1.
Castle
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A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. Usage of the term has varied over time and has applied to structures as diverse as hill forts. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built, they took on a great many forms with different features, although some, such as curtain walls. A European innovation, castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries, after the fall of the Carolingian Empire resulted in its territory being divided among individual lords and princes. Although their military origins are often emphasised in castle studies, the structures served as centres of administration. Many castles were built from earth and timber, but had their defences replaced later by stone. Early castles often exploited natural defences, lacking features such as towers and arrowslits, in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, a scientific approach to castle defence emerged. This led to the proliferation of towers, with an emphasis on flanking fire, many new castles were polygonal or relied on concentric defence – several stages of defence within each other that could all function at the same time to maximise the castles firepower. These changes in defence have been attributed to a mixture of castle technology from the Crusades, such as concentric fortification, not all the elements of castle architecture were military in nature, so that devices such as moats evolved from their original purpose of defence into symbols of power. Some grand castles had long winding approaches intended to impress and dominate their landscape, while castles continued to be built well into the 16th century, new techniques to deal with improved cannon fire made them uncomfortable and undesirable places to live. As a result, true castles went into decline and were replaced by artillery forts with no role in civil administration, and country houses that were indefensible. From the 18th century onwards, there was a renewed interest in castles with the construction of castles, part of a romantic revival of Gothic architecture. The word castle is derived from the Latin word castellum, which is a diminutive of the word castrum, meaning fortified place. The Old English castel, Old French castel or chastel, French château, Spanish castillo, Italian castello, the word castle was introduced into English shortly before the Norman Conquest to denote this type of building, which was then new to England. In its simplest terms, the definition of a castle accepted amongst academics is a fortified residence. Feudalism was the link between a lord and his vassal where, in return for service and the expectation of loyalty. Castles served a range of purposes, the most important of which were military, administrative, as well as defensive structures, castles were also offensive tools which could be used as a base of operations in enemy territory
2.
Fortification
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Fortifications are military constructions or buildings designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and also used to solidify rule in a region during peace time. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs, the term is derived from the Latin fortis and facere. From very early history to modern times, walls have been a necessity for cities to survive in a changing world of invasion. Some settlements in the Indus Valley Civilization were the first small cities to be fortified, in ancient Greece, large stone walls had been built in Mycenaean Greece, such as the ancient site of Mycenae. A Greek Phrourion was a collection of buildings used as a military garrison. These construction mainly served the purpose of a tower, to guard certain roads, passes. Though smaller than a fortress, they acted as a border guard rather than a real strongpoint to watch. The art of setting out a camp or constructing a fortification traditionally has been called castramentation since the time of the Roman legions. Fortification is usually divided into two branches, permanent fortification and field fortification, there is also an intermediate branch known as semi-permanent fortification. Castles are fortifications which are regarded as being distinct from the fort or fortress in that they are a residence of a monarch or noble. Roman forts and hill forts were the antecedents of castles in Europe. The Early Middle Ages saw the creation of towns built around castles. Medieval-style fortifications were made obsolete by the arrival of cannons in the 14th century. Fortifications in the age of black powder evolved into much lower structures with greater use of ditches and earth ramparts that would absorb, Walls exposed to direct cannon fire were very vulnerable, so were sunk into ditches fronted by earth slopes. The arrival of explosive shells in the 19th century led to yet another stage in the evolution of fortification, steel-and-concrete fortifications were common during the 19th and early 20th centuries. However the advances in warfare since World War I have made large-scale fortifications obsolete in most situations. Demilitarized zones along borders are arguably another type of fortification, although a passive kind, many military installations are known as forts, although they are not always fortified. Larger forts may be called fortresses, smaller ones were known as fortalices
3.
Schloss
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Schloss, formerly written Schloß, is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house, or what in the British Isles would be known as a stately home or country house. Similarly, in the Scandinavian languages, related Germanic languages, the cognate word slot/slott is normally used for what in English could be either a palace or a castle, in Dutch the word slot is considered to be more archaic. Nowadays one commonly uses paleis or kasteel, like a castle, a Schloss is often surrounded by a moat and is then called a Wasserschloss. Other types include the Stadtschloss, the Jagdschloss and the Lustschloss, sometimes, the medieval Carolingian Kaiserpfalzen are considered as Schlösser already, such as the Palace of Aachen and the Imperial Palace of Goslar. Burg Festung Residenz Media related to Schloss at Wikimedia Commons
4.
