Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Vendors needed for 2023 German Christmas Market in City Center at Oyster Point on Dec. 1&2

Enjoy these pictures of Newport News' 1st Annual German Christmas Market or Weihnachtsmarkt held, Saturday, December 3, 2022. Many thanks to all the vendor and volunteer who made this event possible including especially:
Katie Stodghill and Paul Danehy, Greifswald Committee Co-Chairs;
Mario Mazzarella, Anette Brinkley, Al Riutort, Christine Plummer, Jake Plummer, Fred and Phyllis Kohlman, Gabby Newcomb, Ernestine Dole, Mel Lauf, Steven Tung, Louse Schaefflet, Ved Malhotra, Vicki Chaffee Hanke, Emma Janney, Jessica Janey, Lynn Lambert, Angela King, Terry Amabile, Sandra Fletcher, Louisa Slagle, Deb Smith, Jennifer Privette, and Hobie Hobert
​Greifswald is situated in the northeastern part of the German federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It lies roughly between the Pomeranian islands of Rügen and Usedom. The town developed after Danish Cistercian monks settled the area and built the Eldena Monastery in 1199. The city flourished as part of the Hanseatic League during the 13th to 15th centuries. It is home to the Ernst Moritz Arndt University, founded in 1456.
 
The town sits on the river Ryck which feeds into the Danish Wiek (Dänische Wiek). The fishing village of Wieck is featured in the work of painter Caspar David Friedrich. Friedrich is considered one of the most important painters of early German Romanticism. He was born in Greifswald in 1774 when the city was still part of Sweden. Friedrich also captured in his work the impressive ruins of the Eldena monastery and the iconic view of Greifswald approaching from Stralsund, dominated by three Gothic churches.
 
On 30 April 1945, Greifswald surrendered peacefully to the Soviet Army. Because of this, the city survived WWII undamaged. Since German Unification in October 1990, Greifswald has prospered. Today the University boasts approximately 12,500 students and is well known for its medical program. Recent large scale construction projects on campus include clinics, a new university library and research buildings. The city's population was listed at 59,332 in 2021, including students and nearly 5,000 university employees.

An inaugural delegation led by Newport News Mayor Joe Frank visited Greifswald in July 2004. After many years of friendly relations, the two cities officially “sistered” on October 4, 2007 during a ceremony at Newport News City Hall. Lord Mayor Dr. Arthur König, Greifswald’s first elected mayor post-unification signed the sistering agreement (2001-2015). Lord Mayor Dr. Stefan Fassbinder is his immediate successor, having won election in 2015 and 2022.
 
Between 2004 and 2020, Greifswald and Newport News conducted over 25 separate "people-to-people" exchanges. Greifswald’s spring 2023 visit marks the first sister city delegation to visit the City of Newport News post-pandemic.

The Newport News Sister City partnership is supported in Greifswald by the Office of the Mayor and the community’s Friends of North America Club.
​Greifswald’s spring 2023 visit marks the 1st sister city delegation to visit the City of Newport News post-pandemic.
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10th Anniversary Honored

October 4th 2017 marked the 10th Anniversary of Newport News’ partnership with Greifswald, Germany. Greifswald’s Lord Mayor, Dr. Stefan Fassbinder, led a delegation to Newport News in honor of the milestone. The Mariners' Museum opened the “Views of the Baltic Sea” photo exhibition to highlight this exquisite maritime community and area business and sites welcomed the delegates. Local "Host Families" provided the people-to-people contact that makes the Sister Cities uniquely successful. SCNN extends our thanks to the host families and organizations who assisted us with this exchange and displayed the welcoming spirit of our community, especially:

The Mariners' Museum / JLAB / CNU's Reiff Center
VA Air & Space Museum / Newport News Shipbuilding / Pfac
Menchville High / Warwick High / Mayor McKinley Price
The Stodghill Family / The Goodson Family
The Kohlman Family / The Taylor Family
The Hutchko Family / Mike Pannewitz / Mario Mazzarella Greifswald Chair, Ron Russell
Enjoy some images from the exchange below:
2017 Greifswald Delegation & Host Families
Pax & Melissa Goodson / Lord Mayor Dr. Stefan Fassbinder
Bobbi & Joe Hutchko / Anett Hauswald
Jim & Virginia Taylor / Friedhelm Hein
Fred & Phyllis Kohlman / Hannelore & Matthias Schwenke
Katie & Jeff Stodghill / Katharina Freitag

2016 Jahn Gymnasium Host Families & Delegates
Alvord Family /Valentin Steinle
Brinkley Family /Johannes Gums
Cann Family /Ms. Anke Gutsche
Carter Family /Celine Brunnenkref
Clark Family /Lea Hermann &Daniela Purps
Dahl Family / Sonja Völker & Hannah Bernitzki
Danehy Family / Andrea Schmidtz
Forbes Family / Hannah Kallmeyer & Luisa Radloff
Gray Family / Enid Maske
Hamilton Family / Lea  Brüser
Kerner Family / Anna Strübing
Lambert Family / Hannah Melzer & ViVi Feng
Louder Family / Laura Scholwin &Gina Scheiwe
Martin-Williams Family / Ms. Valentina Filter
May Family / Sebastian Rochow
Miller Family / Phillip Simonsen
Mitchell and Brinkley Families/ Tobias Altmann
Payne Family / Daniel Diel
Ramirez Family / Andrine Vogelgesang
Ruble Family / Luis Werner
Rudd Family / Bjoern Baumann
Russell Family / Mr. Klaus Schroeder
Sanders Family / Maia Holzmann
Schaffer Family / Emma Bauschke
Simpson Family /Max Hoffmeister
Solterbeck Family / Anna Heineman
Stodghill Family / Thomas Schweikhand
J. Stodghill Family / Mr. Volker Grap
VanEck Family / Leah Lütt