Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; German: [ˌmeːklənbʊʁkˈfoːɐ̯pɔmɐn] or [ˌmɛk-] ⓘ;[6][7] Low German: Mäkelborg-Vörpommern; Polabian: Pomoré); also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in population; it covers an area of 23,213 km2 (8,963 sq mi),[8] making it the sixth largest German state in area; and it is 16th in population density. Schwerin is the state capital and Rostock is the largest city. Other major cities include Neubrandenburg, Stralsund, Greifswald, Wismar, and Güstrow. It was named after the two regions of Mecklenburg and Vorpommern, and its name means the "nearer part of Pomerania", with the rest now lying in Poland.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mäkelborg-Vörpommern (Low German)
State
Flag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Flag
Coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 53°45′N 12°30′E
CountryGermany
CapitalSchwerin
Government
 • BodyLandtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
 • Minister-PresidentManuela Schwesig (SPD)
 • Governing partiesSPD / The Left
 • Bundesrat votes4 (of 69)
 • Bundestag seats16 (of 736)
Area
[1]
 • Total23,213 km2 (8,963 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-12-31)[2]
 • Total1,609,675
 • Density69/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeDE-MV
Vehicle registrationformerly: MP (1945–1947), SM (1948–1953)[3]
GRP (nominal)€47 billion (2019)[4]
GRP per capita€29.000 (2018)
NUTS RegionDEF
HDI (2018)0.924[5]
very high · 13th of 16
WebsiteMecklenburg-Vorpommern.eu

The state was established in 1945 after World War II through the merger of the historic regions of Mecklenburg and Prussian Western Pomerania by the Soviet military administration in Allied-occupied Germany. It became part of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, but was dissolved in 1952 during administrative reforms and its territory divided into the districts of Rostock, Schwerin, and Neubrandenburg. A state called in German Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was re-established in 1990 following German reunification and became one of the new states of the Federal Republic of Germany.

On the state's coastline on the Baltic Sea are many holiday resorts and much unspoilt nature, including the islands of Rügen, Usedom, and others, as well as the Mecklenburg Lake District, making the state one of Germany's leading tourist destinations. Three of Germany's fourteen national parks, as well as several hundred nature conservation areas, are in the state. The University of Rostock, founded in 1419, and the University of Greifswald, established in 1456, are among the oldest universities in Europe. In 2007, the 33rd G8 summit took place at the Grand Hotel Heiligendamm on the Mecklenburg Baltic coast during the chancellorship of Angela Merkel, who represented various constituencies of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the national legislature, the Bundestag.

Name

Due to its lengthy name, the state is often abbreviated as MV or (colloquially) shortened to MeckPomm.[9] In English, it is usually named as "Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania" and less frequently as "Mecklenburg–Cispomerania." Inhabitants are called either Mecklenburger or Pomeranians, the combined form is never used. The full name in German is pronounced [ˈmeːklənbʊʁk ˈfoːɐ̯pɔmɐn]. Sometimes, Mecklenburg is pronounced [ˈmɛklənbʊʁk], because the digraph ⟨ck⟩ marks a preceding short vowel in High German. However, Mecklenburg is within the historical Low German language area, and the ⟨c⟩ appeared in its name during the period of transition to Standard, High German usage (Low German authors wrote the name Meklenborg or Męklenborg, depicting proper Low German pronunciation, which itself was a syncope of Middle Low German Mekelenborg). The introduction of the ⟨c⟩ is explained as follows: Either the ⟨c⟩ signals the stretched pronunciation of the preceding ⟨e⟩ (Dehnungs-c), or it signals the pronunciation of the subsequent ⟨k⟩ as an occlusive [k] to prevent it from falsely being rendered as a fricative [χ] following a Low German trend.[10] Another explanation is that the ⟨c⟩ comes from a mannerism in High German officialese of writing unnecessary letters, a so-called Letternhäufelung (lit. 'letter accumulation', as was done sometimes in English with words such as "doubt"). The place name Vorpommern, at its base derives from West Slavic languages, with the prefix "po-" meaning along or at, and the base word "more" meaning sea — together "po more" means Land at the Sea — while the German prefix "vor-" denoted a closer location.[11]

