141-519: The Hagenow Land–Bad Oldesloe railway (also known in German as the Kaiserbahn or Kaiserstrecke —"Emperor Railway") was a railway line in the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein . It linked the towns of Hagenow , Ratzeburg and Bad Oldesloe with each other and formed with lines continuing via Bad Segeberg and Neumünster the shortest rail link between Berlin and Kiel ,
282-840: 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
423-561: 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 . 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. The gross domestic product (GDP) of
564-641: A burden on authorities in the German Occupation Zones, including the re-defined Soviet Occupation Zone. Most of the Germans who were being expelled were from Czechoslovakia and Poland, which included most of the territory to the east of the Oder-Neisse Line. The Potsdam Declaration stated: Since the influx of a large number of Germans into Germany would increase the burden already resting on the occupying authorities, they consider that
705-576: 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
846-563: A dismembered Germany, but also as a response to the exclusion of France from the Yalta and Potsdam conferences. Berlin , which lay in the Soviet (eastern) sector, was also divided into four sectors with the Western sectors later becoming West Berlin and the Soviet sector becoming East Berlin . A key item in the occupiers' agenda was denazification . The swastika and other outward symbols of
987-474: A further 3 million ethnic Germans. 'Wild' expulsions from Czechoslovakia began immediately after the German surrender. The Potsdam Conference subsequently sanctioned the "orderly and humane" transfer to Germany of individuals regarded as "ethnic Germans" by authorities in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Hungary. The Potsdam Agreement recognized that these expulsions were already underway and were putting
1128-615: A further 3 million in East Germany. In West Germany these represented a major voting block ; maintaining a strong culture of grievance and victimhood against Soviet Power, pressing for a continued commitment to full German reunification, claiming compensation, pursuing the right of return to lost property in the East, and opposing any recognition of the postwar extension of Poland and the Soviet Union into former German lands. Owing to
1269-686: A great protest, however, passenger services were reactivated between Hagenow Land and Hagenow Stadt on 15 December 2002. The Hagenow Land–Zarrentin line was taken over in September 2004 from DB Netz by Planungsverband Transportgewerbegebiet Valluhn/Gallin , a railway infrastructure company that was based locally in Zarrentin, so that rail freight could run to the MEGA-park business park on the A24 autobahn . Operations from line km 0.766 are carried out by
1410-646: A key psychological role in the West German recovery, other factors were also significant. The Soviets had not agreed to the currency reform; in March 1948 they withdrew from the four-power governing bodies, and in June 1948 they initiated the Berlin Blockade , blocking all ground transport routes between Western Germany and West Berlin . The Western Allies replied with a continuous airlift of supplies to
1551-495: A massive industrial dismantling campaign in its occupation zone, much more intensive than that carried out by the Western powers. While the Soviet powers soon realized that their actions alienated the German workforce from the Communist cause, they decided that the desperate economic situation within the Soviet Union took priority over alliance building. The allied leaders had agreed on paper to economic and political cooperation but
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#17328018014661692-710: A new location for the capital, as Berlin was then a special administrative region controlled directly by the allies and surrounded by the Soviet zone of occupation. The former Reichstag building in Berlin was occasionally used as a venue for sittings of the Bundestag and its committees and the Bundesversammlung , the body which elects the German Federal President. However, the Soviets disrupted
1833-588: A notable tourism sector in the region. 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. The cities are characterised by
1974-633: A nucleus for a future German government by creating a central Economic Council for their zones. The program later provided for a West German constituent assembly , an occupation statute governing relations between the Allies and the German authorities, and the political and economic merger of the French with the British and American zones. On 23 May 1949, the Grundgesetz (Basic Law), the constitution of
2115-648: 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 . Some parishes of
2256-694: A province of Prussia in 1815 and remained so until 1945. 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
