Schwerin

Schwerin (IPA: [ʃveˈʁiːn]) is a city in northern Germany and the capital of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population as of end of 2007 was 95,855.

Contents 1 History 2 Main sights 2.1 Museums 3 Gallery 4 External links 5 References

History

Schwerin is surrounded by many picturesque lakes. The largest of these lakes, the Schweriner See, has an area of 60 km². In the midst of the lakes there was an Obotrite settlement as early as in the 11th century. The area was called Zuarin, and the name Schwerin is derived from that designation. In 1160 Henry the Lion defeated the Obotrites and captured Schwerin. The town was subsequently expanded into a powerful regional centre. A castle was built, and expanded upon over the centuries, on this site. It is supposedly haunted by the small, impious ghost called Petermännchen.

In 1358 Schwerin became a part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, making it the seat of the dukedom from then on. About 1500 the construction of the Schwerin castle began; it was here that the dukes resided. After the division of Mecklenburg (1621), Schwerin became the capital of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Between 1765 and 1837 the town of Ludwigslust served as the capital, until Schwerin was reinstated.

After 1918, and during the German Revolution, resulting in the fall of all the German monarchies, the Grand Duke abdicated. Schwerin became capital of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern thereafter.

At the end of World War II, on May 2, 1945 Schwerin was taken by U.S. troops. It was turned over to the British on June 1, 1945, and one month later, on July 1, 1945 it was handed over to the Soviet forces, as the British and American forces pulled back from the line of contact to the predesignated occupation zones. Schwerin was then in the Russian Occupation Zone which was to become the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Initially it was the capital of the State of Mecklenburg which at that time included the western part of Pomerania (Vorpommern). After the states were dissolved in the GDR in 1952 Schwerin served as the capital of the Schwerin district (Bezirk Schwerin).

After reunification in 1990 the former state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was recreated as one of the Bundesländer. Rostock was a serious contender as state capital but the decision favoured Schwerin.

Main sights

• The landmark of the city is the Schwerin Castle, located on an island in the lake of the same name (Schweriner See). It was for centuries the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and today is the seat of the Landtag (state parliament).
• Schwerin Cathedral, built in 1260–1416 in Brick Gothic style.
• The Alter Garten (Old Garden) square, surrounded by buildings such as the 18th-century Altes Palais (Old Palace), the neoclassical Staatliches Museum Schwerin (State Art Museum), built in 1877–1882, and the Staatstheater (City Theater), erected in 1886.
• The town hall (18th century)
• Schelfkirche (Saint Nicolai, originally built 1238, but rebuilt in 1713 after destruction by a storm)
• Television mast Schwerin-Zippendorf

Museums

• The Staatliches Museum Schwerin-Kunstsammlungen (State Art Museum) houses a remarkable collection of 15th- to 19th-century Dutch and German art, including works by Rembrandt, Cranach the Elder, and Rubens. There are also German medieval collections, including porcelain (especially Dresden porcelain), 18th-century court paintings, and works by such modern artists as Max Liebermann.
• The Technische Museum (Technical Museum), housed in the former Marstall (Royal Stables).

Gallery

Schwerin Castle	Pfaffenteich and the Schwerin Cathedral	Aerial view of Schwerin	Coat of arms, 1939–91
St. Paul's church	Fridericianeum	Former power station

External links

• City's ofiicial website (German)
• History and photos of Schwerin, historic buildings and places (German), (Plattdüütsch)
• Tram in Schwerin

References

v • d • e Lower Saxon Circle (1500–1806) of the Holy Roman Empire Ecclesiastical Bremen1 · Halberstadt1 · Hildesheim · Lübeck · Magdeburg1 · Ratzeburg (until 1701) · Schwerin1 Secular Bremen (from 1648) · Brunswick (Blankenburg (until 1731) · Calenberg2 · Celle2 · Grubenhagen (until 1596) · Wolfenbüttel) · Hanover (from 1708) · Holstein (Glückstadt · Gottorp) · Mecklenburg (Güstrow (until 1695) · Schwerin · Strelitz (from 1701)) · Rantzau (until 1734) · Regenstein · Saxe-Lauenburg2 Cities Bremen · Goslar · Hamburg · Lübeck · Mühlhausen · Nordhausen 1 until 1648.   2 until 1705.

v • d • e    Urban and rural districts in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany    Urban districts Greifswald · Neubrandenburg · Rostock · Schwerin · Stralsund · Wismar Rural districts Bad Doberan · Demmin · Güstrow · Ludwigslust · Mecklenburg-Strelitz · Müritz · Nordvorpommern · Nordwestmecklenburg · Ostvorpommern · Parchim · Rügen · Uecker-Randow

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