History
One of more than 1000 megalith sites in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Lancken-Granitz dolmen

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
See also: Megaliths in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Slavic ring fortress at Cape Arkona, Rügen Island

Human settlement in the area of modern Mecklenburg and Vorpommern began after the Ice Age, about 10,000 BC. About two thousand years ago, Germanic peoples were recorded in the area. Most of them left during the Migration Period, heading towards Spain, Italy, and France, leaving the area relatively deserted. In the sixth century Polabian Slavs populated the area. While Mecklenburg was settled by the Obotrites, Pomerania was settled by the Veleti (later Liuticians) and the Rani.[13]

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, joining the Holy Roman Empire in the 1180s. Parts of Mecklenburg and Pomerania were settled with Germans in the Ostsiedlung process, starting in the 12th century.[13]

Mecklenburg
Main article: 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
Main article: History of Pomerania
Late medieval Brick Gothic architecture in Stralsund, nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Flag of the State of Mecklenburg-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.

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]

Division of Pomerania

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 fled and were expelled from the former eastern territories of Germany east of the Oder-Neisse line settled in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (and elsewhere in Germany), increasing the population by 40%. Before the war, Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania had a population of 1,278,700, of whom many perished during the war and others moved west in the course of the Red Army's advance. In 1947, some 1,426,000 refugees from the former eastern parts of Germany were counted. Most of them settled in rural communities, but the urban population also increased, most notably in Schwerin from 65,000 (1939) to 99,518 (January 1947), in Wismar from 29,463 to 44,173, and in Greifswald from 29,488 to 43,897.[15] Western Pomerania was additionally stripped of the area around the Pomeranian regional capital Stettin/Szczecin as well as the city itself, despite its location to the west of the river Oder.

German Democratic Republic
Rostock was the major overseas port of East Germany, and is one of the most important Baltic Sea ports today. Pictured is Hanse Sail, one of the world's largest maritime events.

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 Landtag replaced the Beratende Versammlung and created the constitution of 16 January 1947, for the Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. On 18 April 1947, the state's name was shortened to Land Mecklenburg. Mecklenburg became a constituent state ("Land") of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) upon its formation in 1949. In 1952, the East German government abandoned the term Land in this context and redesignated its administrative territorial divisions as "districts" (German: Bezirke). The territory of Mecklenburg and Vorpommern was divided into three districts that covered roughly the same area: Bezirk Rostock, Bezirk Schwerin and Bezirk Neubrandenburg. These were commonly known as the Nordbezirke (northern districts) under the highly centralised GDR government. The East German government developed the shipyards in the old Hanseatic ports (the largest being in Rostock and Stralsund), and also established the Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant in Lubmin near Greifswald.

Reunification

At the time of German reunification in 1990, the eastern states were reconstituted along their postwar boundaries (with minor adjustments) as they had existed until 1952, and the historic name Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was restored. Since 1990, the state has undergone dramatic changes. What had been largely an industrial and agricultural economy is increasingly driven by the service, tourism, and high-tech sectors. The old towns, hundreds of castles and manors, resort buildings, windmills, 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
Map of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, showing locations, heights, and waters
Constituent regions and districts of the state, including the border of the historical Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania regions

Location and urban areas
See also: List of cities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and List of cities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern by population

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
Schwerin, the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Rostock, the largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Since 4 September 2011, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is divided into six Kreise (districts):

  1. Landkreis Rostock
  2. Ludwigslust-Parchim
  3. Mecklenburgische Seenplatte
  4. Nordwestmecklenburg
  5. Vorpommern-Greifswald
  6. Vorpommern-Rügen

Also counting two independent urban districts:

  1. Rostock (HRO)
  2. Schwerin (SN)

Landscape

The state's Baltic Sea coast is about 2,000 km (1,200 mi) long and features several islands, most notably Germany's two biggest islands Rügen and Usedom, but also a number of smaller islands such as Hiddensee and Poel. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's varied coastline also has many peninsulas such as Fischland-Darß-Zingst and various lagoons (also known as Bodden or Haff).

