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Mecklenburg | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Mecklenburg, divided betweenMecklenburg-Schwerin andMecklenburg-Strelitz, from 1866 to 1934. | |
| Coordinates:53°50′14″N11°28′16″E / 53.83722°N 11.47111°E /53.83722; 11.47111 | |
| Largest city | Rostock |
| Demonym | Mecklenburgian • Mecklenburger |
Mecklenburg (German pronunciation:[ˈmeːklənbʊʁk]ⓘ;Low German:Mękel(n)borg[ˈmɛːkəl(n)bɔrx]) is a historical region innorthern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-stateMecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region areRostock,Schwerin,Neubrandenburg,Wismar andGüstrow.
The name Mecklenburg derives from a castle namedMikilenburg (Old Saxon for "big castle", hence itstranslation intoNeo-Latin andGreek asMegalopolis), located between the cities ofSchwerin andWismar. In Slavic languages it was known asVeligrad, which also means "big castle". It was the ancestral seat of theHouse of Mecklenburg; for a time the area was divided intoMecklenburg-Schwerin andMecklenburg-Strelitz among the same dynasty.
Linguistically Mecklenburgers retain and use many features ofLow German vocabulary or phonology.
Theadjective for the region isMecklenburgian orMecklenburgish (German:mecklenburgisch); inhabitants are called Mecklenburgians or Mecklenburgers (German:Mecklenburger).
Mecklenburg is known for its mostly flat countryside. Much of the terrain is boggy, with ponds, marshes and fields as common features, with small forests interspersed. The terrain changes as one moves north towards theBaltic Sea.
Under the peat of Mecklenburg are sometimes found deposits of ancient lava flows. Traditionally, at least in the countryside, the stone from these flows is cut and used in the construction of homes, often in joint use with cement, brick and wood, forming a unique look to the exterior of country houses.
Mecklenburg has productive farming, but the land is most suitable for grazing for livestock.
| Town/ municipality | District | Population as of December 31, 2012 | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rostock | district-free city | 206,011 (12-31-2015) |  |
| Schwerin | district-free city | 91,264 |  |
| Neubrandenburg | Mecklenburgische Seenplatte | 63,509 |  |
| Wismar | Nordwestmecklenburg | 42,433 |  |
| Güstrow | Rostock | 28,586 |  |
| Neustrelitz | Mecklenburgische Seenplatte | 20,322 | _Front.jpg) |
| Waren (Müritz) | Mecklenburgische Seenplatte | 21,074 |  |
| Parchim | Ludwigslust-Parchim | 17,174 |  |
| Ludwigslust | Ludwigslust-Parchim | 11,998 |  |
| Bad Doberan | Rostock | 11,427 |  |
| Hagenow | Ludwigslust-Parchim | 11,324 |  |
| Grevesmühlen | Nordwestmecklenburg | 10,621 |  |
| Boizenburg/Elbe | Ludwigslust-Parchim | 10,169 |  |
| Teterow | Rostock | 8,733 |  |
| Malchin | Mecklenburgische Seenplatte | 7,657 |  |
Mecklenburg is the site of many prehistoricdolmen tombs. Its earliest organised inhabitants may have had Celtic origins. By no later than 100 BC the area had been populated by pre-ChristianGermanic peoples.
The traditional symbol of Mecklenburg, the grinningsteer's head (Low German:Ossenkopp, lit.: 'oxen's head', withosse being a synonym for steer and bull inMiddle Low German), with an attached hide, and a crown above, may have originated from this period.[citation needed] It represents what early peoples would have worn, i.e. a steers's head as ahelmet, with the hide hanging down the back to protect the neck from the sun, and overall as a way to instill fear in the enemy.
From the 7th through the 12th centuries, Mecklenburg was inhabited by Western Slavs who migrated there from what is now easternPoland and north-westernUkraine. Among them were theObotrites and other tribes that Frankish sources referred to as "Wends". The 11th-century founder of the Mecklenburger dynasty ofDukes and laterGrand Dukes, which lasted until 1918, wasNyklot of the Obotrites.
