Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Relationship to GreifswaldAn 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. WANT TO LEARN MORE? INTERESTED IN WHAT WE DO? 
Meetings held at our office:
11820 Merchants' Walk, Suite 100 City Center, Oyster Point - 23606 757-697-3129 [email protected] |
History of GreifswaldGreifswald 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. |
10th Anniversary Honored
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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:
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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: |
Acknowledgements
2017 Greifswald Delegation & Host FamiliesPax & 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 & DelegatesAlvord 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 |
More Past Events and Exchanges
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Greifswald’s spring 2023 visit marks the 1st sister city delegation to visit the City of Newport News post-pandemic. 
Enjoy these pictures of Newport News' 1st Annual German Christmas Market or Weihnachtsmarkt held, Saturday, December 3, 2022. |
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