a fortified town of the Prussian monarchy, in the province of Pomerania, capital of a government of the same name, formerly of the whole of Swedish Pomerania, on the strait between the island of Rügen and the mainland, 120 miles north by west of Berlin. It is entirely surrounded by water, and only approached by three bridges, which connect it with as many suburbs on the mainland opposite to the town. It is an old-fashioned town, and somewhat gloomy in its appearance; the streets are very narrow and irregular, but for the most part clean and well paved. The principal buildings are the town-hall, a fine old building with seven pinnacles; and the churches of St Nicholas and St Mary, the former of the thirteenth and the latter of the fourteenth century, and both fine specimens of the pointed style of architecture, similar to the churches of Lübeck. Near one of the city-gates there is a stone built into the wall which marks the place where Charles XII. of Sweden used to spend the night when defending Stralsund against the kings of Prussia, Poland, and Denmark, in 1715. Besides the two already mentioned, Stralsund contains four other churches, one of which has two celebrated paintings by Tischbein. There is also a government-house, a town-hall containing a public library, a gymnasium with a museum and library, a school of navigation, a lunatic asylum, orphan hospital, and workhouse. The manufactures of the town are numerous, including ship-building, and the making of woollen and linen cloth, starch, sugar, tobacco, soap, candles, leather, &c. An active trade is carried on; and the harbour, which is good, though somewhat encumbered with shoals, is much frequented by vessels. Wheat, malt, timber, wool, and linen are the chief articles of export. Stralsund was founded in 1209 by Jaromar I., Prince of Rügen, and it soon rose to a high degree of prosperity, as a free imperial town and a member of the Hanseatic League. In the Thirty Years' War it successfully resisted the arms of Wallenstein, who besieged it in 1628, determined, as he expressed it, to take the place "though it were bound to heaven with chains." The brave defence of the citizens, supported by the Danes and Swedes, compelled the Imperial general to raise the siege, after a loss of 12,000 men. In 1678 Frederick William of Brandenburg bombarded and took the town from the Swedes, who had gained possession of it by the peace of Westphalia in 1648. It was, however, restored to Sweden in 1679. In 1715 Stralsund was besieged by the Prussian, Danish, and Saxon forces, and was compelled to surrender. Again, however, in 1720 it was given back to Sweden. In 1807 it was surrendered to the French, who destroyed its fortifications. It was in Stralsund that Schill, a German who attempted to deliver his country from the French, lost Strange. his life in 1898. The place where he fell is still marked in one of the streets, and his body lies in one of the churchyards, without the head, which is now at Brunswick. In 1810 Stralsund was ceded to Denmark, and in 1815 to Prussia. The fortifications have been since restored. Pop. 20,333.