Manor house
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A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The term is loosely applied to various country houses, frequently dating from the late medieval era. They were sometimes fortified, but this was intended more for show than for defence. Manor houses existed in most European countries where feudalism existed, where they were known as castles, palaces. Many buildings, such as schools, are named Manor, the reason behind this is because the building was or is close to a manor house. The lord of the manor may have several properties within a county or, for example in the case of a feudal baron, spread across a kingdom. A large and suitable building was required within the manor for such purpose, generally in the form of a hall. This also gave the opportunity for the manor house to be cleaned, especially important in the days of the cess-pit. Thus such non-resident lords needed to appoint a steward or seneschal to act as their deputy in such matters, the day-to-day administration was carried out by a resident official in authority at each manor, who in England was called a bailiff, or reeve. Although not typically built with strong fortifications as were castles, many manor-houses were fortified and they were often enclosed within walls or ditches which often also included agricultural buildings. The primary feature of the house was its great hall. A late 16th-century transformation produced many of the smaller Renaissance châteaux of France, the Tudor period of stability in England saw the building of the first of the unfortified great houses, for example Sutton Place in Surrey, circa 1521. During the second half of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and under her successor King James I the first mansions designed by architects not by mere masons or builders, began to make their appearance. Such houses as Burghley House, Longleat House, and Hatfield House are among the best known of this period, nearly every large mediaeval manor house had its own deer-park adjoining, emparked by royal licence, which served primarily as a store of food in the form of venison. Within these licensed parks deer could not be hunted by royalty and this gave them more privacy and space. Court was a suffix which came into use in the 16th century, the obvious origin of the suffix would appear to be that the building was the location where the manorial courts were held. True castles, when not royal castles, were generally the residences of feudal barons, the manor on which the castle was situated was termed the caput of the barony, thus every true ancient defensive castle was also the manor house of its own manor. The suffix -Park came into use in the 18th and 19th centuries, the usage is often a modern catch-all suffix for an old house on an estate, true manor or not
5.
Palace
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A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which housed the Imperial residences, in many parts of Europe, the term is also applied to ambitious private mansions of the aristocracy. Many historic palaces are now put to uses such as parliaments, museums, hotels. The word is sometimes used to describe a lavishly ornate building used for public entertainment or exhibitions. The word palace comes from Old French palais, from Latin Palātium, the original palaces on the Palatine Hill were the seat of the imperial power while the capitol on the Capitoline Hill was the religious nucleus of Rome. Long after the city grew to the seven hills the Palatine remained a residential area. Emperor Caesar Augustus lived there in a purposely modest house only set apart from his neighbours by the two trees planted to flank the front door as a sign of triumph granted by the Senate. His descendants, especially Nero, with his Golden House, enlarged the house, the word Palātium came to mean the residence of the emperor rather than the neighbourhood on top of the hill. Palace meaning government can be recognized in a remark of Paul the Deacon, AD790 and describing events of the 660s, When Grimuald set out for Beneventum, he entrusted his palace to Lupus. At the same time, Charlemagne was consciously reviving the Roman expression in his palace at Aachen, in the 9th century, the palace indicated the housing of the government too, and the constantly travelling Charlemagne built fourteen. In the Holy Roman Empire the powerful independent Electors came to be housed in palaces and this has been used as evidence that power was widely distributed in the Empire, as in more centralized monarchies, only the monarchs residence would be a palace. In modern times, the term has been applied by archaeologists and historians to large structures that housed combined ruler, court, in informal usage, a palace can be extended to a grand residence of any kind. The earliest known palaces were the residences of the Egyptian Pharaohs at Thebes, featuring an outer wall enclosing labyrinthine buildings. Other ancient palaces include the Assyrian palaces at Nimrud and Nineveh, the Minoan palace at Knossos, the Brazilian new capital, Brasília, hosts modern palaces, most designed by the citys architect Oscar Niemeyer. The Alvorada Palace is the residence of the Brazils president. The Planalto Palace is the official workplace, the Jaburu Palace is the official residence of Brazils vice-president. In Canada, Government House is a given to the official residences of the Canadian monarchy. The use of the term Government House is a custom from the British Empire
6.
Middle Ages
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In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or Medieval Period lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance, the Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history, classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is subdivided into the Early, High. Population decline, counterurbanisation, invasion, and movement of peoples, the large-scale movements of the Migration Period, including various Germanic peoples, formed new kingdoms in what remained of the Western Roman Empire. In the seventh century, North Africa and the Middle East—once part of the Byzantine Empire—came under the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate, although there were substantial changes in society and political structures, the break with classical antiquity was not complete. The still-sizeable Byzantine Empire survived in the east and remained a major power, the empires law code, the Corpus Juris Civilis or Code of Justinian, was rediscovered in Northern Italy in 1070 and became widely admired later in the Middle Ages. In the West, most kingdoms incorporated the few extant Roman institutions, monasteries were founded as campaigns to Christianise pagan Europe continued. The Franks, under the Carolingian dynasty, briefly established the Carolingian Empire during the later 8th, the Crusades, first preached in 1095, were military attempts by Western European Christians to regain control of the Holy Land from Muslims. Kings became the heads of centralised nation states, reducing crime and violence, intellectual life was marked by scholasticism, a philosophy that emphasised joining faith to reason, and by the founding of universities. Controversy, heresy, and the Western Schism within the Catholic Church paralleled the conflict, civil strife. Cultural and technological developments transformed European society, concluding the Late Middle Ages, the Middle Ages is one of the three major periods in the most enduring scheme for analysing European