Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...
Rostock
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state ...
. It has around 96,000 inhabitants, and is thus the least populous of all German state capitals.
Schwerin is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Schwerin (''Schweriner See''), the second-largest lake of the
Mecklenburg Lake Plateau
The Mecklenburg Lake Plateau or Mecklenburg Lakeland - Federal Ministry of Economics ...
after the
Müritz
The Müritz (; from Slavic "little sea") is a lake in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. Its area is , which makes it the second largest lake in Germany (after Lake Constance) and the largest lake located entirely within German territory ...
, and there are eleven other lakes within Schwerin's city limits. The city is surrounded by the district of Northwestern Mecklenburg to the north, and the district of
Ludwigslust-Parchim
Ludwigslust-Parchim is a district in the west of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bordered by (clockwise starting from the west) the state Schleswig-Holstein, the district Nordwestmecklenburg, the district-free city Schwerin, the distri ...
House of Mecklenburg
The House of Mecklenburg, also known as Nikloting, is a North German dynasty of Slavic origin that ruled until 1918 in the Mecklenburg region, being among the longest-ruling families of Europe. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909–2004), ...
, a dynasty with Slavic roots also known as the
Obotrites
The Obotrites ( la, Obotriti, Abodritorum, Abodritos…) or Obodrites, also spelled Abodrites (german: Abodriten), were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany ...
Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
The Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (german: Freistaat Mecklenburg-Strelitz) was a state of the Weimar Republic established in 1918 following the German Revolution which had overthrown the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The state lasted ...
) from 1934 to 1952, and of the District of Schwerin from 1952 to 1990.
The romanticSchwerin Palace, situated on Castle Island between Lake Schwerin and Castle Lake, known for its golden dome, the Castle Church, the throne room, and the Niklot statue, used to be the seat of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and since 1990, it is the seat of the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Schwerin's silhouette is completed by the towers of Schwerin Cathedral, St Paul's Church and St Nicholas' Church. Because of only minor damage in World War II, the city has a largely intact building structure, both in the Altstadt (Old Town) and
Schelfstadt Schelfstadt is a central quarter of the city of Schwerin, capital of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state of Germany.
Notable people
* Karl Georg Gustav Wüstnei, 19th-century naturalist and botanist, namesake of fungus and insect species.
* Ca ...
( Reed City) quarters.
Major industries and employers include high technology, machine building, healthcare, government agencies, railway supply, consumer goods and tourism. Schwerin has two academic colleges, the Schwerin campus of the "Fachhochschule des Mittelstands" (''University of Applied Sciences of the
Mittelstand
commonly refers to a group of stable business enterprises in Germany, Austria and Switzerland that have proved successful in enduring economic change and turbulence. The term is difficult to translate and may cause confusion for non-Germans. I ...
''), and the Schwerin campus of the "Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit" (''University of the Federal Employment Agency''). There is a regional airport in Parchim, southeast of the city, while
Hamburg Airport
Hamburg Airport , known in German as ''Flughafen Hamburg'', is a major international airport in Hamburg, the second-largest city in Germany. Since November 2016 the airport has been christened after the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt. ...
serves as the city's main airport.
History
Early years
Schwerin is enclosed by lakes. The largest of these lakes, the ''
Schweriner See
Lake SchwerinObotrite (dated back to the 11th century). The area was called ''Zuarin'' ( Polabian ''Zwierzyn''), and the name ''Schwerin'' is derived from that designation. In 1160, Henry the Lion defeated the Obotrites and captured Schwerin. The town was later expanded into a powerful regional centre. A castle was built on this site, and expanded to become a ducal palace. It is supposedly haunted by the small, impious ghost, called Petermännchen (''"Peterman"'').
In 1358, Schwerin became a part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, making it the seat of the duchy from then on. About 1500, the construction of the Schwerin Palace began, as a residence for the dukes. 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.
