Wedel is a place steeped in tradition, the roots of which reach far back into history; in 1212, the name was first mentioned in a document. Wedel owed the first great bloom in the Middle Ages to the 18th century to a major economic event at that time: the ox market, where up to 30,000 animals were traded. The statue of Roland, erected at that time as a symbol of fairness in the market, is the symbol of the city.
As a traditional event, the livestock market still lives on, but the city has long been shaped by modern economic factors. Companies in the high technology and pharmaceutical industries form the financially supporting pillars of a prosperous community with around 34,000 citizens. Wedel stands for maritime, cosmopolitan flair. The ship’s greeting system, Willkomm Höft is unique in the world. Ships and their crews are accompanied with good wishes in their national language and the national anthem, regardless of whether they are on the Elbe into the port of Hamburg or out to sea. The city is a magnet for recreational boaters. Because this is the location of the Hamburg marina, the largest independent sports boat harbor in Northern Europe with 2000 berths. But Wedel is more: the birth town of the sculptor, painter, and writer Ernst Barlach; the pastor and poet prince Johann Rist’s sphere of activity; university location; idyllic nature; Bundesliga basketball; dignified shopping; gastronomic abundance. In short, Wedel is