history, classical civilisation, or Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Modern Period. Medieval writers divided history into periods such as the Six Ages or the Four Empires, when referring to their own times, they spoke of them as being modern. In the 1330s, the humanist and poet Petrarch referred to pre-Christian times as antiqua, leonardo Bruni was the first historian to use tripartite periodisation in his History of the Florentine People. Bruni and later argued that Italy had recovered since Petrarchs time. The Middle Ages first appears in Latin in 1469 as media tempestas or middle season, in early usage, there were many variants, including medium aevum, or middle age, first recorded in 1604, and media saecula, or middle ages, first recorded in 1625. The alternative term medieval derives from medium aevum, tripartite periodisation became standard after the German 17th-century historian Christoph Cellarius divided history into three periods, Ancient, Medieval, and Modern. The most commonly given starting point for the Middle Ages is 476, for Europe as a whole,1500 is often considered to be the end of the Middle Ages, but there is no universally agreed upon end date. English historians often use the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 to mark the end of the period
7.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
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Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in northern Germany. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the sixth largest German state by area, and the least densely populated, three of Germanys fourteen national parks are in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in addition to several hundred nature conservation areas. Major cities include Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Stralsund, Greifswald, Wismar, the University of Rostock and the University of Greifswald are among the oldest in Europe. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was the site of the 33rd G8 summit in 2007, due to its lengthy name, the state is often abbreviated as MV or shortened to MeckPomm. In English, it is translated as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or literally Mecklenburg-Cispomerania. Inhabitants are called either Mecklenburger or Pomeranians, the form is never used. The full name in German is pronounced and this is because the digraph <ck> marks a preceding short vowel in High German. Mecklenburg however is within the historical Low German language area, another explanation is that the c comes from a mannerism in High German officialese of writing unnecessary letters, a so-called Letternhäufelung. Human settlement in the area of modern Mecklenburg and Vorpommern began after the Ice Age, about two thousand years ago, Germanic peoples were recorded in the area. Most of them left during the Migration Period, heading towards Spain, Italy, in the 6th century Polabian Slavs populated the area. While Mecklenburg was settled by the Obotrites, Vorpommern was settled by the Veleti, along the coast, Vikings and Slavs established trade posts like Reric, Ralswiek and Menzlin. In the 12th century, Mecklenburg and Vorpommern were conquered by Henry the Lion and incorporated into the Duchy of Saxony, all of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was settled with Germans in the Ostsiedlung process, starting in the 12th century. In the late 12th century, Henry the Lion, Duke of the Saxons, conquered the Obotrites, subjugated its Nikloting dynasty, in the course of time, German monks, nobility, peasants and traders arrived to settle here. After the 12th century, the territory remained stable and relatively independent of its neighbours, Mecklenburg first became a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire in 1348. Though later partitioned and re-partitioned within the dynasty, Mecklenburg always shared a common history. The states of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz became Grand Duchies in 1815, Vorpommern, litererally Fore-Pomerania, is the smaller, western part of the former Prussian Province of Pomerania, the eastern part became part of Poland after the end of World War II. In the Middle Ages, the area was ruled by the Pomeranian dukes as part of the Duchy of Pomerania, Pomerania was under Swedish rule after the Peace of Westphalia from 1648 until 1815 as Swedish Pomerania. Pomerania became a province of Prussia in 1815 and remained so until 1945, wartime In May 1945, the armies of the Soviet Union and the Western allies met east of Schwerin
8.
Mecklenburg
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Mecklenburg is a historical 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, Neubrandenburg, Wismar, the name Mecklenburg derives from a castle named Mikilenburg, located between the cities of Schwerin and Wismar. In Slavic language it was known as Veligrad which also means big castle and it was the ancestral seat of the House of Mecklenburg and for a time divided into Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz among the same dynasty. Linguistically Mecklenburgers retain and use features of Low German vocabulary or phonology. The adjective for the region is Mecklenburgian, inhabitants are called Mecklenburgians, Mecklenburg is known for its mostly flat countryside. Much of the forms a morass, with ponds, marshes and fields as common features. The terrain changes as one moves north towards the Baltic Sea, under the peat of Mecklenburg are sometimes found deposits of ancient lava flows. Mecklenburg has productive farming, but the land is most suitable for grazing purposes, Mecklenburg is the site of many prehistoric dolmen tombs. Its earliest organised inhabitants may have had Celtic origins, by no later than 100 BC the area had been populated by pre-Christian Germanic peoples. The traditional symbol of Mecklenburg, the steers head, with an attached hide. It represents what early peoples would have worn, i. e. a steerss head as a hat, with the hide hanging down the back to protect the neck from the sun, and overall as a way to instill fear in the enemy. From the 7th through the 12th centuries, the area of Mecklenburg was taken over by Western Slavic peoples, most notably the Obotrites, the 11th century founder of the Mecklenburgian dynasty of Dukes and later Grand Dukes, which lasted until 1918, was Nyklot of the Obotrites. In the late 12th century, Henry the Lion, Duke of the Saxons, conquered the region, subjugated its local lords, from 12th to 14th century, large numbers of Germans and Flemings settled the area, importing German law and improved agricultural techniques. However, elements of certain names and words used in Mecklenburg speak to the lingering Slavic influence, an example would be the city of Schwerin, which was originally called Zuarin in Slavic. Another example is the town of Bresegard, the portion of the town name deriving from the Slavic word grad. Since the 12th century, the territory remained stable and relatively independent of its neighbours, during the reformation the Duke in Schwerin would convert to Protestantism and so would follow the Duchy of Mecklenburg. Like many German territories, Mecklenburg was sometimes partitioned and re-partitioned among different members of the ruling dynasty, in 1621 it was divided into the two duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Güstrow. With the extinction of the Güstrow line in 1701, the Güstrow lands were redivided, part going to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, life in Mecklenburg could be quite harsh
9.
