KIEL, the chief naval port of Germany on the Baltic, a town of the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein. Pop. (1933) 218,123, including the incorporated suburbs. The name of Kiel appears as early as the Loth century in the form Kyl (probably from the Anglo-Saxon Kille=a safe place for ships). In 1242 it received the Lubeck rights; in the 14th century it acquired various trading privileges, having in 1284 entered the Hanseatic League. By the treaty of Kiel in 1814 Norway was ceded to Sweden. In 1773 Kiel became part of Denmark, and in 1866 it passed with the rest of Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia. It is situ ated at the southern end of the Kieler Forde, 7o m. by rail N. from Hamburg. It consists of an old town, lying between the harbour and a sheet of water called Kleiner Kiel, and a new town. In the old town stands the palace, built in the 13th century, en larged in the i8th and restored after a fire in 1838. Other buildings are the church of St. Nicholas (restored in 1877-1884), dating from 1240, with a lofty steeple ; the old town-hall on the market square; and the church of the Holy Ghost. Farther to the north and facing the bay is the university, founded in 1665 by Christian Albert, duke of Schleswig. The new buildings were erected in
1876, and connected with them are a library and a school of forestry. The university has a good medical school. The Schles wig-Holstein museum of national antiquities is contained in the old university buildings.
Kiel has a magnificent harbour, which has a comparatively uni form depth of water, averaging 4o ft., and close to the shores 20 ft. Its length is ir m. and its breadth varies from / m. at the southern end to 41 m. at the mouth. The government docks and ship-building yards are on the east side facing the town and com prise basins capable of containing the largest war-ships afloat. The principal industries are those connected with the navy and ship building, but embrace also flour-mills, oil-works, iron-foundries, printing-works, saw-mills, breweries, brick-works, soap, margarine and chemical making and fish-curing. There is an important trade in coal, timber, oils, machinery, cereals, fish, butter and cheese.