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Kiel facts for kids

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Kiel
Aerial view of the city
Aerial view of the city
Coat of arms of Kiel
Coat of arms
Country Germany
State Schleswig-Holstein
District Urban district
Subdivisions 18 districts
Elevation
5 m (16 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)
 • Total 247,717
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Website www.kiel.de

Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 249,023 (2016).Kiel lies approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Hamburg.

Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula and the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea, Kiel has become one of the major maritime centres of Germany. For instance, the city is known for a variety of international sailing events, including the annual Kiel Week, which is the biggest sailing event in the world. The Olympic sailing competitions of the 1936 and the 1972 Summer Olympics were held in the Bay of Kiel.

Kiel has also been one of the traditional homes of the German Navy's Baltic fleet, and continues to be a major high-tech shipbuilding centre. Located in Kiel is the GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel at the University of Kiel.

Kiel Braun-Hogenberg
Kiel in the 16th century

Kiel is an important sea transport hub, thanks to its location on the Kiel Fjord and the busiest artificial waterway in the world, Kiel Canal. A number of passenger ferries to Sweden, Norway, Lithuania and other countries operate from here. Moreover, today Kiel Harbour is an important port of call for cruise ships touring the Baltic Sea.

Kiel's recorded history began in the 13th century, but the city was originally a Danish village, in the 8th century. Until 1864 it was administered by Denmark in personal union. In 1866 the city was annexed by Prussia and in 1871 it became part of Germany.

Today, Kiel is an important maritime centre of Germany, with high-tech shipbuilding, submarine construction and one of the three leading institutions in the field of marine sciences in Europe. Kiel is also home to a large service sector and a number of research institutions including the University of Kiel, which is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious university in the state.

Images for kids

  • Kiel Stadtsicht

    Panoramic view of the city

  • SatSchleswigHolstein Hamburg

    Schleswig-Holstein with Kiel Fjord at the Baltic Coast

  • KielerInnenFoerdeLuftaufnahme

    Port and Kiel Fjord

  • Opernhaus Kiel

    Kiel Opera House and the tower (107 m) of Kiel Town Hall

  • Admiralty Chart No 696 Kieler Hafen, Published 1971

    Kiel Harbour, an Admiralty chart of 1971

  • Geistkaempfer Barlach Kiel

    Geistkämpfer in front of the Nikolaikirche, by Ernst Barlach

  • Kiel Rathaus 0336

    Kiel Opera House and the Town Hall (Kieler Rathaus)

  • Holsten strasse Kiel

    The Holstenstraße is one of the longest shopping streets in Germany — Kiel is the largest city in the state of Schleswig-Holstein.

  • Kiel Karte 1

    traffic map

  • Willy Lucas - Die Holstenstraße in Kiel 1917

    Holstenstraße Kiel 1917, by Willy Lucas

  • DBP 1982 1132 Kieler Woche

    Special issue stamp Kiel Week 1982

  • Ubena von Bremen Kiel2007

    Historic ships at Kiel Week

  • Alter Botanischer Garten Kiel Pavillon

    Old Botanical Garden, Kiel

  • U995 Laboe

    U995 Laboe

  • Warleberger Hof Wappen Kiel2008

    Warleberger Hof

  • Matthias Suessen SH-6920

    Maritime Museum in the former fish market

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kiel para niños

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