Schwerin Palace
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Schwerin Palace, or Schwerin Castle, is a palatial schloss located in the city of Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state, Germany. It is situated on an island in the main lake. For centuries the palace was the home of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg, today it serves as the residence of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament. It is regarded as one of the most important works of romantic Historicism in Europe and is designated to become a World Heritage Site and it is nicknamed Neuschwanstein of the North. The first records of a castle at this date from AD973. There was a fort of the Polabian Slav tribe of the Obotrites on an island in the large Lake of Schwerin, in 1160, the fort became a target of Germanic noblemen planning to expand their territory eastward under the leadership of Henry the Lion. The Obotrites under Niklot destroyed the fort but left because of the Germanic military dominance, however, the German conquerors recognized the strategic and aesthetically interesting location of the island and started building a new fort. The foundation of the city of Schwerin took place in the same year, Schwerin became the seat of a bishopric. In 1358, the County of Schwerin was purchased by the descendants of Niklot and they soon relocated farther inland from Mikelenburg, near the city of Wismar, to Schwerin. During the late Gothic era, the prosperity and position of the dukes led to a growing need for a representative castle. The Bishops House from that period remains intact, under John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg, the building faced important changes. The fort became a palace, and the functionality of the fortress was replaced with ornamentation. The use of terracotta during the Renaissance was dominant in North German architecture, a few years after reworking the main building itself, from 1560 to 1563, John Albert rebuilt the palaces chapel. It became the first new Protestant church of the state, the architecture was inspired by churches in Torgau and Dresden. The Venetian Renaissance gate, its gable showing the carrying of the cross, was made by Hans Walther, windows on the northern face show biblical illustrations by well-known Dutch artist Willem van den Broecke. As the ducal residence needed additional defences, despite its island site and they were probably built by the same Italian architects who, under Francesco a Bornau, also designed the Dömitz Fortress. The bastions were later modified several times, and are standing today. Before the Thirty Years War, the architect Ghert Evert Piloot, in 1617, work began under his supervision, but soon had to cease because of the war
10.
Schloss Bothmer
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Schloss Bothmer is a Baroque palatial manor house ensemble in northern Germany. It was built for Count Hans Caspar von Bothmer to designs by architect Johann Friedrich Künnecke in 1726–32 and it remained the property of the Bothmer family until 1945. It is today owned by the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and, following a renovation in 2009–15 and it is the largest Baroque-era country house ensemble in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Schloss Bothmer, the manor and the grounds, was the brainchild of Count Hans Caspar von Bothmer, the manorial estate was created by buying land to form an entirely new estate, an undertaking that Bothmer undertook for ten years, between 1721 and 1731. Bothmer was active as a diplomat in service of the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg and lived for periods of time abroad. Among other things, he played a role in helping his employer secure the British throne as George I of Great Britain, while in London from 1720 until his death in 1732, he lived at 10 Downing Street. The buildings were designed by architect Johann Friedrich Künnecke, and built between 1726 and 1736. Bothmer never saw the product, but seems to have decided already during the middle of the 1720s that it should pass to his nephew Hans Caspar Gottfried von Bothmer upon his own death. His will further stipulated that it should be inherited as fideikommis, through the marriage of Hans Caspar Gottfried von Bothmer to Christine Margarete von Bülow, even more land was added to the estate. In 1900 the estate encompassed around 8,000 hectares The estate stayed within the family until 1945, the family fled from the estate during early 1945, in the course of the final stages of World War II. The estate was taken over first by American, then British, after the war, the estate was confiscated by East German authorities and turned into a hospital. Hans Kaspar von Bothmer, nephew of the last owner, had stayed in the castle, in 1948, the hospital was converted into a retirement home for elderly and remained in that capacity until 1994. During this time, the buildings were substantially altered, since 2008 the estate has been the property of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and is run by Staatlichen Schlössern, Parks und Gärten des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The buildings and park underwent a renovation began in 2009. The scope and cost of the renovation was substantial, The restoration cost more than 36 million euros, the scope of the construction work was enormous,740 tons of concrete alone were poured into the new foundations, project manager Siefert notes. Six thousand five hundred meters of facade were renovated,280 historic windows reconstructed,1300 square meters of stucco restored and 1,500 square meters of wooden floorboards renewed. During the renovation of the park, two containing the former owners family silver were discovered, the silver was neatly wrapped in newspapers bearing dates in 1943. It was handed over by the authorities to the family, the architecture of the Baroque country house was inspired by Dutch and English architecture of the time
11.
Dargun Palace
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The monastery was founded here in 1172 on the site of a former heathen temple after the conquest of the region by Christian forces in 1164. The founding community came from Esrum Abbey in Denmark, the monastery was destroyed in 1198, and the monks left, later to found another monastery at Eldena. Dargun was re-established in 1208 by monks from Doberan Abbey, which is counted as its mother house. The principal building complex was reconstructed in the 14th century, the Gothic abbey church was built between 1225 and 1270, with further work to the choir in 1464. The church is now ruined but parts of the choir, nave, in 1637 the palace burnt down and was rebuilt until 1654. Until the mid-18th century it served as the home of the widows of the house of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. It was re-converted in the 19th century under Georg Adolf Demmler, little was done to secure the ruins until 1991. From 1994 some reconstruction and repair has taken place, the buildings presently accommodate an information bureau and the town library. Hubertus Neuschäffer, Mecklenburgs Schlösser und Herrenhäuser, ISBN 3-88042-534-5 Christine Kratzke, Das Zisterzienserkloster Dargun in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Studien zur Bau- und Kunstgeschichte, Michael Imhof Verlag, Petersberg 2004, Dargun municipal website, Palace and abbey
12.
