Friedrichstadt – Dutch Flair in the Middle of Schleswig-Holstein

Glückstadt is, beneath Friedrichstadt, the only town in Schleswig-Holstein that was found-ed during the Early Modern Age. Duke Frederic III of Holstein-Gottorf established Frie-drichstadt in 1621 in order to entrench a port and a marketplace at the North Sea for the planned upcoming trade with Russia and Persia. The Dutch Remonstrates supported his aims. Furthermore, there have been occasionally seven different religious groups in town. Unfortunately, economic prosperity failed due to the return of most Dutch citizens and be-cause of the destruction during several war periods. Rendsburg and Friedrichstadt provid-ed the only possibilities for Eider traversing. Although this important strategic position re-quested extensive attachments of town walls, these plans weren’t realized.

Hence in 1850 more than a third of the buildings were destroyed by Schleswig-Holstein troops, the Danishinhabitants could defend the town.

The groundplan of Friedrichstadt follows a checkerboard-model, which was conceptual-ized by the Dutch R. Reimers. The southern part of the city beyond the “Mittelburgwall”, the so called “Vorderstadt” was arranged in this way. The northern part of town was used as common land for cattle until 1700. Up to the end of 17th century, the architecture was dominated by the Dutch style. That’s why the properties were slim and stretched with a minimum bearing soil, which required lightweight constructions. During this period, yellow- and red-bricked houses were typical. From the 17th century onwards, whitewashed “Trau-fenhäuser” were significant because of non-native craftsmen from south Germany, which brought their style to Friedrichstadt.

Two very impressive buildings from the founding period are established in the “Prinzeßstraße 23”. It was built in 1624, which is visible at the attached “Zahlenanker” and was equipped with turricolateloras. In the 19th century, the two buildings were assembled to a single one. The re-construction was carried out in 1984/85 and shows e.g. original floorboards, “Upkamern” and a “Hochkeller”.

This corner house was built in 1637 probably for the remonstrant’s preacher and vintner Gode-fridus Paludanus. It`s definitely the wealthiest house of the Gründerzeit that can be found in Friedrichstadt. The wide façade with its five axes is decorated with lionheadornaments in the frieze. The turriculatelor as on both sides are rounded up by volutes made of sandstone. In 1840, the originally built gables were assembled. Beneath the abat-jour rococo styled door from the third quarter of the 18th century, a cannonball was attached to the façade. It derives from the attack of the Schleswig-Holstein Troops in 1850. Nowadays, the “Paludanushaus” belongs to the Community of Danish minority.

This white levigated “Traufenhaus” is equipped with anabat-jourrococo styled door. The “Zah-lenanker” on the façade reveals the year 1790 as the construction date. Characteristic for this building is the city arm of Amsterdam, which is attached above the door as a reference to the Dutch immigrants.

This building was constructed from 1643 - 49 under the attendance of J.v.d. Meulen along the lines of Dutch churches as a flat covered hall with polygonal completion to the east. The west-ern tower was built in 1656/57 and renewed in 1762 by T. Wendler. A cambered lantern crowned cap was attached, too. The interior of the church was replaced in 1861. The oil painting “The lamentation of Christ” from 1675 by the Dutch-Flemish artist J. Ovens was installed instead of the carved altar. Ovens, who lived until his death in 1678 in Friedrichstadt, was one of the leading painters in the Baroque period of Schleswig Holstein. The baptismal font of the church interior was imported from Namur and is made of blue marble. Most of the paintings with ref-erences to the Old and New Testament were made during the 17th century. One of them is a copy by N. Poussin, just as the candelabras one out of bronze above the altar and the one made of brass with a figure of Jupiter. The square-rigger serves as a votive ship and is made in 1738.

This single-storeyed gabled house was built during the “Gründerzeit” and inhabited by craftsmen. The triangle shaped gable is intended from both sides and blunt to the top. The Dutch influence on which the construction of this building is based additionally is underlined by the windows from the 18th century