The Hanseatic city of Rostock was granted the city rights in 1218. It is a city of crafts and industry, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe (1419) and the centre of a strong bourgeoisie. Today, Rostock is a modern centre on the southern Baltic Sea. From the 13th to the 16th century, Rostock was one of the leading Hanseatic cities and acquired a highly representative character due to its large number of stately patrician and trading houses.
The brick buildings still preserved from that period demonstrate the diligence and craftsmanship of their builders.