Dargun
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Dargun is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 12 km km west of Demmin and it is famous for Dargun Palace, a former Cistercian abbey. From 1815 to 1918 Dargun was part of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, media related to Dargun at Wikimedia Commons Official website of Dargun
13.
Gelbensande
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Gelbensande is a municipality in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is located in the Rostock district, near Rostock, Ribnitz-Damgarten, four other villages are part of Gelbensande. Gelbensande is about 8 km from the Baltic Sea coast and it can be reached by car on B105, as well as by train. Jagdschloss Gelbensande is a lodge or manor that was erected between 1880 and 1885 as a summer residence for Grand Duke Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. After 1887, it was used as a base for hunting in the surrounding forest, because of the Grand Dukes marriage to one of the Russian Tsars granddaughters, the Mecklenburg-Russian relationships can still be seen inside the castle today. The Jagdschloss remained in the Grand Dukes use until 1944 and it was subsequently used as an army hospital, a sanatorium for tuberculosis, a public library, a veterans club and a sort of hostel for construction workers. Since the German reunification in 1989/1990, it is owned by the town of Gelbensande, Wilhelm von Preußen, German crown prince and son of Kaiser Wilhelm II, got engaged to Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in the Jagdschloss. Media related to Gelbensande at Wikimedia Commons official page
14.
Ludwigslust Palace
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Ludwigslust Palace is a stately home or schloss in the town of Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. It was built as a lodge, rebuilt as a luxurious retreat from the ducal capital, Schwerin. It was the joy of Prince Christian Ludwig, the son of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Ludwigslust had its origins in a simple hunting lodge within a days ride of the ducal capital, Schwerin. In 1724 Prince Christian Ludwig, the son of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, decided to build a lodge on this site. Even after he became duke in his turn in 1747, he passed most of his time at this residence, in 1765, Duke Friederich made Ludwigslust the capital of the duchy instead of Schwerin. In the years 1772-1776 Ludwigslust was rebuilt to plans by Johann Joachim Busch, the structure is brick, clad in the local sandstone, forty over-lifesize allegorical figures, also in sandstone, by Rudolf Kaplunger, alternating with vases, crown the low attic above the cornice. The interiors of Ludwigslust are more fully neoclassical, the grand reception rooms are on the piano nobile, or Festetage, above a low ground floor that contained guestrooms. One flanking range was semi-public, with a sequence of antechamber, salon and audience chamber, the opposite range was semi-private, with the Dukes drawing-room and bedchamber, a cabinet and a gallery with a porcelain chimneypiece. The Schloss was the center-point of a range of grand buildings sited in deference to it, the palaces surrounding Schlosspark of 120 ha. In 1837 Grand Duke Paul Friedrich returned Schwerin to its capital status, as a summer residence, Schloss Ludwigslust was preserved from further alterations. The deposed Mecklenburg-Schwerin family continued to use Ludwigslust until 1945
15.
Ludwigslust
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Ludwigslust is a central castle town of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany,40 km south of Schwerin. Since 2011 it is part of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, Ludwigslust is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The former royal town is known for its rich heritage, especially the famed Ludwigslust Palace. In 1724 Prince Ludwig, the son of Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, later on, after his succession to the Dukedom, this became his favourite residence and he named it accordingly Ludwigslust. In 1765 Ludwigslust became the capital of the duchy in place of Schwerin, the town was enlarged by a residential palace. This situation continued until 1837, when Grand Duke Paul Friedrich returned the status to Schwerin. The Wöbbelin concentration camp—sometimes referred to as Ludwigslust concentration camp—was established by the SS near the city of Ludwigslust in 1945. At the end of World War II, as the Line of contact between Soviet and other Allied forces formed, Ludwigslust was captured by British troops initially, then handed over to American troops. After several months the US troops departed and allowed Soviet troops to enter per the Yalta agreement designating the occupation of Mecklenburg to be administered by the Soviets, schloss Ludwigslust, a Baroque residential palace built in 1772-1776, after plans by Johann Joachim Busch. It is called as the Little Versailles of Mecklenburg, the palace is located in the middle of the palace garden, a vast park, created in English style, with canals, fountains and artificial cascades. The Stadtkirche, built in 1765-1770 in Neoclassical style with Baroque sway and its classical design, with a portico resting on six doric columns, gives the church an appearance similar to a Greek temple. Ludwigslust railway station is served by ICE, EC, IC and RE services
16.