Recent times
In the mid-1800s, many residents from Schwerin moved to the United States, many to
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Schwerin was hit by bombs in July 1940, on 7 April 1945 and 19 April 1945. At the end of World War II, on 2 May 1945, Schwerin was taken by United States troops. It was turned over to the British on 1 June 1945, and one month later, on 1 July 1945, it was handed over to the Soviet forces, as the British and American forces pulled back from the
line of contact
The Line of Contact marked the farthest advance of American, British, French, and Soviet armies into German controlled territory at the end of World War II in Europe. In general a "line of contact" refers to the demarcation between two or mo ...
to the predesignated occupation zones.
Schwerin was then in the Soviet Occupation Zone which was to become the
German Democratic Republic
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**G ...
(GDR). Initially, it was the capital of the State of Mecklenburg which at that time included the western part of
Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
(
Vorpommern
Historical Western Pomerania, also called Cispomerania, Fore Pomerania, Front Pomerania or Hither Pomerania (german: Vorpommern), is the western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania forming the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, West ...
). 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
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state ...
was a serious contender for state capital but the decision went in favour of Schwerin.
*Rabbit Ait (''Kaninchenwerder'') in Lake Schwerin
*Brick Ait (''Ziegelwerder'') in Lake Schwerin
*Castle Island (''Schlossinsel'') between Lake Schwerin and Castle Lake
*Big Murrkiten Island (''Große Murrkiteninsel'') in the Brick Lake
*Small Murrkiten Island (''Kleine Murrkiteninsel'') in the Brick Lake
*Big Stone (''Großer Stein'') in Lake Schwerin
Boroughs
The urban area of Schwerin is subdivided into 17 local districts, each with a local council. The districts consist of one or more boroughs. The local councilors have between 5 and 15 members depending on the number of inhabitants. They are determined by the city council for the duration of the election period of the city council after each municipal election. The local councilors are to hear important matters concerning the district and have a right of initiative. However, the final decisions are made by the city council of the city as a whole.
The 17 districts and 26 boroughs:
*
Schelfstadt Schelfstadt is a central quarter of the city of Schwerin, capital of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state of Germany.
Notable people
* Karl Georg Gustav Wüstnei, 19th-century naturalist and botanist, namesake of fungus and insect species.
* Ca ...
, Werdervorstadt, Schelfwerder (1)
*Altstadt (Old Town), Feldstadt, Paulsstadt, Lewenberg (2)
*Großer Dreesch (formerly ''Dreesch I'') (3)
*Neu Zippendorf (formerly ''Dreesch II'') (4)
*Mueßer Holz (formerly ''Dreesch III'') (5)
*Gartenstadt, Ostorf (formerly ''Haselholz'', ''Ostorf'') (6)
*Lankow (7)
*Weststadt (8)
*Krebsförden (9)
*Wüstmark, Göhrener Tannen (10)
*Görries (11)
*Friedrichsthal (12)
*Neumühle, Sacktannen (13)
*Warnitz (14)
*Wickendorf, Medewege (15)
*Zippendorf (16)
*Mueß (17)
There is a small enclave between the boroughs of Neumühle and Görries, belonging to the neighbouring municipality of Klein Rogahn.
Schwerin clockwise borders the municipalities of Klein Trebbow (N), Seehof (Mecklenburg), Leezen (Mecklenburg) (lake border and border on Paul's Dam (''Paulsdamm'') only), Raben Steinfeld (E), Plate, Banzkow,
Lübesse
Lübesse is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim
Ludwigslust-Parchim is a district in the west of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bordered by (clockwise starting from the west) the state Schleswig-Holstein, the district Nordwes ...
Brüsewitz
Brüsewitz is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the nor ...
, and
Pingelshagen
Pingelshagen is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the n ...
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
and
Rostock
Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state ...
.
Main sights
* The landmark of the city is the Schwerin Palace, located on an island in the lake of the same name (
Schweriner See
Lake SchwerinDukes of Mecklenburg
This list of dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg dates from the origins of the German princely state of Mecklenburg's royal house in the High Middle Ages to the monarchy's abolition at the end of World War I. Strictly speaking, 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
The Staatliches Museum Schwerin (State Museum Schwerin) is an art gallery and museum in Schwerin in Germany. It was established by Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1882 its historicist Haupthaus as the ''Staatsgalerie' ...