A total of 283 nature reserves, 110 landscape reserves and three of Germany's fourteen national parks are scattered all over the state.

Lakes
See also: List of lakes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

The southern part of the state is characterized by a multitude of lakes within the Mecklenburg Lakeland, the largest of which is Lake Müritz (also the largest German lake), followed by Lake Schwerin, Plauer See and Lake Kummerow. The "land of a thousand lakes" (German: Land der tausend Seen) is hallmarked by its unspoilt nature. Due to its clean air and idyllic setting, medical tourism has become a notable tourism sector in the region.[16]

National parks
Name Established Size (km2) Map Illustration
Jasmund National Park 1990 30
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Müritz National Park 1990 318
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Western Pomeranian Lagoons National Park 1990 805
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

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 "Hanseatic" style also found in other parts of northern Germany (e.g. Lübeck) as well as in countries bordering the Baltic Sea like Estonia (e.g. Tallinn) or Latvia (e.g. Riga). A common feature of many towns in Mecklenburg and Vorpommern are red Brick Gothic churches and houses dating back to the Middle Ages. Also stepped and tailed gables are a typical feature of the Hanseatic old towns, such as Stralsund, Wismar and Greifswald.

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 Baltic Sea, one of the many lakes or a river for logistical and trade motives.

Rural areas of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are often characterized by Brick Gothic village churches and agricultural heritage, like brick homesteads, thatched roof houses, windmills, manor houses and castles.

The central market square of Greifswald (Marktplatz), showing typical architecture of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Museums, art and theatres
See also: List of museums in Germany § Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
The Mecklenburg State Theatre in Schwerin
The Ozeaneum in Stralsund, Europe's museum of the year 2010 and Northern Germany's most popular museum (as part of the German Oceanographic Museum)

The largest publicly funded theatres in the state are the Mecklenburg State Theatre, the Rostock People's Theatre, the Theatre of West Pomerania, with venues in Stralsund, Putbus and Greifswald, and the Mecklenburg State Theatre of Neustrelitz with venues in Neubrandenburg and Neustrelitz. All four theatres offer both drama and musical theatre as well as orchestral music. Other important theatres are the Ernst Barlach Theatre of Güstrow, the Theatre of Parchim, the Anklam Theatre and the Wismar Theatre. There are also many small theatres on the Baltic coast and in individual artist's villages and resorts (e.g. the popular concert pavilions at the Baltic Sea). Since its growing importance for summer tourism, open-air theatres and festivals become more common again as well, such as the Störtebeker Festival on the island of Rügen, and the Vineta Festival on Usedom.

TheatreVisitors
2007/2008[17]
Mecklenburg State Theatre, Schwerin170,681
West Pomeranian Theatre and Symphony Orchestra, Greifswald/Stralsund140,902
Neustrelitz/Neubrandenburg Theatre and Orchestre120,042
Rostock People's Theatre119,758
West Pomeranian State Theatre, Anklam71,825
Mecklenburg State Theatre, Parchim14,773

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
Low German dialects

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
See also: Pomeranian cuisine

Like most German regions, Mecklenburg and Vorpommern have their own traditional dishes, often including fish, beef and pork. Rostock has its own type of bratwurst called Rostocker Bratwurst. A famous dish from Western Pomerania is Bismarck Herring. Rote Grütze is a popular dessert. The largest beer breweries are Mecklenburgische Brauerei Lübz (Lübzer Pils), Hanseatische Brauerei Rostock, Darguner Brauerei and Störtebeker Braumanufaktur (Stralsund, multiple winner of the World Beer Cup). Besides, there are many smaller breweries and craft beer variations, such as the Mellenthin Castle Beer from Usedom Island.

Religion
Religion in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern − 2020
Religion Percent
Other or none
 
 82.4%
EKD Protestants
 
 14.2%
Roman Catholics
 
 3.4%

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 Reformation, led in Germany by Martin Luther, as well as a period of Swedish rule, the traditional faith in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is Protestantism, specifically Lutheranism. There are also a number of Catholics and people of other faiths.

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 Evangelical Church of Berlin and Brandenburg.