Neustrelitz
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Neustrelitz is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District, from 1738 until 1918 it was the capital of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. From 1994 until 2011 it was the capital of the district of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the name Strelitz is derived from the Polabian word Strelci, meaning shooter. The village of Strelitz was first mentioned in 1278 and it grew to a small town in the following centuries. In the 17th century Strelitz was a part of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, afterwards the new duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was established. This small duchy contained the district and an exclave around Ratzeburg. In 1712 the castle and the town of Strelitz burnt down, after this disaster the duke and his family lived on their hunting lodge at the lake called Zierker See to the northwest of Strelitz. Around this place the new town of Neustrelitz was constructed and it became the official capital of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1736. Neustrelitz remained the seat until 1918 and was the capital of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1918 to 1933. In 1934 it was merged with Mecklenburg-Schwerin to the Gau of Mecklenburg, the ancient town of Strelitz continued to exist after the fire of 1712, it was a small village, which was suburbanised by Neustrelitz in 1931. When the Red Army troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front entered the town on 30 April 1945,681 people committed suicide, the city centre is characterised by Baroque architecture. Its heart is the Marktplatz, with the Stadtkirche, built in 1768–1778 and the opposite Rathaus, built in 1841 by Friedrich W. Buttel, the Baroque Schloß was destroyed in 1945, but the palace gardens still exist. There is a lake, Glambeck See, where one can swim in summer in a protected area and have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake. The city has hosted the popular Immergut Festival since the year 2000, attended by almost 5000 visitors each year
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Poel
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Poel or Poel Island, is an island in the Baltic Sea. It forms the northern and eastern boundaries of the Bay of Wismar on the German coast. The northern coast of the island is also on the side of the large gulf known as the Bay of Mecklenburg. Insel Poel thus forms on its side the unofficial latitude of the northern boundary of the Wismar Bay. It is close to the cities of Lübeck, Wismar and Schwerin and is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, administratively it is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district. It covers an area of 36.02 km2 and has 2,873 citizens, satellite pictures show that most of it is used as farmland. With its good air, clean water, fine beaches and sheltered harbours, at Timmendorf harbour there are a pilots station and facilities for yachts and local fishermen. Kirchdorf has a harbour and a boatyard. Wismar Bay is cited by the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica as the finest harbor on the Baltic, the islands name derives from pole, the Common Slavic word for flat land or field. Poels first inhabitants in historic times were Slavs, belonging to the West Mecklenburgian tribe of the Obotrites, the Slavic ruler and Lord of Mecklenburg Heinrich Borwin I brought German settlers from the providences of Dithmarschen and Holstein to the island in the early 13th century. They began building the church on Poel around 1210, the church was built in four or five periods and was completed around 1350. The tower is in Romanesque style, and with its 47 meters it is visible from almost all points on the island. The church nave was originally Romanesque in style, was enlargened however around 1300 with a long and high choir, since about 1535 it is a Lutheran Church. Besides the weekly Divine Service there are many concerts with classical music in the church during the summer months. In 1614 Duke of Mecklenburg Adolf Friedrich I started the construction of a fortress on the island in the vicinity of the church and she was received by Duke Johann Albrecht II with a festive worship service in the church and will a feast that went on for several days. During the Thirty Years War the Duke had to give up the castle to enemy troops in 1628. General Wallenstein ruled over Mecklenburg for several years, in 1631 Gustav Adolf helped the dukes of Mecklenburg regain their power, and Johann Albrecht II returned to Poel finding the castle in a desolate condition. When Mecklenburg signed a truce with Emperor Ferdinand II in 1635, the emperors troops returned in 1638, drove the Swedes away and burned several villages
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Neubrandenburg
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Neubrandenburg is a city in the southeast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located on the shore of a lake called Tollensesee, Neubrandenburg is nicknamed for its four medieval city gates - Stadt der Vier Tore. It is part of the European Route of Brick Gothic, a route leads through seven countries along the Baltic Sea coast. Since 2011, Neubrandenburg is the capital of the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district and it is the third-largest city and one of the main urban centres of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The city is a power node of northeastern Germany, featuring one of the highest national ranks in employment density. The closest greater urban areas are the regiopolis of Rostock and the metropolises of Szczecin, Berlin, since 1991, Neubrandenburg hosts a University of Applied Sciences that also offers international exchanges, guest programs and studies. The first settlers at the place were Premonstratensian monks in Broda Abbey, the foundation of the city of Neubrandenburg took place in 1248, when the Margrave of Brandenburg decided to build a settlement in the northern part of his fief. In 1292 the city and the area became part of Mecklenburg. The city flourished as a trade centre until the Thirty Years War, during the dramatic advance of the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus into Germany, the city was garrisoned by Swedes, but it was retaken by Imperial Catholic League forces in 1631. During this operation it was reported that the Catholic forces killed many of the Swedish and Scottish soldiers while they were surrendering. The city, therefore, played a role in the escalation of brutality of one of historys most brutal wars. During the Second World War, a large camp, Stalag II-A, was located close to the city. In 1945, few days before the end of the Second World War, in that course, about 600 people committed suicide. Since then, most buildings of historical relevance have been rebuilt, Neubrandenburg was a bezirk centre between 1952 and 1990. See also, Media related to Cultural heritage monuments in Neubrandenburg at Wikimedia Commons Neubrandenburg has preserved its medieval city wall in its entirety. The wall,7 m high and with a perimeter of 2.3 km has four Brick Gothic city gates, of these, one of the most impressive is the Stargarder Tor, with its characteristic gable-like shape and the filigree tracery and rosettes on the outer defence side. Another place of interest is the Brick Gothic Marienkirche, completed 1298, the church was nearly destroyed in 1945, but it has been restored since 1975 to house a concert hall. The tallest highrise in the city is the 56m Haus der Kultur und Bildung and its slender appearance has earned it the nickname Kulturfinger
