Cuxhaven

Cuxhaven, city in north-central Germany, in Lower Saxony. Cuxhaven is a port, resort, and health spa at the western side of the Elbe river estuary into the Helgoland Bight of the North Sea. The city's fishing fleet is one of the most important in Germany, and there is a large fishing harbour, fish market, and fish processing industry, as well as some heavy industry. Hamburg took control of Cuxhaven in 1394, after which it served as a foreport for Hamburg until 1937. Notable buildings include the 14th-century castle known as the Schloss Ritzebüttel and the Alte Liebe (“old love”) pier. Several islands in the Elbe estuary can be reached on foot from Cuxhaven at low tide. These are mostly used for animal grazing or left wild, but on one is the Cemetery of the Nameless Ones, a graveyard for unknown soldiers. Population (1984 estimate) 57,200.