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Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy
Duchy

A duchy is a territory, fiefdom, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereignty in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era ....
 (1815: grand duchy
Grand duchy

A grand duchy is a territory whose head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.The only grand duchy in existence today is Luxembourg. It has been a grand duchy since 1815 when the Netherlands became an independent kingdom and Luxembourg was handed over to the King of the Netherlands, William I of the Netherlands....
) in northern Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 from 1348 on, when Albert II of Mecklenburg
Albert II of Mecklenburg

Albrecht II Duke of Mecklenburg was a feudal lord in Northern Germany, on the shores of the Baltic Sea. He reigned as the head of the House of Mecklenburg, and since 1350's his princely seat was located in Schwerin....
 and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg....
 by King Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the eleventh king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and Holy Roman Emperor.He was the eldest son and heir of John of Bohemia, who died on 26 August 1346, thus Charles inherited the Count of Luxembourg and the King of Bohemia....
. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting House of Mecklenburg
House of Mecklenburg

The Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavs origin that ruled German revolution....
, Mecklenburg-Schwerin remained a relatively poor state of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
 along the Baltic
Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53?N to 66?N latitude and from 20?E to 26?E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Denmark islands....
 littoral between Holstein
Holstein-Glückstadt

The Duchy of Holstein in Gl?ckstadt was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire. It consisted of the part of Holstein that was ruled by the king of Denmark; its capital was Gl?ckstadt on the River Elbe....
 and Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania

The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern borders of the Baltic Sea. It existed from the 12th century till mid 17th century and was ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
. ]]
dynasty's progenitor, Niklot
Niklot

Niklot or Nyklot was a pagan chief of the Slavic Obotrites and an ancestor of the House of Mecklenburg. From 1131 until his death he was chief of the Obotrite confederacy, the Kissini, and the Circipani....
 (1090-1160) was a chief of the Slavic Obotrite
Obotrites

The Obotrites , also commonly known as the Obodrites, Abotrites, or Abodrites, were a confederation of medieval West Slavs tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany ....
 tribe federation, who fought against the advancing Saxons
Duchy of Saxony

The medi?val Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein....
 and was finally defeated in 1160 by Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion was a member of the Guelph dynasty and Rulers of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and List of rulers of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
 in the course of the Wendish Crusade
Wendish Crusade

The Wendish Crusade was an 1147 campaign, one of the Northern Crusades and also a part of the Second Crusade, led primarily by the Kingdom of Germany inside the Holy Roman Empire and directed against the Polabian Slavs ....
.






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Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy
Duchy

A duchy is a territory, fiefdom, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereignty in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era ....
 (1815: grand duchy
Grand duchy

A grand duchy is a territory whose head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.The only grand duchy in existence today is Luxembourg. It has been a grand duchy since 1815 when the Netherlands became an independent kingdom and Luxembourg was handed over to the King of the Netherlands, William I of the Netherlands....
) in northern Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 from 1348 on, when Albert II of Mecklenburg
Albert II of Mecklenburg

Albrecht II Duke of Mecklenburg was a feudal lord in Northern Germany, on the shores of the Baltic Sea. He reigned as the head of the House of Mecklenburg, and since 1350's his princely seat was located in Schwerin....
 and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg

Mecklenburg is a region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg....
 by King Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the eleventh king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and Holy Roman Emperor.He was the eldest son and heir of John of Bohemia, who died on 26 August 1346, thus Charles inherited the Count of Luxembourg and the King of Bohemia....
. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting House of Mecklenburg
House of Mecklenburg

The Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavs origin that ruled German revolution....
, Mecklenburg-Schwerin remained a relatively poor state of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
 along the Baltic
Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53?N to 66?N latitude and from 20?E to 26?E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Denmark islands....
 littoral between Holstein
Holstein-Glückstadt

The Duchy of Holstein in Gl?ckstadt was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire. It consisted of the part of Holstein that was ruled by the king of Denmark; its capital was Gl?ckstadt on the River Elbe....
 and Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania

The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern borders of the Baltic Sea. It existed from the 12th century till mid 17th century and was ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
. ]]

History

The dynasty's progenitor, Niklot
Niklot

Niklot or Nyklot was a pagan chief of the Slavic Obotrites and an ancestor of the House of Mecklenburg. From 1131 until his death he was chief of the Obotrite confederacy, the Kissini, and the Circipani....
 (1090-1160) was a chief of the Slavic Obotrite
Obotrites

The Obotrites , also commonly known as the Obodrites, Abotrites, or Abodrites, were a confederation of medieval West Slavs tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany ....
 tribe federation, who fought against the advancing Saxons
Duchy of Saxony