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 :

 Ukraine27,310
 Poland16,589
 Syria11,495
 Romania5,620
 Afghanistan4,700
 Vietnam3,945
 Russia3,705
 Bulgaria2,605
 Turkey2,385
 Hungary2,190

Vital statistics
  • Births from January to September 2016 = Increase 10,224[20]
  • Births from January to September 2017 = Decrease 9,836
  • Deaths from January to September 2016 = Positive decrease 15,251
  • Deaths from January to September 2017 = Negative increase 15,532
  • Natural growth from January to September 2016 = Increase 5,027
  • Natural growth from January to September 2017 = Decrease 5,696

Education

Universities and colleges
The University of Rostock
The University of Greifswald

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has the two oldest universities of the Baltic Sea region, also among the oldest of Germany and all of Europe:

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 Landtag is the "site of political decision-making".[25] The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Landtag is elected democratically by the citizens of the state and sits for a 5-year legislative period.[25] The seat of the Landtag is located at Schwerin Palace in Schwerin.[25] The essential functions of the Landtag are to elect the Minister-President of the state; to discuss and decide on laws which have been proposed by the government, by any four members of the Landtag, or a people's initiative or petition for a referendum initiated directly by the people; and to control the state government.[25]

Minister-President
Main article: List of Ministers-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Manuela Schwesig, Minister-President since 2017

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
See also: 2021 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election
The Schwerin Palace, seat of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is one of more than 2,000 palaces and castles in the state.

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]

PartyConstituencyParty listTotal
seats		+/–
Votes%+/–SeatsVotes%+/–Seats
Social Democratic Party (SPD)313,22434.41+4.9934361,76939.59+9.03034+8
Alternative for Germany (AfD)163,96218.01–3.881152,77516.72–4.101314–4
Christian Democratic Union (CDU)157,40317.29–4.501121,58313.30–5.681112–4
The Left (DIE LINKE)106,18911.67–3.20090,8819.94–3.2399–2
Alliance 90/The Greens (GRÜNE)59,5446.54+1.73057,5546.30+1.4855+5
Free Democratic Party (FDP)56,9516.26+2.91052,9635.80+2.7555+5
Human Environment Animal Protection6,9020.76+0.76015,2121.66+0.4600±0
Grassroots Democratic Party16,3191.79New015,2211.67New00New
Free Voters18,3242.01+0.95010,0751.10+0.5100±0
National Democratic Party00.00–07,0630.77–2.2400±0
Die PARTEI1,8260.20–0.1107,0230.77+0.1400±0
Animal Protection Here!00.00New03,8830.42New00New
Pirate Party Germany1,7740.19+0.1503,7060.41–0.0800±0
Free Horizon2,4910.27–0.4503,3480.37–0.4500±0
Independents for Citizen-oriented Democracy5580.06New02,3310.26New00New
Party for Health Research00.00New02,0300.22New00New
Team Todenhöfer00.00New01,6310.18New00New
The Humanists00.00New01,1050.12New00New
Ecological Democratic Party00.00New09360.10New00New
Alliance C – Christians for Germany1860.02–0.0208270.09–0.0100±0
German Communist Party00.00–07270.08–0.0800±0
Democracy in Motion00.00New05630.06New00New
Free Parliamentary Alliance7080.08New04360.05New00New
Liberal Conservative Reformers00.00–02210.02–0.2800±0
Independents3,8080.42–0.28000.00–00±0
Total910,169100.00–36913,863100.00–4379–
Valid votes910,16997.99+0.24913,86398.39+0.24
Invalid/blank votes18,6382.01–0.2414,9441.61–0.24
Total votes928,807100.00–928,807100.00–
Registered voters/turnout1,312,47170.77+8.921,312,47170.77+8.92
Source: State Returning Officer
Popular vote
SPD
 
 39.59%
AfD
 
 16.72%
CDU
 
 13.30%
LINKE
 
 9.94%
GRÜNE
 
 6.30%
FDP
 
 5.80%
Other
 
 8.35%
Landtag seats
SPD
 
 43.04%
AfD
 
 17.72%
CDU
 
 15.19%
LINKE
 
 11.39%
GRÜNE
 
 6.33%
FDP
 
 6.33%

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]

Airports in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Labour market

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the least densely populated and least industrial German state, being the sixth largest in area, but only the 14th in population. Formerly, unemployment has been negatively affected by the breakdown of non-competitive former GDR industries after the German reunification in the 1990s. As of 2018 unemployment is the lowest in more than 15 years while the economy is growing and the number of jobs is increasing continually. Growing sectors are biotechnology, information technology, life sciences, maritime industry and tourist services.

