Husum (German pronunciation:[ˈhuːzʊm], North Frisian: Hüsem) is the capital of the Kreis (district) Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The town was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea". It is also the home of the annual international piano festival Raritäten der Klaviermusik (Rarities of Piano Music) founded in 1986.[2]
History
Husum was first mentioned as Husembro in 1252,[3] when king Abel was murdered.[citation needed]
Like most towns on the North Sea, Husum was always strongly influenced by storm tides. In 1362 a disastrous storm tide, the "Grote Mandrenke" flooded the town and carved out the inland harbour. Before this date Husum was not situated directly on the coast. The people of the city took advantage of this opportunity and built a marketplace, which led to a great economic upturn.
Between 1372 and 1398 the population of Husum grew rapidly, and two villages, Oster-Husum (East-Husum) and Wester-Husum (West-Husum), were founded.
The name Husum is first mentioned in 1409.[4] It is shown on the Carta Marina in the Frisian form of Husem.
Porrenkoog (Danish: Porrekog, North Frisian: Porekuuch)
Osterhusum (Danish: Øster Husum), Osterhusumfeld
Altstadt
Norderschlag (Danish: Nørreslag)
Dreimühlen (Danish: Tremølle)
Rödemis (Danish: Rødemis, North Frisian: Rööms)
Fischersiedlung
Neustadt (Danish: Nystad(en))
Gewerbegebiet
Schauendahl (Danish: Skovdal)
Kielsburg (Danish: Kilsborg)
Rosenburg
Schobüll (Danish: Skobøl, North Frisian: Schööbel)
Halebüll (Danish: Halebøl, North Frisian: Hälbel)
Hockensbüll (Danish: Hokkensbøl, North Frisian: Hukensbel)
Lund
Culture
Being a tourist resort and the gateway to the North Frisian Islands, Husum offers many cultural features.
Festival Raritäten der Klaviermusik
This international festival of rare piano music, specialising in unknown classical piano music, was founded in 1986 by Peter Froundjian, and takes place in the town's castle.[2]
Museums
The Theodor-Storm-Haus [de] (Wasserreihe 31) was the house of Theodor Storm. It is home to an exhibition about the novelist and his works.
The Schifffahrtsmuseum Nordfriesland [de] (Zingel 15) shows ships from the Middle Ages to the present. The models on display give a good impression of life on the coast and at sea.
The Ostenfelder Bauernhaus (Nordhusumer Str.13) is an old farmhouse and the oldest open-air museum in Germany.