In the late 12th century,Henry the Lion, Duke ofthe Saxons, reconquered the region, took oaths from its local lords, andChristianized its people, in a precursor to theNorthern Crusades. From the 12th to 14th centuries, large numbers of Germans and Flemings settled the area (Ostsiedlung), importing German law and improved agricultural techniques. TheWends who survived all warfare and devastation of the centuries before, including invasions of and expeditions intoSaxony,Denmark andLiutizic areas as well as internal conflicts, were assimilated in the centuries thereafter. However, elements of certain names and words used in Mecklenburg speak to the lingering Slavic influence. An example would be the city ofSchwerin, which was originally calledZuarin inSlavic. Another example is the town ofBresegard, the 'gard' portion of the town name deriving from the Slavic word 'grad', meaning city or town.
Since the 12th century, the territory remained stable and relatively independent of its neighbours; one of the few German territories for which this is true. During theReformation, the Duke in Schwerin would convert toProtestantism and so would followthe Duchy of Mecklenburg in 1549.
Like many German territories, Mecklenburg was sometimes partitioned and re-partitioned among different members of the ruling dynasty. In 1621 it was divided into the two duchies ofMecklenburg-Schwerin andMecklenburg-Güstrow. With the extinction of the Güstrow line in 1701, the Güstrow lands were redivided, part going to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and part going to the new line ofMecklenburg-Strelitz.
In 1815, the two Mecklenburgian duchies were raised toGrand Duchies, theGrand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and theGrand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and subsequently existed separately as such in Germany under enlightened but absolute rule (constitutions being granted on the eve ofWorld War I) until therevolution of 1918. Life in Mecklenburg could be quite harsh. Practices such as having to ask for permission from the Grand Duke to get married, or having to apply for permission to emigrate, would linger late into the history of Mecklenburg (i.e. 1918), long after such practices had been abandoned in other German areas. Even as late as the later half of the 19th century the Grand Duke personally owned half of the countryside. The last Duke abdicated in 1918, as monarchies fell throughout Europe. The Duke's ruling house reigned in Mecklenburg uninterrupted (except for two years) from its incorporation into the Holy Roman Empire until 1918. From 1918 to 1933, the duchies were free states in theWeimar Republic.
Traditionally Mecklenburg has always been one of the poorer German regions.[citation needed] The reasons for this may be varied, but one factor stands out: agriculturally the land is poor and can not produce at the same level as other parts of Germany.[citation needed] The two Mecklenburgs made attempts at being independent states after 1918, but eventually failed as their dependence on the rest of the German lands became apparent.[citation needed]
After three centuries of partition, Mecklenburg was united on 1 January 1934 by the German government. During World War II theWehrmacht assigned Mecklenburg andPomerania to Wehrkreis II under the command ofGeneral der InfanterieWerner Kienitz, with the headquarters atStettin. Mecklenburg was assigned to an Area headquartered atSchwerin, which was responsible for military units inSchwerin,Rostock,Parchim, andNeustrelitz.
AfterWorld War II, the Soviet government occupying eastern Germany merged Mecklenburg with the smaller neighbouring region ofWestern Pomerania (GermanVorpommern) to form thestate ofMecklenburg-Vorpommern. Mecklenburg contributed about two-thirds of the geographical size of the new state and the majority of its population. Also, the new state became temporary or permanent home for many refugees expelled from former German territories seized by the Soviet Union and Poland after the war. The Soviets changed the name from "Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania" to "Mecklenburg" in 1947.
In 1952, theEast German government ended the independent existence of Mecklenburg, creating three districts ("Bezirke") out of its territory: Rostock, Schwerin and Neubrandenburg.
DuringGerman reunification in 1990, the state ofMecklenburg-Vorpommern was revived, and is now one of the 16 states of theFederal Republic of Germany.
