Schwerin

Schwerin is enclosed by lakes. The largest of these lakes, the Schweriner See, has an area of 60 km². In the middle part of these lakes there was a settlement of the Slavic Obotrite (dated back to the 11th century). The area was called Zuarin (Polabian Zwierzyn), and the name Schwerin is derived from that designation. In 1160, Henry the Lion defeated the Obotrites and captured Schwerin. The town was later expanded into a powerful regional centre. A castle was built on this site, and expanded to become a ducal palace. It is supposedly haunted by the small, impious ghost, called Petermännchen ("Peterman").

In 1358, Schwerin became a part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, making it the seat of the duchy from then on. About 1500, the construction of the Schwerin Palace began, as a residence for the dukes. After the division of Mecklenburg (1621), Schwerin became the capital of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Between 1765 and 1837, the town of Ludwigslust served as the capital, until Schwerin was reinstated.

In the mid-1800s, many residents from Schwerin moved to the United States, many to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Today Milwaukee and Schwerin are sister cities. After 1918, and during the German Revolution, resulting in the fall of all the German monarchies, the Grand Duke abdicated. Schwerin became capital of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin thereafter.

During World War II, Schwerin was hit by bombs in July 1940, on 7 April 1945 and 19 April 1945.[3] At the end of World War II, on 2 May 1945, Schwerin was taken by United States troops. It was turned over to the British on 1 June 1945, and one month later, on 1 July 1945,[4] it was handed over to the Soviet forces, as the British and American forces pulled back from the line of contact to the predesignated occupation zones.

Schwerin was then in the Soviet Occupation Zone which was to become the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Initially, it was the capital of the State of Mecklenburg which at that time included the western part of Pomerania (Vorpommern). After the states were dissolved in the GDR, in 1952, Schwerin served as the capital of the Schwerin district (Bezirk Schwerin).

After reunification in 1990, the former state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was recreated as one of the Bundesländer. Rostock was a serious contender for state capital but the decision went in favour of Schwerin.

The 12 lakes within Schwerin's city limits and their size in km²:

• Lake Schwerin (Schweriner See) 61,5
• Brick Lake (Ziegelsee) 3,0
• Lake Ostorf (Ostorfer See) 2,1
• New Mill Lake (Neumühler See) 1,7
• Lake Medeweg (Medeweger See) 1,0
• Lake Lankow (Lankower See) 0,5
• Foul Lake (Fauler See) 0,5
• Heaths Lake (Heidensee) 0,2
• Clergymen's Pond (Pfaffenteich) 0,1
• Castle Lake (Burgsee) 0,1
• Lake Grimke (Grimkesee) 0,04
• Big Karausche (Große Karausche) 0,02

• Rabbit Ait (Kaninchenwerder) in Lake Schwerin
• Brick Ait (Ziegelwerder) in Lake Schwerin
• Castle Island (Schlossinsel) between Lake Schwerin and Castle Lake
• Big Murrkiten Island (Große Murrkiteninsel) in the Brick Lake
• Small Murrkiten Island (Kleine Murrkiteninsel) in the Brick Lake
• Big Stone (Großer Stein) in Lake Schwerin

The urban area of Schwerin is subdivided into 17 local districts,[5] each with a local council. The districts consist of one or more boroughs. The local councilors have between 5 and 15 members depending on the number of inhabitants. They are determined by the city council for the duration of the election period of the city council after each municipal election. The local councilors are to hear important matters concerning the district and have a right of initiative. However, the final decisions are made by the city council of the city as a whole.

The 17 districts and 26 boroughs:

• Schelfstadt, Werdervorstadt, Schelfwerder (1)
• Altstadt (Old Town), Feldstadt, Paulsstadt, Lewenberg (2)
• Großer Dreesch (formerly Dreesch I) (3)
• Neu Zippendorf (formerly Dreesch II) (4)
• Mueßer Holz (formerly Dreesch III) (5)
• Gartenstadt, Ostorf (formerly Haselholz, Ostorf) (6)
• Lankow (7)
• Weststadt (8)
• Krebsförden (9)
• Wüstmark, Göhrener Tannen (10)
• Görries (11)
• Friedrichsthal (12)
• Neumühle, Sacktannen (13)
• Warnitz (14)
• Wickendorf, Medewege (15)
• Zippendorf (16)
• Mueß (17)

There is a small enclave between the boroughs of Neumühle and Görries, belonging to the neighbouring municipality of Klein Rogahn.

Schwerin clockwise borders the municipalities of Klein Trebbow (N), Seehof (Mecklenburg), Leezen (Mecklenburg) (lake border and border on Paul's Dam (Paulsdamm) only), Raben Steinfeld (E), Plate, Banzkow, Lübesse (S), Holthusen, Pampow, Klein Rogahn (W), Wittenförden, Brüsewitz, and Pingelshagen.

• The Staatliches Museum Schwerin-Kunstsammlungen (State Art Museum) houses a remarkable collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings and German art from medieval and renaissance masters up to the present day. There are also a collection of Greek vases, the notable collection of Paintings of Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a collection of sculptures of Houdon, German 18th-century court paintings, and works by such modern artists as Max Liebermann, Franz Stuck, Marcel Duchamp etc. The Graphic cabinet houses rich collections of Dutch and German drawings and prints (Jan van Goyen, Dürer, Cranach, Rembrandt, Merian) and a notable collection of coloured graphics from the time of the GDR.
• The State Museum of Technology (Technische Museum), housed in the former Marstall (Royal Stables). In 2012 the Technische Museum moved to the city of Wismar located 40 km north of Schwerin.