'' (State Art Museum, built in 1877–1882), and the '' Staatstheater'' (City Theater, erected in 1886).
* The city hall (18th century).
*
Schelfkirche
The Schelf Church of St. Nicholas (german: Schelfkirche St. Nikolai) is an Evangelical Lutheran church dedicated to Saint Nicholas in the Schelfstadt quarter of Schwerin in Germany. The church is owned and used by a congregation within the Evange ...
(Saint Nicolai Church), originally built 1238, but rebuilt in 1713 after destruction by a storm.
* TV Tower Schwerin-Zippendorf.
Museums
* The Staatliches Museum Schwerin-Kunstsammlungen (State Art Museum) houses a remarkable collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings and German art from medieval and renaissance masters up to the present day. There are also a collection of Greek vases, the notable collection of Paintings of Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a collection of sculptures of Houdon, German 18th-century court paintings, and works by such modern artists as
Max Liebermann
Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...
, Franz Stuck, Marcel Duchamp etc. The Graphic cabinet houses rich collections of Dutch and German drawings and prints (Jan van Goyen, Dürer, Cranach, Rembrandt, Merian) and a notable collection of coloured graphics from the time of the GDR.
* The State Museum of Technology (''Technische Museum''), housed in the former ''Marstall'' (Royal Stables). In 2012 the Technische Museum moved to the city of Wismar located 40 km north of Schwerin.
Crime rate
According to the official 2007 Crime Report for Germany, Schwerin was the only German city with a crime rate over 17,000 total offenses committed per 100,000 inhabitants; thus being 1st in the list of Germany's most dangerous cities. The larger cities, such as
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
,
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
, or Bremen, all have crime rates ranging from 14,000 to 16,000 total offenses committed per 100,000 people. However, Schwerin is the only city where riding a bus (or tram) without a ticket and social security fraud is counted towards the crime rate, significantly boosting the numbers.
Konrad Ernst Ackermann
Konrad Ernst Ackermann (1 February 1710 – 13 November 1771) was a German actor.
Ackermann first accompanied field marshal Burkhard Christoph von Münnich on his travels and in battles. Born in Schwerin, he first entered the stage under a c ...
(1712–1771), actor
* Heike Balck (born 1970), athlete
* Hermann Baranowski (1884–1940), Nazi SS concentration camp commandant
* Heidrun Bluhm (born 1958), politician (The Left)
* Ludwig Bölkow (1912–2003), industrialist
* André Brie (born 1950), politician (The Left)
* Heinrich von Bülow (1792–1846), diplomat and Prussian statesman
* Heinrich Cunow (1862–1938), politician (SPD) and writer
*
Franziska Ellmenreich
Franziska Ellmenreich (28 January 1847 in Schwerin – 20 October 1931 in Herrsching am Ammersee) was a German stage actress. Ellmenreich is regarded as the last heroine of the German theater.
Family background
Ellmenreich was born into a ...
(1847–1931), actress
* Walther Flemming (1843–1905), biologist and founder of cytogenetics
* Heinrich Friese (1860–1948), entomologist and bee researcher
* Paul Gösch (1885–1940), painter and architect, Nazi victim
* Stephan Gusche (born 1990), footballer
*
Wilhelm Gustloff
Wilhelm Gustloff (30 January 1895 – 4 February 1936) was the founder of the Swiss NSDAP/AO (the Nazi Party organisation for German citizens living outside Germany) at Davos. He remained its leader from 1932 until he was assassinated in 1936. ...
Hans von Koester
Hans Ludwig Raimund von Koester (29 April 1844 – 21 February 1928) was a German naval officer who served in the Prussian Navy and later in the Imperial German Navy. He retired as a Grand Admiral.
Career overview
Born Hans Ludwig Raimund Koe ...
August Kundt
August Adolf Eduard Eberhard Kundt (; 18 November 183921 May 1894) was a German physicist.
