Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Großherzogtum Mecklenburg-Strelitz (German) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1815–1918 | |||||||||
 Coat of arms | |||||||||
.svg) The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz within the German Empire | |||||||||
 Map of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (yellow) | |||||||||
| Status | State of theGerman Confederation, theNorth German Confederation, and theGerman Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Neustrelitz | ||||||||
| Common languages | German,Low German | ||||||||
| Religion | Mecklenburg-Strelitz State Church | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Grand Duke | |||||||||
• 1815–1816 | Charles II | ||||||||
• 1816–1860 | George | ||||||||
• 1860–1904 | Frederick William | ||||||||
• 1904–1914 | Adolphus Frederick V | ||||||||
• 1914–1918 | Adolphus Frederick VI | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Raised to Grand Duchy | 1815 | ||||||||
| 1918 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Germany | ||||||||
TheGrand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a territory inNorthern Germany, held by the younger line of theHouse of Mecklenburg residing inNeustrelitz. Like the neighbouringGrand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, it was a sovereign member state of theGerman Confederation and became afederated state of theNorth German Confederation and finally of theGerman Empire upon theunification in 1871. AfterWorld War I and theGerman Revolution of 1918–19 it was succeeded by theFree State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
It consisted of two detached parts of theMecklenburg region: the largerLordship of Stargard with the residence of Neustrelitz to the southeast of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and thePrincipality of Ratzeburg on the west. The first was bounded by thePrussian provinces ofPomerania andBrandenburg, the second bordered on theDuchy of Lauenburg (incorporated into theProvince of Schleswig-Holstein in 1876) and the territory of theFree City of Lübeck. Major towns beside Neustrelitz includedNeubrandenburg,Friedland,Woldegk,Stargard,Fürstenberg, andWesenberg. The grand duchy also comprised the formercommandries of theKnights Hospitaller inMirow andNemerow.
TheDuchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, established according to the dynasticTreaty of Hamburg in 1701, adopted thecorporative constitution of the sisterDuchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin by an act of September 1755.[1] During theNapoleonic Wars it was spared the infliction of aFrench occupation through the good offices of KingMaximilian I Joseph of Bavaria and his ministerMaximilian von Montgelas; DukeCharles II declared neutrality in 1806 and joined theConfederation of the Rhine in 1808, however, he withdrew in 1813 on the eve of theGerman campaign in favor of an alliance againstNapoleon. He joined theGerman Confederation established by the 1815Congress of Vienna to succeed the dissolvedHoly Roman Empire; he and his cousinFrederick Francis I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin both assumed the title ofgrand duke (Großherzog von Mecklenburg). The Congress of Vienna further recognized that the grand duke and four other princes should receive special compensation totaling 69,000 "souls" in the Saar region. However, the grand duke exchanged title to his land to Prussia for a monetary payment.[2]
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In 1866, Grand DukeFrederick William openly rebuked the Prussian annexation of theKingdom of Hanover, even though thePrussian Army had been aided by soldiers from Mecklenburg-Strelitz in theAustro-Prussian War. Thereupon, the grand duchy joined theNorth German Confederation and the reconstitutedZollverein. Also in theFranco-Prussian War of 1870/71, the Kingdom of Prussia received valuable assistance from Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
In 1871, both Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz becameStates of the German Empire. Mecklenburg-Strelitz returned one member to theBundesrat chamber of states. However, the grand duke was still styledPrince of the Wends and the internal government of Mecklenburg-Strelitz remained unmodernized. Mocked by ChancellorOtto von Bismarck as a safe haven in the face of threatening apocalypse "as everything there happens 50 years later", the grand duchy had always been a government of feudal character. The grand dukes exercised power only through their ministers via an antiquated type of diet representing social classes. It met for a short session each year, and at other times was represented by a committee consisting of the proprietors of knights' estates (Rittergüter), known as theRitterschaft, and of theLandschaft, which was composed of burgomasters of selected towns. These feudal arrangements meant that the grand dukes of Mecklenburg had among the least power of any sovereign princes in Germany.[3]
There was now a renewal of agitation for a more democratic constitution, and the GermanReichstag gave some countenance to this movement. In 1904Adolphus Frederick V became grand duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1907, the grand duke promised a constitution to the duchy's subjects, but this was met with opposition from the nobility.
The Mecklenburg-Strelitz dynasty ended just prior to the loss of the monarchy in developments associated withWorld War I. At that time, there existed only two surviving recognized male dynasts of Strelitz, the young Grand DukeAdolphus Frederick VI, and his cousinCharles Michael, who was inRussian service, being a son of Grand DuchessCatherine Mikhailovna. In 1914, before the proclamation of war between Germany and Russia, Duke Charles Michael renounced his German citizenship. On 23 February 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Frederick VI committed suicide, leaving his cousin Charles Michael as heir to the Strelitz throne. Being in Russia, however, Charles Michael did not assume the throne, and in 1918 he wrote to Grand DukeFrederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who was acting as regent in Strelitz, stating that he wished to renounce his rights of succession to Strelitz, though the letter was only received by Frederick Francis in 1919 after the end of the German monarchies, so the issue of succession could not be resolved at the time.
The House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz survives to this day, descending from DukeGeorge, the morganatic son of Duke George Alexander with Countess Natalia Carlow and nephew of Duke Charles Michael, who adopted him in 1928. George subsequently assumed the title "Duke of Mecklenburg" (Serene Highness) which was acknowledged by Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He was later given thestyle of "Highness" by the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. George's grandsonBorwin is the present head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
The county ofMecklenburg in the U.S. state of North Carolina, which includes the city ofCharlotte, is named after the duchy. The city was named for the BritishQueen Charlotte, who was born a princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Mecklenburg".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 1018–20.
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