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Stargard Castle
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Stargard Castle is the northernmost extant hill castle in Germany. The complex consists of an outer and a bailey with eleven buildings preserved. The imposing castle keep serves as the citys landmark, the castle hill was settled already before 3000 BC. When Slavic tribes advanced into the area during the Migration Period, they encountered remnants of an ancient fortification or settlement, since the 12th century, the area was conquered and colonized by Christian German princes. In 1237, Duke Wartislaw III of Pomerania, ceded the country of Stargard to the Ascanian Margraves of Brandenburg, John I and Otto III. Under their orders, most of the present castle was being built between 1240 and 1270, to protect their northernmost territories, the hamlet of Stargard received its town privileges from Margrave Otto III in 1259. After one of the partitions of Mecklenburg, Stargard Castle became the residence of Duke John I of Mecklenburg-Stargard in 1352. After the Stargard line became extinct in 1471, their duchy was reunited with the rest of country again, the reign of Albert VII saw the significant modification and expansion of the castle in 1520, e. g. the gatehouse was remodeled into a chapel. During the Thirty Years War, Stargard served as headquarters of General Tilly during the siege and capture of the city of Neubrandenburg. In 1646, the keep was struck by lightning and burnt out, even after becoming part of the newly-created duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1701, the castle remained the seat of the local magistrate, as it had been for centuries. The last witch-hunt in Mecklenburg, if not the last in Northern Germany, a significant part of the complex, the Crooked House, which housed the magistrates offices, burnt down in 1919. After surviving World War II without destruction, the premises were used for educational purposes until 1963. After the reunification, the complex was thoroughly restored. A museum was established, maintained by a Christian welfare work organisation, today, it is also used for cultural events and for weddings in the restored castle chapel. Stargard Castle consists of an outer and a bailey with eleven buildings in total. Both the inner one, roughly oval-shaped, and the one are surrounded by a moat. The keep is widely known as the towns landmark, all buildings were built out of brick, which is evidence for the castles great importance in medieval times. The castle and the park can be visited for free, the museum and the ascent to the top of the keeps tower are subject to a charge
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Burg Stargard
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Burg Stargard (Polabian Stargart, is a small town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 8 kilometres southeast of Neubrandenburg, the name is a combination of stari and gard. Supposedly to avoid confusion with other cities named Stargard, the town has known as Burg Stargard since 1929. No archaeological evidence can be found for earlier Slavic settlements in the location, the castle is now the most northerly high castle in Germany and the oldest secular building in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In 1259, Brandenburg awarded Stargard with town privileges, during the Thirty Years War, the castle served as headquarters for Johann tSerclaes, Count of Tilly, general of the Imperial forces, later becoming a seat of ducal administration. The town suffered during the decline of the region in the aftermath of the Thirty Years War. In 1758 a major fire destroyed the town, emblematic of the towns fading fortunes. In the wake of the German Revolution, a 1920 Amtsordnung redefined political borders in the area, with an Amt of Stargard based in Neubrandenburg and an Amt of Strelitz, based in Neustrelitz. On 10 January 1934, the two Ämter were merged into Kreis Strelitz district based in Neustrelitz, later to be known as Kreis Stargard and these local government arrangements survived until the 1952 reorganization of local government within the German Democratic Republic. In April 1945, camp Waldbau was emptied and the prisoners were forced on a march to Malchow. After the reunification of Germany, urban regeneration of the town included renovation of the castle, the castle is now a major tourist attraction in the area, with spectacular views from the tower and special events such as an annual knights tournament. In July 2009, there was a festival celebrating the 750th anniversary of the towns charter, with a parade showing scenes from the towns history, a rock concert. Marie Hager Marie Hager was a painter from Stargard, who had exhibitions in Munich, Hamburg and she died in Burg Stargard in 1947 and was buried in the local cemetery. Carl Friedrich Stolte Carl Friedrich Stolte was born in Neustrelitz and became a teacher in Stargard in 1844 and he studied in Mirow and worked after the ideas of Pestalozzi. He initiated a sports arena for physical education at Burg Stargard school and wrote textbooks for German, Johanna Beckmann Johanna Beckmann was born in Brüssow and spent her childhood in Stargard. She was a painter and silhouette artist. In April 1886 she began to work in Berlin at the arts and crafts museum. She subsequently concentrated on developing her art, illustrating magazines
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Western Pomerania
