Glückstadt

Glückstadt is a town of 11,000 people (2018) in South Holstein. It is a stop on the Deutsche Fährstraße (German Ferry Road) theme road and on the Elbe Cycle Route.

History
Glückstadt was founded in 1617 on the marsh lands along the Elbe by the Duke of Holstein, King Christian IV of Denmark. He had levees, fortifications and a ducal residence built. Its name translates to English literally as "Luck City" or "Fortune City". As Christian IV promised the settlers tax exemption and freedom of religion, Glückstadt soon became an important trading centre, intended to compete with the Imperial city of Hamburg, located upstream on the Elbe. After the king had interfered in the Thirty Years' War, the town was besieged for 15 weeks in 1627/28 by the united Imperial and Catholic troops under the command of Albrecht von Wallenstein and Count Tilly, though without success.

In 1649 Christian’s son and successor, King Frederik III of Denmark, moved the seat of the Holstein administration to Glückstadt, and the duchy became known as Holstein-Glückstadt. In 1773 the town became the capital of all Holstein lands, when the lands of the Holstein-Gottorp line were incorporated. During the War of the Sixth Coalition in 1814 Glückstadt was blockaded by the allies and capitulated, and its fortifications were demolished. In 1830 it was made a free port.

Holstein-Glückstadt remained a possession of the Danish Crown until its defeat in the Second Schleswig War of 1864. It was occupied by Austria, but incorporated into the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein in the aftermath of the 1866 Austro-Prussian War.

By boat
There is a ferry across the river Elbe which carries cars, pedestrians and bicycles.

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