Postcards from Kiel catalogue

Kiel is the capital of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With approximately 253,000 inhabitants (2024), it is the largest city in this state. The city was founded in the 13th century under the name Holstenstadt tom Kyle and grew into a major city around 1900. Today, Kiel is the northernmost major city in Germany and ranks among the country's thirty largest cities. The city is a kreisfreie Stadt and forms the center of the Kiel region.

Kiel is situated on the Baltic Sea, on the bay known as the Kiel Fjord. The city marks the terminus of the busiest artificial waterway in the world: the Kiel Canal, also known as the Baltic Sea Canal. Historically, Kiel has been an important naval base.

The city is known for, among other things, the major sailing event Kieler Woche, the handball club THW Kiel, the football club Holstein Kiel, and the local culinary specialty Kieler Sprotten.

In addition to the service sector, the largest German shipyard, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, and the seaport with ferry connections to Scandinavia and the Baltic states are also economically important. Furthermore, Kiel is a university city with three higher education institutions: the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, the Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Kiel, and the Muthesius Kunsthochschule.