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The name Pomerania comes from Slavic po more, which means Land at the Sea. The adjective for the region is Pomeranian, inhabitants are called Pomeranians, forming part of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, Western Pomeranias boundaries have changed through the centuries and it belonged to countries such as Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Prussia. Before 1945, it embraced the whole area of Pomerania west of the Oder River, today the cities of Szczecin, Świnoujście and Police are part of Poland, with the remainder of the region staying part of Germany. German Vorpommern now forms about one-third of the present-day north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, German Western Pomerania had a population of about 470,000 in 2012 - while the Polish districts of the region had a population of about 520,000 in 2012. So overall, about 1 million people live in the region of Western Pomerania today. Towns on the German side include Damgarten, Bergen, Anklam, Wolgast, Demmin, Pasewalk, Grimmen, Sassnitz, Ueckermünde, Torgelow, the German prefix Vor- denotes a location closer to the speaker, and is the equivalent of Hither in English and Citerior/Cis- in Latin. Historically the name Hither Pomerania has been used, but in modern English the German region is commonly called Western Pomerania or by its native name. The local dialect term is Low German, Vörpommern, the toponym Pomerania comes from Slavic po more, which means Land at the Sea. Poland has both a historic and geographic term Western Pomerania as well as a province called West Pomerania, the major feature of Western Pomerania is its long Baltic Sea and lagoons coastline. Typical is a distinct double coast, whereby offshore islands separate lagoons from the open sea, the islands Rügen and Usedom are located in Western Pomerania The largest town in Western Pomerania is Szczecin on the Polish side and Stralsund on the German side. Today it is still an important town economically, the towns of Stralsund and Greifswald together, after Rostock, are the second largest centres of population in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In addition the region has the highest population density of the four planning regions in the state, consideration was given during an unsuccessful district reform project in 1994 to restoring the old boundary, but this was not implemented. The Ribnitz, Marlow and Fischland area of Vorpommern-Rügen were historically part of Mecklenburg, the old western boundary line is preserved in the division between the two Protestant church bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Mecklenburg and the Pomeranian Evangelical Church. Major cities and towns in Vorpommern include Stralsund, Greifswald, Bergen auf Rügen, Demmin, Anklam, Wolgast, Sassnitz, heringsdorf does not have city rights, but is a semi-urban center. With Polish entry into the European Union and the opening of borders and you can sort the table of the 20 largest towns by clicking one of the upper columns. Popular tourist resorts can be all along the Baltic beaches of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. The old Haneseatic towns are popular tourist destinations due to their brick gothic medieval architecture. In Mukran near Sassnitz on Rügen, there is a ferry terminal linking Western Pomerania to Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania
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Demmin
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Demmin is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the district of Demmin. Demmin lies on the West Pomeranian plain at the confluence of the rivers Peene, Tollense, lake Kummerow and the Bay of Stettin may be reached by boat on the Peene, Neubrandenburg via Altentreptow on by-roads and cycleways. The area of the confluences of the Tollense and Trebel with the Peene are called the Three Streams Land for tourist purposes, north of Demmin is the Drosedow Forest and woods of Woldeforst. Here is also the Kronwald Nature Reserv, to the west on the left bank of the Peene is the woodland area of Devener Holz and, on the left bank, Vorwerk Switzerland. To the east of the town are the Sandberg Pines and, to the southeast, the Vorwerk Forest. To the north of the borough are Nossendorf and Loitz, to the east, Kletzin, Siedenbrünzow and Utzedel, to the south, Beggerow, Borrentin and Schönfeld and to the west, Warrenzin. The following villages belong to Demmin, Deven, Drönnewitz, Erdmannshöhe, Karlshof, Lindenfelde, Randow, Seedorf, Siebeneichen, Vorwerk, Waldberg, Woldeforst. Villages and populations The name may originate from the Slavic term timänie swampy area, another possible origin for the name Demmin could be from Old Polabian dym smoke, referring to clearing land through burning to make settlement possible. In 1075, Adam of Bremen reported a fight over the castle at Dimine. In the course of history, the name changed, and sources refer to Dymine and Dimin, Latinized to Dyminium, finally Demmyn, thus the name of the castle and of the city is said to have developed. As early as 5500 -4900 BC, the Neolithic Linear Pottery culture spread from the East, the great dolmen near Upost is classified as the eastern most great dolmen. As an evidence of the Funnelbeaker culture,119 Megalith constructions bear witness around the county of Demmin, of these,56 are partially preserved. The later period is characterized by 12 preserved in the district of Demmin Tumulus, from about 1800 BC on, the settlement of the area by Germanic peoples began. Slavic settlements of the Veleti in the forests surrounding Demmin can be traced back to the 8th century, in 789, during the Saxon wars, Charlemagne led his troops to the Peene river, against the Veleti who were allies of the Saxons. Dragovit, king of the Veleti, whose castle, civitas Dragowiti was said to most likely have been located at Vorwerk, submitted to Charlemagne, the region was very suitable for a settlement and was important due to its location at the crossing of rivers and trade roads. During the struggle between the Veleti and the Franks, a castle was erected by Lutici Circipanians at the dawn of the 10th century. That castle was later called “Haus Demmin” and it controlled the Eastern parts of Circipania, a territory that stretched to Güstrow in the west
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Schloss Hohendorf
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Schloss Hohendorf is a Schloss in Groß Mohrdorf municipality, Germany. The history of the estate back to 1321, when the ruler of Rügen Vitslav III donated the land to the Hup family. The main building that is presently visible was built in 1854 for the von Klot-Trautvetter family, a renovation was carried out in 1993. Media related to Schloss Hohendorf at Wikimedia Commons
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Klempenow Castle
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Klempenow Castle is a castle in Breest municipality, Germany. The castle was built during the time of German settlement in Pomerania in the 13th century, the original castle consisted of two towers and a three metre thick defensive wall. It has been altered during the centuries. During the 17th century it acquired more or less the present shape, when Pomerania was ruled by Sweden, the castle was given as a fief to Dodo zu Innhausen und Knyphausen by the Swedish king. From 1762, it belonged to the Swedish Crown and it has since housed several different residents, after World War II, it housed refugees expelled from former German lands and at one time as many as fourteen families lived in the castle. After 1990, a renovation of the castle was carried out, media related to Burg Klempenow at Wikimedia Commons
List of castles in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern[edit].svg){kind=small}
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