Rendsburg

City in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, on the Kiel Canal, 40 km/25 mi west of Kiel; population (2001 est) 29,400. Industries include iron, steel, textiles, engineering, electronics, energy, plastics, agri-business, and the finance sector.

The settlement was first mentioned in 1199 and was awarded city rights in 1339. It was ruled over time by Denmark, Sweden, and Prussia and was fortified into a garrison in 1669–73. In the 19th century the city contained Germanys largest iron-processing operation. The railway reached the city in 1845, enabling the extension of the economic base of Rendsberg. In 1891 the construction of the North Baltic Sea Channel was begun. The channel was opened in 1895 and is 30 m/159 km in length. Dockyards were created in Rendsberg in 1905 and a deep-sea port established. The city was not badly affected by World War II and saw an increase in its population during the war years. In 1945, Rendsberg was transferred to the British forces.

Buildings of interest include the 16th-century old city hall and the Marenkirche (1286), to which gothic towers were added in 1454. Part of the old arsenal now holds a history museum and the city library. The city also has a high level bridge, which crosses the North Baltic Sea Channel.