Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mäkelborg-Vörpommern ( Low German) | ||
---|---|---|
NUTS Region DEF | | |
HDI (2018) | 0.924[5] very high · 13th of 16 | |
Website | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.de |
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; German:
The state was established in 1945 after
On the state's coastline on the
Name
Due to its lengthy name, the state is often abbreviated as MV or (colloquially) shortened to MeckPomm.[9] In English, it is usually called "Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania" or less frequently "Mecklenburg–Cispomerania." Inhabitants are called either Mecklenburger or Pomeranians; the combined form is never used.[citation needed]
The place name Vorpommern derives from West Slavic languages. The prefix "po-" means along or at, and the base word "more" means sea, so that together "po more" means Land at the Sea. The German prefix "vor-" denotes a closer location.[10]
The full name in German is pronounced
History
In the aftermath of the Second World War and German reunification in 1990, the state was constituted from the historic region of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania, both of which had long and rich independent histories.[12]
Prehistory
Human settlement in the area of modern Mecklenburg and Vorpommern began after the
Along the coast,
Mecklenburg
In the late 12th century, Henry the Lion, Duke of the Saxons, conquered the Obotrites, subjugated its Nikloting dynasty, and Christianized its people. 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; one of the few German territories for which this is true. Mecklenburg first became a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire in 1348. Though later partitioned and re-partitioned within the same dynasty, Mecklenburg always shared a common history and identity. The states of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz became Grand Duchies in 1815, and in 1870 they voluntarily joined the new German Empire, while retaining their own internal autonomy. After the First World War and the abdication of the German Kaiser, the monarchies of the duchies were abolished and republican governments of both Mecklenburg states were established, until the Nazi government merged the two states into a unified state of Mecklenburg , a virtually meaningless administrative decision under the centralised regime.
Western Pomerania
Vorpommern, literally 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.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Wartime
In May 1945, the armies of the Soviet Union and the Western allies met east of Schwerin. Following the Potsdam Agreement, the Western allies handed over Mecklenburg to the Soviets. Mecklenburg-West Pomerania was established on 9 July 1945, by order No. 5 of Red Army Marshal Georgy Zhukov, head of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD), as the Province of Mecklenburg and West Pomerania (zapadnoi Pomeranii).[14]
During the war, the make-up of Mecklenburg and Vorpommern's population changed, due to wartime losses and the influx of evacuees (mainly from the Berlin and Hamburg metropolitan areas that were subject to air raids). After the war, people who
German Democratic Republic
On 5 June 1946, a law enacted by the Soviets constituted a provisional German administration (Beratende Versammlung, English: "Consulting assembly") under Soviet supervision on 29 June 1946. After elections on 20 October 1946, a
Reunification
At the time of
, churches, and various other cultural monuments of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have been renovated in recent years. Since 2013, net migration into the state has been positive again.Geography
Location and urban areas
Sixth-largest in area and fourteenth in overall population among Germany's sixteen Bundesländer (federal states), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is bounded to the north by the Baltic Sea, to the west by Schleswig-Holstein, to the southwest by Lower Saxony, to the south by Brandenburg, and to the east by the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's state capital is Schwerin. The largest city is Rostock with approximately 205,000 people, followed by Schwerin. Other major cities include Neubrandenburg, Stralsund, Greifswald, Wismar and Güstrow.
Districts
Since 4 September 2011, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is divided into six Kreise (districts):
- Landkreis Rostock
- Ludwigslust-Parchim
- Mecklenburgische Seenplatte
- Nordwestmecklenburg
- Vorpommern-Greifswald
- Vorpommern-Rügen
Also counting two independent urban districts:
Landscape
The state's
A total of 283 nature reserves, 110 landscape reserves and three of Germany's fourteen national parks are scattered all over the state.
Lakes
The southern part of the state is characterized by a multitude of lakes within the
National parks
Name | Established | Size (km2) | Map | Illustration |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jasmund National Park | 1990 | 30 | ||
Müritz National Park | 1990 | 318 | ||
Western Pomeranian Lagoons National Park | 1990 | 805 |
Culture
Over the centuries, Mecklenburg and Vorpommern have developed and maintained strong regional cultures. It can generally be described as North German and has similar linguistic and historic characteristics to other north German states, such as Schleswig-Holstein. People in Vorpommern, as a result of that territory being a former province of Prussia, tend to look slightly more towards Berlin and Brandenburg than people in Mecklenburg would.