The medi?val Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein....
 and was finally defeated in 1160 by Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion was a member of the Guelph dynasty and Rulers of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and List of rulers of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
 in the course of the Wendish Crusade
Wendish Crusade

The Wendish Crusade was an 1147 campaign, one of the Northern Crusades and also a part of the Second Crusade, led primarily by the Kingdom of Germany inside the Holy Roman Empire and directed against the Polabian Slavs ....
. Niklot's son Pribislav
Pribislav of Mecklenburg

Pribislav was an Obotrites prince and the first Prince of Mecklenburg .Pribislav was one of three sons of the Obotrite chieftain Niklot, who was killed in 1160 during a joint campaign by Duke Henry the Lion of Duchy of Saxony and King Valdemar I of Denmark of Denmark....
 submitted himself to Henry and in 1167 came into his paternal inheritance as the first Prince of Mecklenburg. After several divisions among Pribislav's descendants, Henry II of Mecklenburg (1266-1329) until 1312 acquired the lordships of Stargard
Burg Stargard

Burg Stargard is a municipality in the district Mecklenburg-Strelitz , in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 8 km southeast of Neubrandenburg....
 and Rostock
Rostock

Rostock is the largest city in the north Germany States of Germany Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Rostock is located on the Warnow river; the quarter of Warnem?nde 12 km north of the city centre lies directly on the coast of the Baltic Sea....
 and bequested the reunified Mecklenburg lands - ecxept the County of Schwerin
Schwerin

Schwerin is a city in northern Germany and the capital of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern . The population as of end of 2007 was 95,855....
 and Werle
Werle

Werle was a principality in the Holy Roman Empire that was founded in 1235. It was created in the partition of territories in Mecklenburg that followed the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg ....
 - to his sons Albert II and John. After they both had received the ducal title, the former lordship of Stargard was recreated as the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Stargard for John in 1352. Albert II retained the larger western part of Mecklenburg and after he had acquired the former County of Schwerin in 1358, he made Schwerin his residence.

Albert's son Duke Albert III
Albert of Sweden

Albert of Sweden Albert based his claims on two family ties with the Swedish House of Sverker, both through Albert's mother, through whom he was granted the first place in the Swedish succession order, and through Kristina Sverkersdotter, a daughter of Sverker II of Sweden, also known as Sverker the Young....
 in 1363 campaigned Sweden, where he was crowned king one year later. In 1436 the last Lord of Werle, William died without male heir. As his son-in-law Ulric II of Mecklenburg-Stargard himself had no issue, his line became extinct upon his death in 1471. All possessions fell back to Duke Henry IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now sole ruler over all Mecklenburg.

In 1520 Henry's grandsons Henry V and Albert VII again divided the duchy, creating the subdivision of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Mecklenburg-Güstrow

Mecklenburg-G?strow was a North German state that existed on three separate occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg....
, which Duke Adolf Frederick I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Adolf Frederick I was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from his father's death in 1592 until 1628....
 inherited in 1610. In a second partition of 1621 he granted Güstrow to his brother John Albert II. Both were deposed in 1628 by Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein

,a Bohemian soldier and politician, gave his services during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor....
 as they had supported Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark

Christian IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1588 until his death. He is sometimes referred to as Christian Firtal in Denmark and Christian Kvart or Quart in Norway....
 in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. The war was fought primarily in Germany and at various points involved most of the countries of Europe....
, nevertheless the Swedish Empire
Swedish Empire

Sweden was, between 1611 and 1718, one of the great powers of Europe. In modern historiography this period is known as the Swedish Empire, or stormaktstiden ....
 enforced their restoration three years later. When John Albert's II son, Duke Gustav Adolph of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow

Gustav Adolf, Herzog zu Mecklenburg [-G?strow], , Duke of Mecklenburg [-G?strow] was the ruler of Mecklenburg-G?strow and the son of Johann Albrecht II . His third wife was Marie Eleonore von Anhalt-Bernburg ....
 died without male heirs in 1695, Mecklenburg was reunited once more under Duke Frederick William of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Frederick William however was challenged by his uncle Adolf Frederick II
Adolf Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Adolf Friedrich II was the first Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz [-Strelitz] reigning from 1701 to his death. His state was part of the Holy Roman Empire....
, the youngest son of Adolf Frederick I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who also claimed Güstrow, leading to a fierce succession dispute. In 1701 the parties, pushed by the Imperial state
Imperial State

An Imperial State or Imperial Estate was an entity in the Holy Roman Empire with a vote in the Reichstag or Imperial Diet. Several states had no seats in the Empire, while some officials were non-voting members; neither qualified as Imperial States....
s of the Lowe Saxon Circle, settled their quarrels: The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, roughly consisting of the present day district of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , bordering areas of modern-day Brandenburg with the town of F?rstenberg and the area around Ratzeburg in modern Schleswig-Holstein....
, roughly a recreation of the mediæval Stargard lordship, was split off and given to Adolf Frederick II. The continued conflicts and partitions weakened the rule of the dukes and affirmed the picture of Mecklenburg as one of the most backward territories of the Empire.

