Flensburg

Flensburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated at the coast of the Baltic Sea as well as on the Danish border. The population is about 85,000 inhabitants.

History

Flensburg was founded in the 13th century at the innermost tip of the Flensburg Fjord and began to rise after the decline of the Hanseatic League. Between 1460 and 1864 it was one of the major ports of the Danish monarchy. In the German-Danish War (1864) it was captured by Prussia. There is still a large Danish community living in Flensburg. The Danish name of the town is Flensborg. In the Second World War the town remained virtually undamaged. Admiral Karl Dönitz fled here in 1945 to escape the Allied troops, but was captured at last in Flensburg.