The Principality of Ratzeburg was a former state, existing from 1648 to 1918. It belonged to the

imperially immediate Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...

territory of

Duchy of Mecklenburg The Duchy of Mecklenburg was a duchy within the Holy Roman Empire, located in the region of Mecklenburg. It existed during the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period, from 1471 to 1520, as well as 1695 to 1701. Its capital was Schwerin. T ...

and was part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

. Mecklenburg was split up in the third partition of Mecklenburg in the 1701 Treaty of Hamburg, which created the semi-ducal states of

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...

and

Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy in northern Germany consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district (the former Lordship of Stargard), ...

, with the latter made up of the Principality of Ratzeburg and the

Lordship of Stargard The Lordship of Stargard (German: ''Herrschaft Stargard'', ''Stargarder Land'' or ''Land Stargard'') was a county first set up in the 13th century as the ''terra Stargardiensis'' and first documented in the area of the border between Brandenburg, ...

. Most of the Principality is now within the state of

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 ...

History

1648-1806

1815-1918

Later developments

Territories

18th century administrative divisions

Coat of arms

Bibliography

Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch (also known as Carl Masch, Karl Masch or misspelled as Gottlieb Matthäus Carl Masch; 4 August 1794, Schlagsdorf – 28 June 1878, Demern) was a German theologian, rector, pastor, historian, numismatist and writer ...

: ''Geschichte des Bisthums Ratzeburg.'' F. Aschenfeldt, Lübeck 1835 (Volltext). *Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch: ''Das Ratzeburgische Wappen. In: Jahrbücher des Vereins für Mecklenburgische Geschichte und Altertumskunde .'' Band 1, 1836, S. 143–151 *Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch: ''Gesetze, Verordnungen und Verfügungen, welche für das Fürstenthum Ratzeburg erlassen sind.'' L. Bicker, Schönberg 1851 *Theodor Scharenberg: ''Gesetze, Verordnungen und Verfügungen, welche in Kirchen- und Schulsachen für das Fürstentum Ratzeburg erlassen sind. Fortsetzung der Gesetzsammlung von Masch, soweit die letztere Kirchen- und Schulsachen betrifft.'' Spalding, Neustrelitz 1893 *Reno Stutz: ''Ratzeburger Land. Mecklenburgs ungewöhnlicher Landesteil zwischen Wismar und Lübeck.'' 2. Auflage. Neuer Hochschulschriften Verlag, Rostock 1997, .

External links

*http://www.landesbibliographie-mv.de/REL?PPN=247654159 *http://www.pfhl.de/fuerstentum/index.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Ratzeburg, Principality of Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire History of Mecklenburg Nordwestmecklenburg Former states and territories of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 1701 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire