Wilhelmshaven
| Wilhelmshaven | ||
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Naval museum
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 Wilhelmshaven
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| Coordinates: 53°31′0″N 8°8′0″E / 53.51667°N 8.13333°ECoordinates: 53°31′0″N 8°8′0″E / 53.51667°N 8.13333°E | ||
| Country | Germany | |
| State | Lower Saxony | |
| District | Urban district | |
| Government | ||
| • Lord Mayor | Andreas Wagner (CDU) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 106.91 km2 (41.28 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) | |
| Population (2015-12-31) | ||
| • Total | 75,995 | |
| • Density | 710/km2 (1,800/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | 26351–26389 | |
| Dialling codes | 04421, 04423, and 04425 (each partially) | |
| Vehicle registration | WHV | |
| Website | Nordsee Stadt Wilhelmshaven | |
Wilhelmshaven (meaning William's Harbour) (German pronunciation: [vɪlhɛlmsˈhaːfən]) is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea. Wilhelmshaven is the centre of the "JadeBay" business region (which has around 330,000 inhabitants).
The adjacent Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park (part of the Wattenmeer UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site) provides the basis for the major tourism industry in the region.
The Siebethsburg castle, built before 1383, operated as a pirate stronghold; the Hanseatic League destroyed it in 1433. Four centuries later, the Kingdom of Prussia planned a fleet and a harbour on the North Sea. In 1853, Prince Adalbert of Prussia, a cousin of the Prussian King Frederick William IV, arranged the Jade Treaty (Jade-Vertrag) with the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, in which Prussia and the Grand Duchy entered into a contract whereby Oldenburg ceded 3.13 km² of its territory at the Jade Bight to Prussia. In 1869 King William I of Prussia (later also German Emperor) founded the town as an exclave of the Province of Hanover and a naval base for Prussia's developing fleet. All the hinterland of the city remained as part of the Duchy of Oldenburg.
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