ECKERNFORDE

eckernforde, a town of germany, in the prussian province of schleswig-holstein, on a fjord of the baltic, 20 m. by rail n.w. from kiel. pop. (1905) 7088. it has a good harbour, fishing, trade in agricultural products, and manufactures of tobacco, salt and iron goods. there are a technical school of building and a protestant teachers' seminary. eckernforde is mentioned as far back as 1197. it was taken by christian iv. of denmark in 1628 from the imperial troops. in 1813 the danes were defeated here, while in 1849 the harbour was the scene of the blowing up of the danish line-of-battle ship "christian viii." and of the surrender of the frigate "gefion" after an engagement with the german shore batteries. the place lost most of its trade after the union with germany in 1864, and suffered severely from a sea-flood in 1872. in the immediate neighbourhood is the village of borby, much frequented for sea-bathing.