2397-520: A quarter of its old pre-war territory was annexed by communist Poland and the Soviet Union . The German populations of these areas were expelled to the west. Saarland was a French protectorate from 1947 to 1956 without the recognition of the " Four Powers ", because the Soviet Union opposed it, making it a disputed territory . At the end of World War II, there were some eight million foreign displaced people in Germany, mainly forced laborers and prisoners. This included around 400,000 survivors of
2538-500: A rapidly increasing agricultural production were the initial triggers to this 'Wirtschaftswunder' (economic miracle) as it was known, although there was nothing miraculous about it. The era became closely linked with the name of Ludwig Erhard , who led the Ministry of Economics during the decade. Unemployment at the start of the decade stood at 10.3%, but by 1960 it had dropped to 1.2%, practically speaking full employment. In fact, there
2679-404: A seasonal operation with rides on a hand lever trolley ( draisine ) since 1998. In addition the track is maintained to promote its re-commissioning for the operation of Regionalbahn services. Regular passenger services, however, have only operated on the three and a half km section between Hagenow Land and Hagenow Stadt since the reactivation of the line in 2002. Currently, Hagenow Stadt station
2820-415: A single economic unit with some central administrative departments. These plans never materialized, initially because France blocked any establishment of central administrative or political structures for Germany; and also as both the Soviet Union and France were intent on extracting as much material benefit as possible from their occupation zones in order to make good in part the enormous destruction caused by
2961-459: 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. 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
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#17328018014663102-630: A total of 275 German soldiers died while clearing mines, while 392 had been injured. Norman Naimark writes in The Russians in Germany: A History of the Soviet Zone of Occupation, 1945–1949 that although the exact number of women and girls who were raped by members of the Red Army in the months preceding and years following the capitulation will never be known, their numbers are likely in
3243-672: A vigorous program to harvest all technological and scientific know-how as well as all patents in Germany. John Gimbel comes to the conclusion, in his book " Science Technology and Reparations: Exploitation and Plunder in Postwar Germany ", that the "intellectual reparations" taken by the U.S. and the UK amounted to close to $ 10 billion . During the more than two years that this policy was in place, no industrial research in Germany could take place, as any results would have been automatically available to overseas competitors who were encouraged by
3384-530: A whole', and the four Allied Powers exercised the sovereign authority they now claimed over Germany in agreeing 'in principle' to the ceding of territory of the former German Reich east of 'Germany as a whole' to Poland and the Soviet Union. In addition, under the Allies' Berlin Declaration (1945) , the territory of the extinguished German Reich was to be treated as the land area within its borders as of 31 December 1937. All land expansion from 1938 to 1945
3525-635: 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 . Since 4 September 2011, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
3666-509: Is convened. 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
3807-617: Is divided into six Kreise (districts): Also counting two independent urban districts: 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
3948-477: 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. Sixth-largest in area and fourteenth in overall population among Germany's sixteen Bundesländer (federal states), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
4089-474: Is often abbreviated as MV or (colloquially) shortened to MeckPomm . 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. 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
4230-502: Is served hourly by the R3 service, which is operated by Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH (ODEG). Since 6 April 2008, on the first Sunday of the month in the summer, two pairs of trains are operated on the line by Westmecklenburgischen Eisenbahngesellschaft (WEMEG) between Hagenow Land and Zarrentin. These services are operated with Uerdingen railbuses . Otherwise, this line is occasionally used by trains transporting bulk materials. In addition, in
4371-570: Is still kept alive within various communities and cultural events. 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
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4512-625: 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 . Since the Middle Ages , the area was ruled by the Pomeranian dukes as part of the Duchy of Pomerania , at various times under Polish, Danish and Imperial suzerainty. Fore Pomerania was under Swedish rule after the Peace of Westphalia from 1648 until 1815 as Swedish Pomerania . Fore Pomerania became
4653-635: The Ostsiedlung process, starting in the 12th century. 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