Architecture
The cities are characterised by a certain "
The old towns are usually built around one or several market places with a church or the town hall. Often towns were founded at the
Rural areas of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are often characterized by Brick Gothic village
Museums, art and theatres
The largest publicly funded theatres in the state are the
Theatre | Visitors 2007/2008[17] |
---|---|
Mecklenburg State Theatre, Schwerin | 170,681 |
West Pomeranian Theatre and Symphony Orchestra, Greifswald/Stralsund | 140,902 |
Neustrelitz/Neubrandenburg Theatre and Orchestre | 120,042 |
Rostock People's Theatre | 119,758 |
West Pomeranian State Theatre, Anklam | 71,825 |
Mecklenburg State Theatre, Parchim | 14,773 |
Since 1993, the Störtebeker Festival has taken place in Ralswiek on the island of Rügen. It is Germany's most successful open-air theatre.
Notable museums include, for example, the Schwerin State Museum and the Pomeranian State Museum at Greifswald. The German Oceanographic Museum with its Ozeaneum in Stralsund is the most popular museum in northern Germany. Furthermore, the German Amber Museum in Ribnitz-Damgarten, Rostock's Abbey of the Holy Cross and Rostock Art Gallery are of national importance. The oldest museum in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is Stralsund's Cultural History Museum, the smallest is the Professor Wandschneider Sculpture Museum in Plau am See.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is home to many cultural events throughout the year. During summer, many open-air concerts and operas are open to visitors. The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival (Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) attracts a sizeable audience by performing classical concerts in parks, churches and castles.
Caspar David Friedrich, a famous romanticist painter born in Greifswald, immortalised parts of the state in several of his paintings.
Language
Today the vast majority of people speak Standard German; a few centuries ago most people spoke Low German (German: Plattdeutsch or Niederdeutsch), a language that is still kept alive within various communities and cultural events.
Food and drinks
Like most German regions, Mecklenburg and Vorpommern have their own traditional dishes, often including fish, beef and pork. Rostock has its own type of
Religion
As of 2020, the majority (82.4%) of the citizens of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are not religious or adhere to other religions. 14.2% are members of the Protestant Church in Germany and 3.4% of the Catholic Church.[18]
Following the
In May 2012 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg merged with North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church and Pomeranian Evangelical Church into the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany.[19] Some parishes of the state belong to
There are also Jewish communities, in the state capital of Schwerin (including Wismar) and in the city of Rostock. Historically, there were also synagogues in smaller towns, of which some are still preserved (like Röbel, Krakow am See and Boizenburg). The state's Jewish organisation is part of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.
Immigration
Largest immigrant communities by 2022 [citation needed]:
Ukraine | 27,310 |
Poland | 16,589 |
Syria | 11,495 |
Romania | 5,620 |
Afghanistan | 4,700 |
Vietnam | 3,945 |
Russia | 3,705 |
Bulgaria | 2,605 |
Turkey | 2,385 |
Hungary | 2,190 |
Vital statistics
- Births from January to September 2016 = 10,224[20]
- Births from January to September 2017 = 9,836
- Deaths from January to September 2016 = 15,251
- Deaths from January to September 2017 = 15,532
- Natural growth from January to September 2016 = -5,027
- Natural growth from January to September 2017 = -5,696
Education
Universities and colleges
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has the two oldest universities of the Baltic Sea region, also among the oldest of Germany and all of Europe:
- University of Greifswald (established 1456)
- University of Rostock (established 1419)
Also, there are further colleges / technological universities:
- Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM)[21] in Rostock and Schwerin (private)
- Rostock University of Music and Theatre
- Hochschule Wismar (University of Applied Sciences: Technology, Business and Design)
- Hochschule Stralsund[22] (University of Applied Sciences)
- Hochschule Neubrandenburg[23] (University of Applied Sciences)
- Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung, Rechtspflege und Polizei Güstrow[24] (University of Administration, Judicature and Police in Güstrow)
- Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit with its Schwerin campus
- DesignSchule Schwerin with options to study design (private; game/fashion/media/web design)
Schools
The state's school system is centralised. There are two main types of schools, Regionalschule (for the majority of pupils) and Gymnasium (for the top 30% of each year's students, leading to the university entrance qualification "Abitur"). Besides, there are also independent schools, comprehensive schools and trade schools.
