Living in Greifswald: Registration Districts, Daily Life on the Ryck
New in Greifswald
Greifswald: University and Hanseatic Town on the Ryck
– Guide for newcomers
Greifswald lies on the Ryck river, which flows into the Greifswalder Bodden lagoon, between the islands of Rügen and Usedom. The administrative seat of the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald had around 56,150 inhabitants at the end of 2025, making it the fourth-largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It received Lübeck town rights in 1250, and the university was founded in 1456 – the second oldest in the Baltic region after Rostock. The painter Caspar David Friedrich was born here, and his paintings are on show at the Pomeranian State Museum. Together with Stralsund, Greifswald forms one of the state's four regional centres. The town is compact, and many journeys can be made by bike. If you move here, you register within two weeks – according to the town, most easily online via electronic address registration.
According to Wikipedia, the largest employers are the university and the University Medicine Greifswald. There are also research institutions such as the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics with the Wendelstein 7-X fusion experiment, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute on the island of Riems and the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science; young companies are based in the Biotechnikum and the technology centre. According to its own figures, the university welcomed 1,560 new students for the 2026/27 winter semester; rooms are correspondingly in demand at the start of term. We do not give specific rents because we have no reliable source. We handle the transport from Berlin as a home removal.
Moving to Greifswald: Request a Survey and Fixed Price
Price after a survey, liability under the German Commercial Code (HGB)
Call us on 01625978461 if you are moving to Greifswald. After a survey, we give you a fixed price for the route of around 236 km; your belongings are covered under the HGB, and additional insurance is available for valuables. We coordinate moving day with the flat handover and the start of term. The route via the A11 and A20 is described on the page Moving Berlin – Greifswald.
Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.
What we take on – and what is up to you
Transport, assembly, access
We have no branch in Greifswald: the lorry sets off from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and drives around 236 km via the A11 and A20. Beforehand we ask about the floor, lift and access – whether in the city centre, Ostseeviertel or Schönwalde. On request, we apply in good time to the responsible authority for the parking restriction zone (Halteverbotszone) outside your new address. We give you the fixed price after the survey; liability is under § 451e HGB (€620 per m³). You take care of registering online or at the town administration on the Markt yourself – within two weeks of moving in. For students there is a separate page on the student move.
Packing Service
Furniture assembly
Storage
Parking restriction
Six Things for Your First Weeks in Greifswald
The removal van is empty – now the settling in begins. Newcomers to Greifswald should take care of these six points in the first few weeks; we handle transport, assembly and the parking restriction, while the visits to the authorities are up to you.
Registration within two weeks
Landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)
Choosing a district
Apply for student halls
Register online
Re-register your car
Few Belongings? Shared Load to Greifswald
If you come to study at the University of Greifswald, you often move with only one room's worth of furniture. With a shared load, your belongings use free load space on a trip heading for Greifswald. We agree collection in Berlin and delivery in advance; this trip is also covered under the HGB.
Arriving
in Greifswald
Anyone moving to Greifswald has quite a lot to do in the first few weeks: registering within two weeks – online via electronic address registration or with an appointment on the Markt –, the landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) and, for students, the application for halls of residence. Then there is the choice between the city centre with its suburbs, the large residential areas of Ostseeviertel and Schönwalde, and quieter locations such as Wieck or Eldena on the lagoon. If you are starting work at the university, the University Medicine or a research institute, you should also test your commute at rush hour. This guide summarises the most important steps – from the first week to daily life on the lagoon.
Paperwork and deadlines
Flat and neighbourhood
Organising everyday life
Frequently Asked Questions About Living in Greifswald
Districts in Greifswald: City Centre, Ostseeviertel, Wieck and Eldena
According to the town, the city centre lies between the Ryck and the railway and between the Hansering and the town moat; its heart is the market square, and the museum harbour is on the Ryck. The city centre also includes the Fleischer, Fetten, Mühlen and Steinbecker suburbs. In Ostseeviertel, Greifswald's first large housing estate was built in the 1950s, followed by the Parkseite from 1981 and the Ryckseite from 1987. Schönwalde I and II are further large residential areas.
On the water lie Wieck and Eldena, with the monastery ruins painted by Caspar David Friedrich and a bathing spot serving as the town beach. Under municipal law, there are eight local districts with an elected local representative body. We do not give specific rents because we have no reliable, up-to-date source; housing companies and cooperatives are good first points of contact.
University, Research and Daily Life in Greifswald
The University of Greifswald and the University Medicine are the town's largest employers; the university alone has around 6,000 staff. Around them, companies have settled in the Biotechnikum and the Vorpommern technology centre. Known throughout Germany are the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics with the Wendelstein 7-X fusion experiment, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute for animal health on the island of Riems and the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology.
Culturally, the Theater Vorpommern and the Pomeranian State Museum shape the town. By car you reach Greifswald via the A 20, which has its own junction, and the B 105 and B 109 run through the town. Together with Stralsund, Greifswald forms one of the state's four regional centres.
Moving prices by flat size
Our price scale:
- 1 room: from €354
- 2 rooms: from €605
- 3 rooms: from €909
- 4 rooms: from €1,299
- House/villa: individual quote
- Long-distance move: from €4.25/km
Interested? Then arrange a free survey now.
What the price depends on
Whether a move turns out cheaper or more expensive depends on the volume, the distance (from €4.25/km) and the floor. An available lift can reduce costs, and a parking restriction zone makes loading and unloading easier. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a shared load round off the offer.
Services for Your Move to Greifswald
Our services compared directly – find the offer that suits you.
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Home removal | The home removal for flats and houses of any size. |
| Office move | The office move for offices, practices and businesses. |
| Furniture transport | Furniture transport for individual pieces or entire flats. |
| Shared load | The shared load for smaller quantities at a budget price. |
| Move with assembly | The move with assembly, including furniture assembly and dismantling. |
| House clearance | House clearance for household liquidations and cellars. |
From Berlin to Greifswald – and Back
We come from Berlin-Moabit; it is around 236 km to Greifswald via the A11 and A20, and the lorry takes about three hours. The route is described on the page Moving Berlin – Greifswald. The return trip to Berlin is also possible.
Registering in Greifswald: Online or at the Town Hall on the Markt
The deadline under § 17 of the Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz) also applies in the university and Hanseatic town of Greifswald: you register within two weeks of moving in. For this, the town refers to electronic address registration at wohnsitzanmeldung.gov.de. According to the operator, the service is free of charge and can be used throughout Germany. You receive a digital registration confirmation and can then update the address on your identity card, passport or eID card. The easiest way is with a smartphone. If you have questions, the public authority hotline 115 can help.
Alternatively, you book appointments online via termine.greifswald.de. The town administration on the Markt, 17489 Greifswald, gives the following office hours:
- with an appointment: Mon to Fri 8 am to 12 noon, Mon to Thu 2 pm to 4 pm, Tue 2 pm to 6 pm
- without an appointment: Tue 9 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 5 pm, Thu 9 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 4 pm
You can reach the town by phone on 03834 8536-0. The Greifswald-Information office on the Markt is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm.
Allow time for your landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Under § 19 of the Federal Registration Act, the landlord is obliged to cooperate. The confirmation states the move-in date, the address of the flat and the persons required to register.
As a student, you will find support with our student move.
Greifswald's Districts: City Centre, Ostseeviertel and Eldena
The town of Greifswald lists 16 districts. On its housing page, it presents, among others, the city centre, Ostseeviertel, Schönwalde I/Südstadt, Schönwalde II and Groß Schönwalde, Wieck and Ladebow, Eldena, Riems and Friedrichshagen.
- City centre: it lies between the Ryck and the railway and between the Hansering and the town moat. The market square is the heart of the old town, and the museum harbour lines the Ryck. The university shapes the townscape. The city centre also includes the Fleischervorstadt, Fettenvorstadt, Mühlenvorstadt and Steinbeckervorstadt suburbs.
- Ostseeviertel: Greifswald's first large housing estate was built here in the 1950s. The Parkseite was added from 1981, prefab blocks were built on the Ryckseite from 1987, and terraced houses and blocks of flats have been added since the 1990s. The neighbourhood office at Dostojewskistraße 20 a is staffed on Thursdays from 3 pm to 6 pm.
- Eldena: this district is where Greifswald began. Cistercian monks founded Hilda Abbey here in 1199. Today it includes the monastery ruins, the post windmill, the bathing spot serving as the town beach and the Elisenhain woodland.
According to its own figures, the university welcomed 1,560 new students for the 2026/27 winter semester. The Studierendenwerk allocates rooms via an application for halls of residence. Information on the process is available at stw-greifswald.de.
Further details on locations and price levels can be found in the Greifswald guide and on the page Moving to Greifswald.
Related Articles