TheHouse of Mecklenburg was founded byNiklot, prince of theObotrites,Chizzini andCircipani on the Baltic Sea, who died in 1160. His Christian progeny was recognized as prince of theHoly Roman Empire 1170 andDuke of Mecklenburg 8 July 1348. On 27 February 1658 the ducal house divided in two branches:Mecklenburg-Schwerin andMecklenburg-Strelitz.
The flag of both Mecklenburg duchies is traditionally made of the colours blue, yellow and red. The sequence however changed more than once in the past 300 years. In 1813 the duchies used yellow-red-blue. 23 December 1863 for Schwerin and 4 January 1864 for Strelitz blue-yellow-red was ordered.[1] Mecklenburg-Schwerin however used white instead of yellow for flags on sea by law of 24 March 1855.[2]
Siebmachers Wappenbuch gives therefore (?) blue-white-red for Schwerin and blue-yellow-red for Strelitz.[3]According to this source, the grand ducal house of Schwerin used a flag of 3.75 to 5.625 M with the middle arms on a white quadrant (1.75 M) in the middle.
The middle arms show the shield of Mecklenburg as arranged in the 17th century. The county of Schwerin in the middle and in the quartering Mecklenburg (bull's head with hide),Rostock (griffin), principality of Schwerin (griffin surmounting green rectangle),Ratzeburg (cross surmounted by crown),Stargard (arm with hand holding ring) and Wenden (bull's head). The shield is supported by a bull and a griffin and surmounted by a royal crown.
The dukes of Strelitz used according to Siebmachers the blue-yellow-red flag with just the (oval) shield of Mecklenburg in the yellow band.
Ströhl in 1897 and Bulgaria[4] show another arrangement: The grand-duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin flows a flag (4:5) with the arms of the figures from the shield of arms.
The former Schwerin standard with the white quadrant is now ascribed to the grand dukes of Strelitz.Ströhl mentions a flag for the grand ducal house by law of 23 December 1863 with the middle arms in the yellow band. And he mentions a special sea flag, the same but with a white middle band. 'Berühmte Fahnen' shows furthermore a standard for grand duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, princess ofHannover (1882–1963), showing her shield and that of Mecklenburg joined by the order of the Wendic Crown in a white oval. On sea the yellow band in her flag was of course white. The princes (dukes) of Mecklenburg-Schwerin had according to this source their own standard, showing the griffin of Rostock.
A flat landscape, Mecklenburg is known for its farmlands—which produces quinoa, wheat, barley and maize—and its animal husbandry, notably its cattle and theMecklenburger breed of horse. Recently, given the upheavals and environmental disruptions created by globalisation, German farmers have become concerned about potentially invasive species such as theGreater rhea and theAsian hornet.[5]
Mecklenburg has seen a huge increase in tourism sinceGerman reunification in 1990, particularly with its beaches andseaside resorts at the Baltic Sea ("German Riviera",Warnemünde,Boltenhagen,Heiligendamm,Kühlungsborn,Rerik and others), theMecklenburg Lakeland (Mecklenburgische Seenplatte) and theMecklenburg Switzerland (Mecklenburgische Schweiz) with their pristine nature, the oldHanseatic towns ofRostock,Greifswald,Stralsund andWismar (the latter two being World Heritage) well known for their medievalBrick Gothic buildings, and the former royal residences ofSchwerin,Güstrow,Ludwigslust andNeustrelitz.
Media related toMecklenburg at Wikimedia Commons
| Ecclesiastical |  | |
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| Secular | ||
| Cities | ||
1 until 1648. 2 until 1701. 3 from 1648. 4 until 1731. 5 until 1705. 6 until 1596. 7 from 1708. 8 until 1773. 9 until 1640. 10 until 1695. 11 from 1701. 12 until 1734. Circles est. 1500:Bavarian,Swabian,Upper Rhenish,Lower Rhenish–Westphalian,Franconian,(Lower) Saxon Circles est. 1512:Austrian,Burgundian,Upper Saxon,Electoral Rhenish · Unencircled territories | ||
