Kids playing (with toys)

With more than 200.000 inhabitants Rostock is the largest city in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Small Slavic settlements existed already in the 8th century. A settlement named Roztok was founded in the 11th century by Polabian Slavs. This town was burnt down by troops of the Danish king Valdemar I in 1161. Afterwards the place was settled by German traders. After 1226 Rostock became the seat of the Lordship of Rostock. In the 1250s the city became a member of the Hanseatic League. In the 14th century it was a powerful seaport town with 12,000 inhabitants and the largest city in Mecklenburg. Ships for cruising the Baltic Sea were constructed in Rostock. Until the last Hansa Convention in 1669, Rostock took a leading role in the Baltic Sea behind Lübeck. - Marienkirche is a large Brick Gothic church. Built in the 13th century, it was enlarged and modified at the end of the 14th century into the present basilica. The first reference to a church on this site is in 1232, which is thought to be the predecessor of the current building. The triple-nave cross-shaped basilica is in Brick Gothic, a building style typical of the Hanseatic port cities. The huge tower with a baroque lantern at the top was not completed until the end of the 18th century. In 1419, the University of Rostock was founded, the oldest university in the Baltic Sea area. It was ceremoniously opened in the Marienkirche. The parish priest of the church, Nikolaus Türkow, was personally involved in the founding of the university and the church remained closely associated with it for a long time. Even today, the "professors' pews" indicate that St. Mary's Church had the function of a university and council church until the turn of the century around 1900. The Nikolaialtar is the former main altar of Rostock´s Nikolaikirche. The winged altar, which was created towards the end of the 15th century, was saved from the flames after the bombings of Rostock. After the end of the war, it was moved to the Marienkirche. The children argue during the dice game. A detail of the Nikolaialtar,

Slavic Ranen lived on the island of Ruegen and the mainland opposite the island. They were independent heathens up to the middle of the 12th century, and so maybe the last non-Christian people in Central Europe. In 1168 Danish King Valdemar I defeated the Ranen and destroyed "Jaromarsburg" their main sanctuary. After the Danish victory, the Slavic princes became feudatories of the Danish crown and accepted the Christian faith. They founded Strale, which prospered because of the rich herring stocks in the waters, many merchants settled here who saw this as their basis for trade. Already in 1234 Slavic Prince Wizlaw I granted the village the town charter (Lübsches Stadtrecht). Stralsund now became an important trading town in the Baltic region, mainly due to settlers from Westphalia. The German settlers clearly outnumbered the Slavic population already around 1300. From 1325 on Stralsund belonged to Pomerania-Wolgast. In the 14th century, it was the most important Hanseatic city in the southern Baltic region after Lübeck. The 15th century was Stralsund's heyday. Long-distance trade was the most important economic factor. Around 1450, 350 merchants were involved in such trade. In 1488, 50 skippers founded the "St. Marienbruderschaft der Schiffer", the forerunner of the still existing "Stralsund Schiffercompagnie". As early as 1525, the majority of Stralsund's citizens converted to the Protestant faith. After the Thirty Years' War Stralsund belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden for almost 200 years. In 1815 Stralsund came to Prussia. - The town hall and the Nikolaikirche form an impressive architectural ensemble. The planning and construction of the church went hand in hand with the planning of the town hall. The city council was even the trustee for the construction of the new church. The church was initially built as a hall church but following the example of Lübeck's Marienkirche, the unfinished Nikolaikirche was rebuilt into a basilica around 1270. From the beginning, the church was built with brick produces in the region. Around 1308, the enclosing wall of the choir was closed. This is the result of dendrochronological investigations. With the start of construction work on the new choir pillars, the eastern part of the predecessor church, which had still been used until then, was finally demolished. An invoice from 1314 for the ridge turret of the choir indicates the date of completion of this section. Construction of the tower to the west began as early as 1300. Around 1314, when the tower had reached the height of the choir enclosure at 13 metres, the council decided to have two towers built. Around 1350, the construction of the nave between the two towers was completed. - The altar to which the altar wing belonged no longer exists in its entirety. This is a detail of the wing (see the previous upload). A happy holy families meeting. Mary could be the crowned lady holding baby Jesus. Sitting opposite her then is Anna, Mary's mother. But which persons in the Bible had two or four children? And why don't the fathers standing around have a halo? Note the toys!

Slavic Ranen lived on the island of Ruegen and the mainland opposite the island. They were independent heathens up to the middle of the 12th century, and so maybe the last non-Christian people in Central Europe. In 1168 Danish King Valdemar I defeated the Ranen and destroyed "Jaromarsburg" their main sanctuary. After the Danish victory, the Slavic princes became feudatories of the Danish crown and accepted the Christian faith. They founded Strale, which prospered because of the rich herring stocks in the waters, many merchants settled here who saw this as their basis for trade. Already in 1234 Slavic Prince Wizlaw I granted the village the town charter (Lübsches Stadtrecht). Stralsund now became an important trading town in the Baltic region, mainly due to settlers from Westphalia. The German settlers clearly outnumbered the Slavic population already around 1300. From 1325 on Stralsund belonged to Pomerania-Wolgast. In the 14th century, it was the most important Hanseatic city in the southern Baltic region after Lübeck. The 15th century was Stralsund's heyday. Long-distance trade was the most important economic factor. Around 1450, 350 merchants were involved in such trade. In 1488, 50 skippers founded the "St. Marienbruderschaft der Schiffer", the forerunner of the still existing "Stralsund Schiffercompagnie". As early as 1525, the majority of Stralsund's citizens converted to the Protestant faith. After the Thirty Years' War Stralsund belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden for almost 200 years. In 1815 Stralsund came to Prussia. - The town hall and the Nikolaikirche form an impressive architectural ensemble. The planning and construction of the church went hand in hand with the planning of the town hall. The city council was even the trustee for the construction of the new church. The church was initially built as a hall church but following the example of Lübeck's Marienkirche, the unfinished Nikolaikirche was rebuilt into a basilica around 1270. From the beginning, the church was built with brick produces in the region. Around 1308, the enclosing wall of the choir was closed. This is the result of dendrochronological investigations. With the start of construction work on the new choir pillars, the eastern part of the predecessor church, which had still been used until then, was finally demolished. An invoice from 1314 for the ridge turret of the choir indicates the date of completion of this section. Construction of the tower to the west began as early as 1300. Around 1314, when the tower had reached the height of the choir enclosure at 13 metres, the council decided to have two towers built. Around 1350, the construction of the nave between the two towers was completed. - The altar to which the altar wing belonged no longer exists in its entirety. This is a detail of the just seen pic (previous uplaod). One of the kids has a stick horse and a whip.