4794-424: 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
4935-648: The Brussels Treaty was modified to include West Germany, and to form the Western European Union (WEU). West Germany was to be permitted to rearm, and have full sovereign control of its military; the WEU would, however, regulate the size of the armed forces permitted to each of its member states. Fears of a return to Nazism, however, soon receded, and as a consequence, these provisions of the WEU treaty have little effect today. Between 1949 and 1960,
5076-798: The European Economic Community . East Germany's economy, centrally planned in the Soviet style, grew increasingly stagnant; the East German secret police tightly controlled daily life, and the Berlin Wall (1961) ended the steady flow of refugees to the West . The country was reunited on 3 October 1990, following the decline and fall of the SED as the ruling party of East Germany and the Peaceful Revolution there. At
5217-590: 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 [ de ] , a virtually meaningless administrative decision under the centralised regime. Vorpommern , literally Fore-Pomerania,
5358-565: 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. 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
5499-972: 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
5640-552: The Greifswald Nuclear Power Plant in Lubmin near Greifswald . 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
5781-607: 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 largest publicly funded theatres in
Hagenow Land–Bad Oldesloe railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
5922-593: The Marshall Plan help from the Allies, the currency reform of June 1948 and helped by the fact that the Korean War (1950–53) led to a worldwide increased demand for goods, where the resulting shortage helped overcome lingering resistance to the purchase of German products. East Germany was at first occupied by and later (May 1955) allied with the Soviet Union . The Western Allies turned over increasing authority to West German officials and moved to establish
6063-547: The Nazi regime were banned, and a Provisional Civil Ensign was established as a temporary German flag. It remained the official flag of the country (necessary for reasons of international law ) until East Germany and West Germany (see below) were independently established in 1949. The United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union had agreed at Potsdam to a broad program of decentralization, treating Germany as
6204-519: The Nazi concentration camp system , where many times more had died from starvation, harsh conditions, murder, or being worked to death. Between 1944 and 1950, some 12 to 14 million German-speaking refugees and expellees arrived in Western and central Germany from the former eastern territories and other countries in Eastern Europe ; an estimated two million of them died on the way there. Some nine million Germans were prisoners of war . With
6345-924: The Oder-Neisse line , although the exact delimitation of the boundary was left to be resolved at an eventual Peace Conference. Under the wartime alliances of the United Kingdom with the Czechoslovak and Polish governments-in-exile, the British had agreed in July 1942 to support "the General Principle of the transfer to Germany of German minorities in Central and South Eastern Europe after the war in cases where this seems necessary and desirable". In 1944 roughly 12.4 million ethnic Germans were living in territory that became part of post-war Poland and Soviet Union. Approximately 6 million fled or were evacuated before
6486-472: The Potsdam Conference (17 July to 2 August 1945), after Germany's unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945, the Allies officially divided Germany into the four military occupation zones — France in the southwest, the United Kingdom in the northwest, the United States in the south, and the Soviet Union in the east, bounded on the east by the new Poland-Germany border on the Oder-Neisse line . At Potsdam , these four zones in total were denoted as 'Germany as
6627-417: The Potsdam Conference , with the U.S. operating under influence of the Morgenthau plan, the victorious Allies decided to abolish the German armed forces as well as all munitions factories and civilian industries that could support them. This included the destruction of all ship and aircraft manufacturing capability. Further, it was decided that civilian industries which might have a military potential, which in
6768-494: The Province of Mecklenburg and West Pomerania (zapadnoi Pomeranii) . 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
6909-446: The Red Army occupied the area. Of the remainder, around 2 million died during the war or in its aftermath (1.4 million as military casualties; 600,000 as civilian deaths), 3.6 million were expelled by the Poles, one million declared themselves to be Poles, and 300,000 remained in Poland as Germans. The Sudetenland territories, surrendered to Germany by the Munich Agreement , were returned to Czechoslovakia; these territories containing
