[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]

[German]
History
of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Chronicle of Mecklenburg Chronicle of Vorpommern
History of  Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg derives its name from the Slavic castle "Mechelenburg". The castle stands between the two cities Schwerin and Wismar and was first documented by the emperor Otto III. in 995.
Germanic tribes established settlements in this region up to the year 500. Around the year 600, the Germanic tribes had left the region and Slavic tribes such as the Obotrite and the Lutician founded new settlements.
When Heinrich der Loewe (Henry the Lion) defeated the Obotrites, he began the Christianisation of Mecklenburg.
In 1348 the emperor Karl IV. conferred the title Duke on every Count.  The territory was then divided in 1621 into two different duchies,  Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Guestrow.
The Westfalian peace contract from 1648 regulated that Wismar came under the power of  Sweden. The Guestrow lineage died out in 1695. Two new duchies were founded as a result of the treaty of  Hamburg in 1701,  Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
In 1803 Wismar was returned to Mecklenburg. Both of the duchies joined the Rhine Federation in 1808.
At the congress in Vienna the two duchies of  Mecklenburg received the title grand duchy.
The Civil Revolution ended in 1849 and the first state constitution was introduced. But it was revoked in 1850 and the old ordinance was re-established. Mecklenburg became part of the German Empire in 1871.
The November Revolution finally repealed the medieval ordinance. In 1933 independent Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz were united to the province of  Mecklenburg. Schwerin was pronounced capital of the province.
After WW II in 1945 Mecklenburg was part of the Soviet occupied zone. It was named Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but since 1947 it was simply known under Mecklenburg. East Germany politically restructured the country in 1952 and Mecklenburg was divided into districts of  Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg. Since 1990, the province is officially called Mecklenburg-Vorpommern again.
Schwerin is the capital.