Altstadt (Konigsberg)

The Altstadt settlement arose after the first German settlement was destroyed near the walls of the Konigsberg castle during the Prussian uprising in 1261–1263. The origin of the name Altstadt (German for Old Town) is still a subject of debate. The old city - in relation to what? According to one version, the new settlement was originally called Königsberg, and it began to be called the old city later, when Kneiphof and Löbenicht arose, in relation to which it really was the old city.

Altstadt received city rights on February 26, 1286 from the hands of the Landmaster of the Teutonic Order, Konrad von Tirberg . In relation to the geography of present Kaliningrad, Altstadt was bounded by the Pregol , Moskovsky Prospekt, Estadny Bridge and Oktyabrskaya Street. In the Middle Ages, Altstadt had natural borders on three sides: Castle Hill in the north, Pregolya in the south and Löbe Creek (now filled up) in the east. To protect the western side of the city, a city wall with six towers was built in 1333–1350. As of 1815, Altstadt (by that time it was no longer an independent city, but one of the districts of Königsberg ) had a length of 840 meters from the northwest to the southeast and 330 meters from the northeast to the southwest.

On its territory were located the church of St. Nicholas, the hospital church of the "Holy Spirit", a small cathedral and chapel (a place for a college of leading persons). From the north, the city was reliably protected by the Königsberg fortress, from the south - the Pregel river, from the east - the moat along which the Löbebach stream flowed. In the spirit of the times, the city was surrounded by a wall. Altstadt was connected to the island of Lomse by the Wooden Bridge, then the road led to the High Bridge.

In 1339, the city entered the Hanseatic League .

Altstadt ceased to be a separate city only in 1724. By that time, three Königsberg cities and many other towns and communities had actually grown into one city, and for simplification of administrative management they were legally merged into a single city of Königsberg .

During the Second World War, Altstadt was badly damaged. In 1967-1974, earthworks were carried out on the site of the former city, which completely wiped it off the face of the earth. In its place was arranged something like a huge lawn with rarely planted trees, which state still exists. The site of the former Altshatdt is a promising archaeological site.

In accordance with the reconstruction program of the center of Kaliningrad, it is planned to recreate the historical buildings of Altstadt.

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  Konigsberg Castle

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  Town Hall Altstadt

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  View of Altstadt

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  Altstadt Market Square

Along with obtaining city rights, Altstadt received a coat of arms . The coat of arms was two-tone (white-red), with the image of a cross and a crown, reminiscent of the founder of Königsberg - King Ottokar II. In 1724, together with the arms of Kneiphof and Löbenicht, this coat of arms was depicted on the coat of arms of Königsberg. Now it is the central element of the coat of arms of Kaliningrad.

• Altshadts Gymnasium
• Town Hall Altstadt

• Gubin A. B., Strokin V. N., “ Essays on the History of Konigsberg ” ( Kaliningrad , Kaliningrad Book Publishing House, 1991 )
• Albinus, Robert (1985). Lexikon der Stadt Königsberg Pr. und Umgebung (in German). Leer: Verlag Gerhard Rautenberg. p. 371. ISBN 3-7921-0320-6 .
• Armstedt, Richard (1899). Geschichte der königl. Haupt- und Residenzstadt Königsberg in Preussen (in German). Stuttgart: Hobbing & Büchle. p. 354.
• Bötticher, Adolf (1897). Die Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Ostpreußen (in German). Königsberg: Rautenberg. p. 395.
• Gause, Fritz (1965). Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band I: Von der Gründung der Stadt bis zum letzten Kurfürsten (in German). Köln: Böhlau Verlag. p. 571.
• Gause, Fritz (1968). Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band II: Von der Königskrönung bis zum Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs (in German). Köln: Böhlau Verlag. p. 761.
• Gause, Fritz (1968). Königsberg in Preußen. Die Geschichte einer europäischen Stadt (in German). München: Gräfe und Unzer. p. 244.
• Manthey, Jürgen (2005). Königsberg: Geschichte eine Weltbürgerrepublik (in German). München: Carl Hanser Verlag. p. 736. ISBN 3-446-20619-1 .
• Mühlpfordt, Herbert Meinhard (1972). Königsberg von A bis Z (in German). München: Aufstieg-Verlag. p. 168. ISBN 3-7612-0092-7 .

• Leather buckets, sturgeons in Pregol and a beggar official: At the site of a future hotel in Kaliningrad, archaeologists unearthed the remains of a medieval house