Politics
Article 20 of the State Constitution states that the
Minister-President
The executive is led by a cabinet, in turn led by a Minister-President, who is the official head of state and government. The election to determine the Minister-President is held no later than four weeks after the newly elected Landtag is convened.[25]
Landtag
The last election of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern took place on 26 September 2021. The SPD won a landslide plurality of almost 40% of votes, a nine percentage point increase from 2016. The opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) remained the second largest party but declined to under 17%. The CDU recorded its worst ever result in the state with 13.3%, while The Left also declined to 10%. Alliance 90/The Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) both won around 6% of votes and re-entered the Landtag after previously falling out in 2016 and 2011, respectively.[26]
The Landtag has been led by Minister President Manuela Schwesig since 2017. On 13 October 2021, Schwesig announced the SPD would enter coalition talks with The Left. She stated her motivations for reorienting the coalition as a desire for "a new departure", and described The Left as a "social, pragmatic party" with decisive policy overlap with the SPD. She said that The Left had been a reliable partner to the government even while in opposition, and had assumed "state-political responsibility" during the COVID-19 pandemic.[27]
On 5 November 2021, the SPD and The Left agreed to a coalition government and plan to form a cabinet, which is to be approved by each party-congress by mid-November.[28]
Liberal Conservative Reformers 0 | 0.00 | – | 0 | 221 | 0.02 | –0.28 | 0 | 0 | ±0 | | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independents | 3,808 | 0.42 | –0.28 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | – | 0 | 0 | ±0 | |||||||||||
Total | 910,169 | 100.00 | – | 36 | 913,863 | 100.00 | – | 43 | 79 | – | |||||||||||
Valid votes | 910,169 | 97.99 | +0.24 | 913,863 | 98.39 | +0.24 | |||||||||||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 18,638 | 2.01 | –0.24 | 14,944 | 1.61 | –0.24 | |||||||||||||||
Total votes | 928,807 | 100.00 | – | 928,807 | 100.00 | – | |||||||||||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 1,312,471 | 70.77 | +8.92 | 1,312,471 | 70.77 | +8.92 | |||||||||||||||
Source: State Returning Officer |
Economy
The gross domestic product (GDP) of the state was 44.5 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 1.3% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,400 euros or 84% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 83% of the EU average. The GDP per capita was the lowest of all German states.[29]
Labour market
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the least densely populated and least industrial
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, approximately 732,200 people were gainfully employed in 2008 with 657,100 of them were white and blue collar workers. About 4,200 new jobs were created in 2007. Employees worked an average of 1,455 hours a year. The number of self-employed did not change in 2008. Three out of every four of all workers are employed in the service sector.[30] In October 2018 the unemployment rate stood at 7.1% and was the third highest rate in Germany.[31]
Year[32] | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate in % | 17.8 | 18.3 | 18.6 | 20.1 | 20.4 | 20.3 | 19.0 | 16.5 | 14.1 | 13.5 | 12.7 | 12.5 | 12.0 | 11.7 | 11.2 | 10.4 | 9.7 | 8.6 | 7.9 |
Tourism
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the top destination for intra-German tourism and is gaining importance for international tourism. The main tourist regions are:
- Islands: Rugia and Usedom (Germany's two largest islands), Poel and Hiddensee;
- Peninsula: Fischland-Darß-Zingst (with Ahrenshoop and Zingst);
- Seaside resorts: ;
- Stettin Lagoon: Ueckermünde;
- Hinterland: particularly the Mecklenburg Lakeland;
- Cities: Stralsund and Wismar (both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites), Schwerin, Güstrow, Rostock and Greifswald, which have a diverse cultural heritage.
- Night sky: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is home to some of the most pristine night skies in Germany, especially in the area near Nationalpark Müritz. It is a potential site for a Dark Sky Park.
As a reminder of its rich history, nearly 2,000 castles, palaces and manor houses exist in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, many of which are used as venues for public events like concerts and festivals, such as Festpiele MV[33] (a classical music festival).
Medical tourism[16] based on the clean air and idyllic settings by the Baltic Sea has a growing importance to the regional tourism industry.[16]
-
Mecklenburg Lakeland, Röbel
-
Moonrise over Nationalpark Müritz
-
V2 rocketreplica in Peenemünde. These rockets were the first man-made objects to reach space.
Sport
Main sporting attractions include the
Notable people
Notable from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern include:
- Arts: Ernst Barlach, Friedrich von Flotow, Caspar David Friedrich, Marianne Hoppe, Till Lindemann, Philipp Otto Runge
- Business: Ernst Heinkel, Carl Heinrich von Siemens, Leonhard Tietz, Georg Wertheim
- Literature: Ernst Moritz Arndt, John Brinckman, Hans Fallada, Walter Kempowski, Fritz Reuter, Rudolf Tarnow, Ehm Welk
- Politics: Ernst Moritz Arndt, Dietmar Bartsch, Joachim Gauck, Egon Krenz, Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Angela Merkel, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, Harald Ringstorff
- Science: Theodor Billroth, Friedrich Chrysander, Walther Flemming, Gottlob Frege, Otto Lilienthal, Gustav Mie, Ferdinand von Mueller, Paul Pogge, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Heinrich Schliemann, Johannes Stark
- Sports: Tim Borowski, Andreas Dittmer, Thomas Doll, Carsten Jancker, Marita Koch, Toni Kroos, Sebastian Sylvester, Jan Ullrich, Jens Voigt
Miscellaneous
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is Germany's number-one tourist location, the main destinations being the as former residences.
