep on developing our available options and we heartily invite you to make your contribution to the fabric of the town's cultural life. In addition to the many opportunities for participation in clubs and associations, there are institutions - just to name three examples - such as the Youth and Children's Parliament (KiJuPa), the Old Town Funding Advisory Committee (Altstadtbeirat) and the Senior Citizens Committee (Seniorenbeirat) to participate in. These demonstrate our desire to have all kinds of people of all generations and backgrounds to feel at home in our town, and it is precisely for this reason it is vital that we learn from one another.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you here and I wish you all a great future in Wismar!
Thomas Beyer
Mayor
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