Early life
Kundt was born at Schwerin in Mecklenburg. He began his scientific studies at Leipzig, but afterwards went to Berlin University. At first he d ...
(1839–1894), physicist
*
Friedrich Ludwig Schröder
Friedrich Ludwig Schröder (3 November 1744 – 3 September 1816) was a German actor, manager, dramatist and prominent masonic leader.
He was born in Schwerin. Shortly after his birth, his mother, Sophie Charlotte Bierreichel (1714&ndas ...
Hanka Pachale
Hanka Pachale-Durante (born 12 September 1976 in Schwerin) is a German volleyball player; she played for the German Women's National Team, representing them in consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996. She represented her native country i ...
(born 1976), volleyball player
*
Andrea Pollack
Andrea Pollack (later Pinske; 8 May 1961 – 13 March 2019) was a butterfly swimmer from East Germany who won three Olympic gold medals.
Pollack was born in 1961 in Schwerin. She was a member of SC Dynamo Berlin. She who won two gold medals a ...
(born 1961), swimmer
* Oliver Riedel (born 1971), musician of band Rammstein
*
Sylvia Roll
Sylvia Roll (born 29 May 1973) was a German female volleyball player. She was part of the Germany women's national volleyball team. In 1996 and 1997 she became the German Volleyball Player of the Year.
She competed with the national team at ...
(born 1973), volleyball player
* Katrin Sass (born 1956), actress
*
Bernhard Schwentner
Bernhard Schwentner (28 September 1891 in Schwerin – 30 October 1944 near Brandenburg-Görden) was a German Catholic clergyman.
Life
Bernhard Schwentner was born in Schwerin in 1891. After finishing '' Gymnasium'', he studied in Münster begi ...
(1891–1944), Catholic priest and resistance fighter
* Hans Sellschopp (1891–1978), German businessman and Nazi cultural officer
* Matthias Stammann (born 1968), footballer
*
Anke Westendorf
Anke Westendorf (later Maukel, born 26 February 1954) is a German former volleyball player who competed for East Germany in the 1976 Summer Olympics and in the 1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олим ...
(born 1954), volleyball player
* Gudrun Zapf-von Hesse (1918–2019), typographer and bookbinder
Gallery
Schwerin Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin Mecklenburg State Theatre Mecklenburg Staatstheater.jpg, Mecklenburg State Theatre
Schloss Schwerin (Mecklenburg).jpg, Castle of Schwerin in the evening
Blick über schwerin2016 15.jpg, View of the old town
Шверин. Улочка.jpg,
Schelfstadt Schelfstadt is a central quarter of the city of Schwerin, capital of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state of Germany.
Notable people
* Karl Georg Gustav Wüstnei, 19th-century naturalist and botanist, namesake of fungus and insect species.
* Ca ...
Germany schwerin aerial view ArM.jpg, Aerial view of Schwerin
13-06-22-schwerin-50mm-by-RalfR-098.jpg, Schwerin Cathedral in the city centre
Schelfstadt.jpg,
Schelfstadt Schelfstadt is a central quarter of the city of Schwerin, capital of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state of Germany.
Notable people
* Karl Georg Gustav Wüstnei, 19th-century naturalist and botanist, namesake of fungus and insect species.
* Ca ...
and its baroque
Schelf Church
The Schelf Church of St. Nicholas (german: Schelfkirche St. Nikolai) is an Evangelical Lutheran church dedicated to Saint Nicholas in the Schelfstadt quarter of Schwerin in Germany. The church is owned and used by a congregation within the Evange ...
, Lake Schwerin in the back
Schwerin_St_Paul.jpg, Saint Paul's Church
E-Werk Schwerin (5407745529).jpg, Former power station (''E-Werk'')
Schwerin_Fridericianeum.jpg, FHM, private university
13-06-20-orangerie-schwerin-033.jpg, Castle orangerie
Schwerin Staatliches Museum 2009-10-20 010.jpg, State Museum and Mecklenburg State Theatre
Frühling im Schlossgarten.jpg, ''Schlossgarten''