With the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna

The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815....
 in 1815 Frederick Francis I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin received the title of a Grand Duke. After the fall of the monarchies in 1918 resulting from World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, the Grand Duchy became the Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

The Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a state in the Weimar Republic that was established in 1918 following the abdication of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin following the German Revolution....
. On 1 January 1934 it was united with the neighbouring Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a state of the Weimar Republic established in 1918 following the German Revolution which had overthrown the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
 (both today part of the Bundesland
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern).

Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1352-1815

  • Albert II
    Albert II of Mecklenburg

    Albrecht II Duke of Mecklenburg was a feudal lord in Northern Germany, on the shores of the Baltic Sea. He reigned as the head of the House of Mecklenburg, and since 1350's his princely seat was located in Schwerin....
     1352-1379 - son of Henry II of Mecklenburg
  • Henry III 1379-1383 - son of Albert II
    • Magnus I 1383-1384 - brother of Henry III
    • Albert III
      Albert of Sweden

      Albert of Sweden Albert based his claims on two family ties with the Swedish House of Sverker, both through Albert's mother, through whom he was granted the first place in the Swedish succession order, and through Kristina Sverkersdotter, a daughter of Sverker II of Sweden, also known as Sverker the Young....
       1384-1412 (also King of Sweden) - brother of Henry III
  • Albert V 1412-1422 - son of Albert III
  • Henry IV 1422-1477 - grandson of Magnus I, inherited Stargard in 1471
  • Magnus II
    Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow

    Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and G?strow, , was the son of Heinrich IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Dorothea of Brandenburg, daughter of Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg....
     1477-1503 - son of Henry IV
  • Henry V 1503-1552 - son of Magnus II, jointly with his brother
    • Albert VII 1503-1520, received subdivision of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
      Mecklenburg-Güstrow

      Mecklenburg-G?strow was a North German state that existed on three separate occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg....
  • John Albert I 1552-1576 - son of Albert VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow since 1547
  • John VII 1576-1592 - son of John Albert I
  • Adolf Frederick I
    Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

    Adolf Frederick I was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from his father's death in 1592 until 1628....
     1592-1628 - son of John VII, inherited Güstrow in 1610, jointly with his brother
    • John Albert II, received subdivision of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
deposed by
    • Albrecht von Wallenstein
      Albrecht von Wallenstein

      ,a Bohemian soldier and politician, gave his services during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor....
       1628-1631
  • Adolf Frederick I
    Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

    Adolf Frederick I was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from his father's death in 1592 until 1628....
     (restored) 1631-1658
  • Christian Ludwig I 1658-1692
  • Frederick William 1692-1713
  • Charles Leopold 1713-1747
  • Christian Ludwig II
    Christian Ludwig II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

    Christian Ludwig II was the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin [-Schwerin] from 1747 to 1756.He was the son of Friedrich I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Christine Wilhelime, princess of Hesse-Homburg....
     1747-1756
  • Frederick II 1756-1785
  • Frederick Francis I 1785-1815

Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1815-1918

  • Frederick Francis I 1815-1837
  • Paul Friedrich 1837-1842
  • Friedrich Franz II 1842-1883
  • Friedrich Franz III 1883-1897
  • Friedrich Franz IV 1897-1918
    • Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg, (Regent
      Regent

      A regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present or debilitated....
      ) (1897-1901)


Heads of the House post monarchy

  • Friedrich Franz IV 1918-1945
  • Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Franz (V)
    Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

    Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was the heir apparent to the throne of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and a member of the SS....
     1945-2001


Presidents of the State Ministry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1850-1918

  • Hans Adolf Karl Graf von Bülow 1850-1858
  • Jasper Joachin Bernhard Wilhelm von Oertzen 1858-1869
  • Henning Carl Friedrich Graf von Bassewitz 1869-1885
  • Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm von Bülow 1886-1901
  • Karl Heinrich Ludwig Graf von Bassewitz-Levetzow 1901-1914
  • Adolf Ferdinand Helmut August Wilhelm Langfeld 1914-1918


See also

  • House of Mecklenburg
    House of Mecklenburg

    The Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty of West Slavs origin that ruled German revolution....