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Rendsburg is situated at an altitude of 5–10 m at the Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) and the Eider river in central Schleswig-Holstein. Rendsburg is the administrative seat of the district Rendsburg-Eckernförde. The city has a population of about 28,400 (2006).

Rendsburg was founded around 1150 and was first mentioned as Reinoldesbuch in in 1199 in the 'Chronica Slavorum' of Arnold of Lübeck. The old town was situated on an island in the river Eider which marked the border between Schleswig and Holstein. As a consequence, it was disputed repeatedly during its history whether the city belonged to Schleswig or to Holstein. The city probably was chartered as a town in 1239; however, the first document mentioning this status dates from 1253. Count Gerhard III ('the Great') of Holstein-Rendsburg confirmed the city's privileges in 1339. In 1460, Rendsburg came under the rule of King Christian I of Denmark, Duke of Schleswig and Count of Holstein. The city was fortified between 1536 and 1540 under King Christian III. Further large fortifications were built after 1690. The Schleswig-Holstein Canal was built in 1777–1784 and connected Kiel on the Baltic Sea with the river Eider which from Rendsburg flows in a westward direction into the North Sea. The railroad from Rendsburg to Neumünster was opened in 1845. In 1848, at the outset of the First Schleswig War (1848–1851), Rendsburg became a centre for the Prussian troops. From 1852 until 1864 Rendsburg again was under Danish sovereignty. The Schleswig-Holstein Canal was renamed Eider Canal during this period. After the Second Schleswig War (German-Danish War) of 1864 and the Peace of Vienna, Denmark was forced to cede Schleswig to Prussia and Holstein to Austria. Three years later, after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Holstein also became part of Prussia. After a construction period of 8 years, the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal (Kiel Canal) was opened in 1895. The canal was of great strategic importance for Germany as it considerably shortened the saling time between the Baltic and North Sea which took 3 or 4 days through the Eider Canal. In 1970 the districts of Rendsburg and Eckernförde were amalgamated; the administration of the new district remained in Rendsburg.

The high bridge at Rendsburg [left] across the Kiel Canal was built in 1911–1913. The railroad bridge has a total length of 7.5 kilometres including the two ramps. The actual bridge has a length of 2,486 metres; the main span across the canal is suspended 42 metres above the water. The two central pillars are 140 metres apart. As the railroad station of Rendsburg is situated immediately north of the bridge, the line has to spiral down through the town district today called 'Schleife' ('Spiral').

The SMS Wettin was built in 1899–1901 at the Schichau shipyards in Danzig (now Gdańsk). Launched in 1901 she was commissioned in 1902. The battleship of the Wittelsbach Class had a length of 125 metres, a width of 21 metres and a draught of 7.7 metres. The ship had a displacement of 12,596 tons and sailed at a speed of 17.5 knots, her crew was ca. 680 men. With the launch of the HMS Dreadnought in 1906, this type of ship essentially became outdated. The Wettin served with the fleet until 1911 when she became an artillery training ship until 1914. In 1916 the Wettin was disarmed and soon after became an accomodation and tender at Wilhelmshaven. In 1922 the Wettin was finally scrapped at Rönnebeck (today part of Bremerhaven). The ships's bell is in the army museum at Dresden.

Several glasses of this collection show other ships.