First Partition Of Mecklenburg

During its history, the state of Mecklenburg has been repeatedly partitioned into various successor states (Herrschaft (territory), lordships, duchies, grand duchies). Modern historians distinguish three main Partitions of Mecklenburg:

First partition of Mecklenburg

The first partition of Mecklenburg was carried out in 1234 by the heirs of Henry Borwin II, Lord of Mecklenburg. It was a result of the ' (partition due to partible inheritance) of the territory into four ' (lordships) or ' (principalities): Lordship of Mecklenburg, Mecklenburg, Lordship of Parchim-Richenberg, Parchim (later Parchim-Richenberg), Werle and Lordship of Rostock, Rostock.
*John I, Lord of Mecklenburg, John received the Lordship of Mecklenburg: Mecklenburg Castle, Dassow, Klütz, Bresen (Grevesmühlen), Gadebusch, Poel, Ilow, Bug (Bukow), Brüel and Kussin (Neukloster)
*Pribislaw I, Pribislaw received the Lordship of Parchim: Parchim, Sternberg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sternberg, Brenz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brenz (Neustadt), Ture (Lübz) and Quetzin (Plau-Goldberg)
*Nicholas I of Werle, Nicholas received the Lordship of Werle: Werle, Bisede (Güstrow), Teterow, Laage, Krakow am See, Krakow, Malchow, Vipperow (Röbel), Turne and Liese. Later, possessions in Pomerania were added: Dargun, Malchin, Tucen and Gödebant-Tützen, Gädebehn (Stavenhagen), Sone-Schlön (Waren (Müritz), Waren/Müritz), as well as Wustrow, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Wustrow (Penzlin)
*Henry Borwin III, Lord of Rostock, Henry received the Lordship of Rostock: Kessin (Rostock), Kröpelin, Doberan, Ribnitz, Marlow, Germany, Marlow, Bad Sülze, Sülze and Tessin, Germany, Tessin; Gnoien and Kalen were later added.

The effects of the first partition lasted until 1471, when the territories were reunited by Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg through inheritance.

Second partition of Mecklenburg

The second partition of Mecklenburg took place in 1621 as a result of the ''Fahrenholzer Vertrag'': a partition agreement, resulting in the ''Realteilung'' into the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Güstrow. Although this division already existed (with interruptions) after the death of Henry IV in 1477 and again after 1520 (after the ''Neubrandenburger Hausvertrag'' (New Brandenburg House Contract)), it was only in the form of an allocation of ''Amt (country subdivision), Ämter'' (singular ''Amt''; a type of administrative division), while general governance remained unified.

In the agreement, Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg, Adolf Frederick I received the princely state of Schwerin, while his brother John Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg, John Albert II received the land centred on Güstrow.

The divisions had little historical basis. The most important goals were to divide the amount of territory and income as evenly as possible. In order to achieve this, Schwerin received the previously Güstrow-aligned ''Ämter'' of Grabow, Gorlosen, Marnitz, Neukloster and Sternberg including the Abbey of Walsmühlen while Güstrow received the ''Ämter'' of Neustrelitz, Strelitz, Goldberg, Germany, Goldberg, Wredenhagen and Fürstenberg from Schwerin.

Therefore, the two portions consisted of the following ''Ämter'':
:Schwerin: Schwerin, Crivitz, Neubukow, Poel, Doberan, Mecklenburg, Gadebusch, Zarrentin, Neustadt Eldena, Dömitz, Neukloster, Sternberg, Lübz, Rehna, Wittenburg, Marnitz, Grabow, Grevesmühlen, Walsmühlen and Gorlosen
:Güstrow: Güstrow, Schwaan, Ribnitz, Gnoien, Dargun, Neukalen, Stavenhagen, Plan, Stargard, Broda, Feldberg, Wesenberg, Strelitz, Goldberg, Boizenburg, Wredenhagen, Fürstenberg, Ivenack and Wanzka
Note however that the ''Ämter'' of Wredenhagen, Fürstenberg, Ivenack and Wanzka were ''de facto'' controlled by Duchy of Pomerania, Pomerania.

The cities were divided such that Schwerin received: Wismar, along with all the princely houses, Schwerin, Parchim, Waren and Kröpelin; the noble towns of Brüel, Malchow and Dassow, as well as Dömitz and Zarrentin. Güstrow received: Güstrow, Laage, Krakow, Malchin, Robel, Teterow, Neubrandenburg, Friedland, Woldegk, Penzlin, Sülze and Marlow. It also gained the Elbe (despite its remoteness from Güstrow) as a result of gaining the ''Amt'' of Boizenburg.

The town of Rostock including Warnemünde remained a joint possession, as did the state's four Abbeys: Dobbertin Abbey, Dobbertin, Malchow Abbey, Malchow, Ribnitz Abbey, Ribnitz and the Abbey of the Holy Cross, Rostock, Abbey of the Holy Cross in Rostock. The courts (''Hofgericht'' and ''Landgericht''), the Papal consistory, the Landtag, State Diet, border disputes, the cost of the ''Reichskammergericht'' etc. also remained joint concerns.

Third partition of Mecklenburg

The third partition of Mecklenburg occurred as a result of the Treaty of Hamburg (1701) and divided the inheritance of territory of Mecklenburg-Güstrow between Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the newly formed Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. These divisions would last until the end of the monarchy in 1918/19, albeit with reduced autonomy, and after that as the Free state (government), Free States of Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Mecklenburg-Strelitz during the Weimar Republic. The two states were reunited in 1934 under Nazi influence.

References

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History of Mecklenburg
Partition (politics)