7050-465: The Saar Protectorate , but did return to Germany in January 1957 (following a referendum), with economic reintegration with Germany occurring a few years later. In August 1954 the French parliament voted down the treaty that would have established the European Defense Community , a treaty they themselves had proposed. Germany was eventually allowed to rearm under the auspices of the Western European Union , and later NATO . The Soviet Union engaged in
7191-437: 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 . Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was re-established in 1990 following German reunification and became one of the new states of the Federal Republic of Germany. On
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#17328018014667332-400: 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 . Due to its lengthy name, the state
7473-424: The Vineta Festival on Usedom . 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,
7614-455: The World Beer Cup ). Besides, there are many smaller breweries and craft beer variations, such as the Mellenthin Castle Beer from Usedom Island. 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 . Following the Reformation , led in Germany by Martin Luther , as well as
7755-537: 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. Division of Germany The history of Germany from 1945 to 1990 comprises
7896-481: The Allied Control Council in Germany should in the first instance examine the problem with special regard to the question of the equitable distribution of these Germans among the several zones of occupation. They are accordingly instructing their respective representatives on the control council to report to their Governments as soon as possible the extent to which such persons have already entered Germany from Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, and to submit an estimate of
8037-440: The Allies at the Yalta Conference Germans were used as forced labor as part of the reparations to be extracted. German prisoners were for example forced to clear minefields in France and the Low Countries. By December 1945 it was estimated by French authorities that 2,000 German prisoners were being killed or injured each month in accidents. In Norway the last available casualty record, from 29 August 1945, shows that by that time
8178-499: The Allies to Poland at the Potsdam Conference and the German population was being forcibly expelled. The International Authority for the Ruhr (IAR) was created as part of the agreement negotiated at the London Six-Power conference in June 1948 to establish the Federal Republic of Germany . French support to internationalize the Ruhr through the IAR was abandoned in 1951 with the West German agreement to pool its coal and steel markets within European Coal and Steel Community . In
8319-421: The Cold War rhetoric and successful political machinations of Konrad Adenauer , this block eventually became substantially aligned with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany ; although in practice 'westward-looking' CDU policies favouring the Atlantic Alliance and the European Union worked against the possibility of achieving the objectives of the expellee population from the east through negotiation with
8460-463: The Federal Republic of Germany was established in Bonn, after Chancellor Konrad Adenauer intervened emphatically for Bonn (which was only fifteen kilometers away from his hometown). Most of the members of the German constitutional assembly (as well as the U.S. Supreme Command) had favored Frankfurt am Main where the Hessian administration had already started the construction of an assembly hall. The Parlamentarischer Rat (interim parliament) proposed
8601-413: The Federal Republic of Germany, was promulgated. Following elections in August, the first federal government was formed on 20 September 1949, by Konrad Adenauer ( CDU ). Adenauer's government was a coalition of the CDU, the CSU and the Free Democrats. The next day, the occupation statute came into force, granting powers of self-government with certain exceptions. In 1949 the new provisional capital of
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#17328018014668742-427: The German Wehrmacht; and the policy broke down completely in 1948 when the Russians blockaded West Berlin and the Cold War began. It was agreed at Potsdam that the leading members of the Nazi regime who had been captured should be put on trial accused of crimes against humanity, and this was one of the few points on which the four powers were able to agree. In order to secure the presence of the western allies in Berlin,
8883-407: The German rationing system (which stayed in place) had much lower supplies of food. The U.S. Army sent in large shipments of food to feed some 7.7 million prisoners of war—far more than they had expected —as well as the general population. For several years following the surrender, German nutritional levels were low. The Germans were not high on the priority list for international aid, which went to