- The first rockets to reach outer space were launched in 1944 during World War II in Peenemünde on the present-day territory of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.[35]
- During the chancellorship of Angela Merkel, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern hosted the first official public meeting with President George W. Bush in 2006 and the 33rd G8 summit in 2007. Both political events were financed by state and federal budgets.
Gallery
-
Binz − typical German resort architecture (Bäderarchitektur) at the Baltic Sea
-
Rostock − Shopping street
-
Rostock − Brick Gothic gable house
-
Greifswald − Gable houses at market square
-
Schwerin − capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
-
Harbour of Wismar, a historical Hanseatic city sharing its World Heritage Site status with Stralsund
-
Grabow − Half timbered town hall
-
Neubrandenburg − Concert Church St. Marien
-
Benz windmill, one of many windmillsin MV
-
many castlesin MV
-
Ahlbeck − Hotel "Ahlbecker Hof" (UsedomIsland)
-
Rügen Island − Jasmund National Park
-
Hiddensee Island − Dornbusch Lighthouse
See also
- History of Pomerania
- List of places in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- List of towns in Vorpommern
- Mecklenburg
- Pomerania
References
- ^ "Daten und Fakten - Landesportal Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "Bevölkerungsstand der Kreise, Ämter und Gemeinden in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Landesamt für innere Verwaltung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (in German). 3 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ "Bruttoinlandsprodukt, Bruttowertschöpfung | Statistikportal.de". Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder | Gemeinsames Statistikportal (in German). Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ With the abolition of states in East Germany in 1952 vehicle registration followed the new Bezirk subdivisions. Since 1991 distinct prefixes are specified for each district.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ISBN 978-3-11-018202-6
- ISBN 978-3-411-04067-4. According to this source, the pronunciation with [eː] is mainly found in Northern Germany (so Mecklenburg-Vorpommern itself as well). It is the historical pronunciation. In other regions, the spelling pronunciation with [ɛ]is usual.
- ^ "Daten und Fakten - Landesportal Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ISBN 978-3-411-90269-9.
- ^ Der Name Pommern (po more) ist slawischer Herkunft und bedeutet so viel wie "Land am Meer". Pommersches Landesmuseum
- )
- ^ Michael North, Geschichte Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns (2008), p. 113
- ^ a b Michael North, The Baltic: A History (2015), pp. 187–189
- ISBN 3-598-11621-7
- ISBN 978-3-8309-1762-5
- ^ a b c "Branche mit Zukunft". Die Welt (in German). 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
- ^ "(PDF) Visitor nos. at public theatres in M-V" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 October 2013.
- ^ Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland – Kirchemitgliederzahlen Stand 31. Dezember 2020 Archived 21 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine EKD, November 2021
- ^ "Nordkirche - nordkirche.de". www.nordkirche.de. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014.
- ^ "Bevölkerung". Statistische Ämter des Bundes Und der Länder. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- ^ "University of Applied Sciences: fh-mittelstand.de". Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "Hochschule Stralsund - University of Applied Science". Archived from the original on 4 May 2023.
- ^ "University NB: Hochschule Neubrandenburg". Archived from the original on 8 October 2012.
- ^ "FH Güstrow". Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "State Parliament". Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "State election MV: Schwesig's SPD triumphs - CDU experiences debacle". Norddeutscher Rundfunk (in German). 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- Tagesschau. 13 October 2021. Archivedfrom the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
- Tagesschau. 13 October 2021. Archivedfrom the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022.
- ^ "Employment and Labour Market". Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
- ^ "Arbeitslosenquote nach Bundesländern in Deutschland 2018 | Statista". Statista (in German). Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ (Destatis), © Statistisches Bundesamt (13 November 2018). "Federal Statistical Office Germany - GENESIS-Online". www-genesis.destatis.de. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ "Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Archived from the original on 19 October 2012.
- ^ "Deutsche Olympia-Bewerber - Leipzig und Rostock". n-tv.de (in German). 12 April 2003. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-8160-5536-4.
External links
- Official Mecklenburg-Vorpommern portal
- Geographic data related to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at OpenStreetMap
- Tourism