Wilhelmsburg was built from 1842 to 1849 as the Citadel's reduit. The Citadel comprised work XII of the Wilhelmsburg and works XIII to XVIII of Fort Wilhelm and was the largest of the town-wall fortifications. In contrast to all the other works; the ›Wilhelmsburg‹ had no ramparts and consisted only of four re-inforced bunkers in the three towers. Over the decades, different regiments and units were stationed here.
After the Second World War, the Wilhelmsburg was officially used as a refugee camp, although several citizens of Ulm, whose homes had been bombed or requisitioned, also took shelter here. At any one time, a total of almost 3,000 people lived in the ›Wilhelmsburg‹, which had its own shop, post office and school.
In 1956, the newly formed German army moved in and up until 1970, soldiers were still stationed in the bunkers of the Wilhelmsburg.
Since then, the more than 570 rooms have been empty, apart from a few that have been rented out to companies.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.