9024-407: The German surrender and the division of Germany into occupation zones, the Zarrentin–Hollenbek section, which was cut by the border between the UK and Soviet zones, was closed and the line at the border was dismantled in 1952. In 1949 the status of the line was downgraded to a branch line. However, on the western side, the Hollenbek– Klein Zecher section was reactivated as early as 1950; apart from
9165-439: The Hamburg network. In particular, BUND and IG Eisenbahn Ratzeburg–Zarrentin have campaigned for the reopening of the line between Hagenow and Ratzeburg. A continuation to Bad Oldesloe is not proposed because this line has already been dismantled. The possible reopening is justified by the fact that part of the freight would be shifted from road to rail and that a fast rail link would exist between Scandinavia and Berlin after
9306-478: The Netherlands) would cooperate in the EDC while maintaining independent control of their own armed forces. Though the EDC treaty was signed (May 1952), it never entered into force. France's Gaullists rejected it on the grounds that it threatened national sovereignty, and when the French National Assembly refused to ratify it (August 1954), the treaty died. The French had killed their own proposal. Other means had to be found to allow West German rearmament. In response,
9447-442: The Sea . The German prefix "vor-" denotes a closer location; from the German point of view, this is the near part of Pomerania. 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
9588-401: The Soviet Union. But for Adenauer, fostering and encouraging unrealistic demands and uncompromising expectations amongst the expellees would serve his "Policy of Strength" by which West Germany contrived to inhibit consideration of unification or a final Peace Treaty until the West was strong enough to face the Soviets on equal terms. Consequently, the Federal Republic in the 1950s adopted much of
9729-460: The Soviet zone of occupation was marked by the crime of rape from the first days of occupation, through the founding of the GDR in the fall of 1949, until—one could argue—the present." Some of the victims had been raped as many as 60 to 70 times . According to German historian Miriam Gebhardt , as many as 190,000 women were raped by U.S. soldiers in Germany . On 17 December 1947, the Saar Protectorate had been established under French control, in
9870-447: The State Constitution states that the Landtag is the "site of political decision-making". The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Landtag is elected democratically by the citizens of the state and sits for a 5-year legislative period. The seat of the Landtag is located at Schwerin Palace in Schwerin . 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
10011-429: The Stuttgart speech, where he amongst other things repudiated the Morgenthau plan-influenced policies and gave the West Germans hope for the future. Reports such as The President's Economic Mission to Germany and Austria helped to show the U.S. public how bad the situation in Germany really was. The next improvement came in July 1947, when after lobbying by the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and Generals Clay and Marshall ,
10152-492: The TME ( Torsten Meincke Eisenbahn GmbH ), which also provides the staff for the signal boxes at Hagenow Stadt, Wittenburg and Zarrentin. In the autumn of 2009, the tracks were renewed on this section and the maximum line speed increased from 60 to 80 km/h. Meanwhile, there is some passenger or freight traffic on only two short sections. On the western section between Hollenbek and Ratzeburg, Erlebnisbahn Ratzeburg has operated
10293-720: 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
10434-547: The Truman administration decided that economic recovery in Europe could not go forward without the reconstruction of the German industrial base on which it had previously been dependent. In July 1947, President Harry S. Truman rescinded on "national security grounds" the punitive occupation directive JCS 1067 , which had directed the U.S. forces in Germany to "take no steps looking toward the economic rehabilitation of Germany." It
10575-566: The UK government privately acknowledged in a cabinet meeting that German civilian adult death rates had risen to 4 times the pre-war levels and death rates amongst the German children had risen by 10 times the pre-war levels. The German Red Cross was dissolved, and the International Red Cross and the few other allowed international relief agencies were kept from helping Germans through strict controls on supplies and on travel. The few agencies permitted to help Germans, such as
10716-581: The United States agreed to withdraw from Thuringia and Saxony in exchange for the division of Berlin into four sectors. Future President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower and the US War Department initially implemented a strict non-fraternization policy between the US troops and German citizens. The State Department and individual US congressmen pressured to have this policy lifted. In June 1945