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:

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]

Sport

Main sporting attractions include the German football league games of F.C. Hansa Rostock and the international sailing event Hanse Sail. If the bid for the 2012 summer Olympics in Leipzig had been successful, the sailing competitions would have taken place off the coast of Rostock.[34]

Notable people
Angela Merkel's constituency is in Western Pomerania.

Notable from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern include:

Miscellaneous

See also

References
  1. "Daten und Fakten - Landesportal Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  2. "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.
  3. 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.
  4. "Bruttoinlandsprodukt – in jeweiligen Preisen – 1991 bis 2019". statistik-bw.de. Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  5. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  6. Krech, Eva Maria; Stock, Eberhard; Hirschfeld, Ursula; Anders, Lutz-Christian (2009), Deutsches Aussprachewörterbuch, Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter, p. 733, ISBN 978-3-11-018202-6
  7. Dudenredaktion; Kleiner, Stefan; Knöbl, Ralf (2015) [First published 1962], Das Aussprachewörterbuch (in German) (7th ed.), Berlin: Dudenverlag, p. 590, 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.
  8. "Daten und Fakten - Landesportal Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  9. Steinhauer, Anja (2014). Duden – Das Wörterbuch der Abkürzungen. Mannheim: Dudenverlag. p. 287. ISBN 978-3-411-90269-9.
  10. Gesellschaft für Deutsche Sprache (1990), Der Sprachdienst (in German), vol. 34, Wiesbaden, p. 128{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. Der Name Pommern (po more) ist slawischer Herkunft und bedeutet so viel wie "Land am Meer". Pommersches Landesmuseum
  12. Michael North, Geschichte Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns (2008), p. 113
  13. Michael North, The Baltic: A History (2015), pp. 187–189
  14. Brunner, Detlev, Inventar der Befehle der Sowjetischen Militäradministration Mecklenburg (-Vorpommern) 1945−1949 in Texte und Materialien zur Zeitgeschichte 12, 2003, ISBN 3-598-11621-7
  15. Beatrice Vierneisel, Fremde im Land: Aspekte zur kulturellen Integration von Umsiedlern in Mecklenburg und Vorpommern 1945 bis 1953, 2006, p.12, ISBN 3-8309-1762-7, ISBN 978-3-8309-1762-5
  16. "Branche mit Zukunft". Die Welt (in German). 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  17. "(PDF) Visitor nos. at public theatres in M-V" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 October 2013.
  18. Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland – Kirchemitgliederzahlen Stand 31. Dezember 2020 Archived 21 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine EKD, November 2021
  19. "Nordkirche - nordkirche.de". www.nordkirche.de. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014.
  20. "Bevölkerung". Statistische Ämter des Bundes Und der Länder. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  21. "University of Applied Sciences: fh-mittelstand.de". Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  22. "Hochschule Stralsund - University of Applied Science". Archived from the original on 4 May 2023.
  23. "University NB: Hochschule Neubrandenburg". Archived from the original on 8 October 2012.
  24. "FH Güstrow". Archived from the original on 10 October 2012.
  25. "State Parliament". Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  26. "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.
  27. "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Schwesig wants to govern with the Left Party". tagesschau.de (in German). Tagesschau. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 13 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  28. "SPD and Left agree on coalition agreement". tagesschau.de (in German). Tagesschau. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  29. "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022.
  30. "Employment and Labour Market". Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  31. "Arbeitslosenquote nach Bundesländern in Deutschland 2018 | Statista". Statista (in German). Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  32. (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.
  33. "Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern". Archived from the original on 19 October 2012.
  34. "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.
  35. Dyson, Marianne J. (2007). Space and astronomy: decade by decade. Infobase Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-8160-5536-4.
Tourism
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