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Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The "land of a thousand lakes”. Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania, situated in northeastern Germany, is known for its
scenic beauty and unspoiled nature. The countryside bears the
imprint of the Ice Ages, exhibiting considerable coastal variation
as well as gently rolling hills, broad fields, pastures and forests.
"Land of a thousand lakes” the state is called; Lake
Müritz, with an area of 117 square kilometers, is the largest.
The climate is mild the year round, the population density is
low (approximately 80 inhabitants per square kilometer).
The two parts of the state, Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania,
have different histories. For many years Western Pomerania was
largely under Swedish dominion; later, as part of the province
of Pommern, it was under Prussian rule. Mecklenburg, by contrast,
was an independent part of the German Empire. After 1701 it was
split into two states: Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Not until 1934 were the two Mecklenburgian states reunited. The
state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was created after the Second
World War as part of the GDR, but shortly thereafter it was dissolved
and subdivided into three districts. In 1990 it was reestablished
as a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. Today about 1.83
million people live in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The dialect
known as Low German (Plattdeutsch) is widely spoken.
Historic cities worth a special visit. Striking Brick Gothic
architecture distinguishes the state's old Hanseatic cities such
as Rostock,
Wismar,
Stralsund and Greifswald. For centuries the
Baltic Sea ports were centers for the transshipment of goods to
and from Scandinavia. Rostock and Greifswald are university towns
with a long, proud tradition. The capital of Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania is Schwerin (118,000 inhabitants). Its most prominent
landmark is the palace, formerly the residence of the grand dukes
of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and now the seat of the state
parliament
of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Other particularly noteworthy
sights include the Mecklenburg State Theater, the State Museum
with its magnificent collection of Dutch and Flemish 17th-century
paintings, and the cathedral, which is one of the most outstanding
examples of Brick Gothic architecture.
Rostock is the state's largest city (233,000 inhabitants). Its
Church of St. Mary has an astronomical clock dating from the 15th
century. The city is known for its seaside resort Warnemünde
and for the "Hanseatic Port Days”. The medieval fortifications
of Neubrandenburg (83,000 inhabitants) with the four old city
gates have survived the centuries virtually intact.
The economic base. Six years after the transition from
a state-controlled economy to a market economy, the restructuring
of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's economy<--/a--> is well under way.
The most important branches are the shipbuilding industry, the
food, luxury food and beverage industry, the construction industry,
mechanical engineering, the building materials industry and the
wood industry. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's seaports continue
to figure prominently in the state's economy. The largest is Rostock;
the port of Mukran on the island of Rügen, which affords
swift connections to the countries adjoining the Baltic, is taking
on increasing importance as well. A well-developed network of
roads and rail lines links the state with its neighbors. An autobahn
along the coast is currently being improved and extended.
Agriculture plays a more significant role in Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania than in other federal states. Principal crops are grain,
oilseed (rape) and potatoes. 80 percent of the 1.3 million hectares
given over to agriculture are farmed by operations with more than
500 hectares.
Tourism is an important economic factor for Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania. In 1994, 2.4 million people visited the state, which
offers nearly 1,600 accommodations with more than 88,000 beds.
The most famous tourist magnet is Rügen, Germany's largest
island (926 square kilometers). Its white chalk cliffs never fail
to captivate the beholder. Many visitors are also drawn to the
Granitz Hunting Lodge or the Störtebeker Festival. Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania takes particular care to ensure that the steadily growing
tourism industry does not become a burden on the environment.
270 nature reserves, 106 landscape reserves, three national parks
and a biosphere reserve attest to the importance which the state
attaches to nature conservation and environmental protection.
The arts and sciences. Prominent individuals whose names are linked with the area that is now Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania include the painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) of Greifswald, who romantically transfigured the landscape of his homeland in numerous paintings. Writing in the dialect Low German, Fritz Reuter (1810-1874) realistically described the region's people and countryside. The aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal (1848-1896) conducted many glider flights here. The sculptor and poet Ernst Barlach (1870-1938) created his lifework in Güstrow. Uwe Johnson (1934-1984) produced a literary monument to his native land with his novels and short stories.