10857-446: The West German economy grew at an unparalleled rate. Low rates of inflation, modest wage increases and a quickly rising export quota made it possible to restore the economy and brought a modest prosperity. According to the official statistics the German gross national product grew in average by about 7% annually between 1950 and 1960. The initial demand for housing, the growing demand for machine tools, chemicals, and automobiles and
10998-625: The West German population's support for reunification and the eventual return of the Government to Berlin. After the Petersberg agreement West Germany quickly progressed toward fuller sovereignty and association with its European neighbors and the Atlantic community. The London and Paris agreements of 1954 restored most of the state's sovereignty (with some exceptions) in May 1955 and opened
11139-670: The Western Allies eventually becoming concerned about the deteriorating economic situation in their " Trizone ", the American Marshall Plan of economic aid was extended to Western Germany in 1948 and a currency reform, which had been prohibited under the previous occupation directive JCS 1067, introduced the Deutsche Mark and halted rampant inflation. Though the Marshall Plan is regarded as playing
11280-469: The Western powers, the so-called Morgenthau Plan proposed by Henry Morgenthau Jr. , was one of "pastoralization". The Morgenthau Plan, though subsequently ostensibly shelved due to public opposition, influenced occupation policy; most notably through the U.S. punitive occupation directive JCS 1067 and the industrial plans for Germany . The "Level of Industry plans for Germany" were the plans to lower German industrial potential after World War II . At
11421-538: The area corresponding to the current German state of Saarland . It was not allowed to join its fellow German neighbors until a plebiscite in 1955 rejected the proposed autonomy. This paved the way for the accession of the Saarland to the Federal Republic of Germany as its 12th state, which went into effect on 1 January 1957. On 23 May 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, Bundesrepublik Deutschland )
11562-598: 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 . Along the coast, Vikings and Slavs established trade posts like Reric , Ralswiek and Menzlin . In
11703-566: The autumn of 2010, around 60 trains were loaded in Zarrentin with pipes for the North European Gas Pipeline , which had been brought from Wittenburg by truck. Cement for a large construction site on the A24 also came by train to Zarrentin in 2010. Even today, the line could be used as an alternative for traffic from Berlin to the ports of Schleswig-Holstein. In addition to being a shorter route, this would also provide relief for
11844-740: The beginning of the Cold War , the remaining territory of Germany was divided between the Western Bloc led by the United States, and the Eastern Bloc led by the USSR. Two separate German countries emerged: Under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer , West Germany built strong relationships with France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Israel. West Germany also joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and
11985-489: The beginning of the Cold War, the Western policies changed as it became evident that a return to operation of the West German industry was needed not only for the restoration of the whole European economy but also for the rearmament of West Germany as an ally against the Soviet Union. On 6 September 1946 United States Secretary of State , James F. Byrnes made the famous speech Restatement of Policy on Germany , also known as
12126-565: The commitment of Britain and the United States to support its incorporation into Russia); and was then annexed by the Soviet Union. The Free City of Danzig and the southern half of East Prussia were incorporated into and annexed by Poland; the Allies having assured the Polish government-in-exile of their support for this after the Tehran Conference in 1943. It was also agreed at Potsdam that Poland would receive all German lands East of
12267-514: The completion of a Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link . Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ( MV ; German: [ˌmeːklənbʊʁkˈfoːɐ̯pɔmɐn] or [ˌmɛk-] ; Low German : Mäkelborg-Vörpommern ), 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 23,300 km (9,000 sq mi), making it
12408-603: The construction of the line there were already two rail connections between Berlin and Kiel: the southern route ran via Büchen and Hamburg on the Berlin–Hamburg Railway and the northern route ran via Schwerin–Bad Kleinen and the Lübeck–Bad Kleinen lines. However, both lines diverged greatly from a straight line. At the request of the Emperor, a new route was designed, to run in the area "in between" and bypass
12549-741: The control council. Many of the ethnic Germans, who were primarily women and children, and especially those under the control of Polish and Czechoslovakian authorities, were severely mistreated before they were ultimately deported to Germany. Thousands died in forced labor camps such as Lambinowice , Zgoda labour camp , Central Labour Camp Potulice , Central Labour Camp Jaworzno , Glaz, Milecin, Gronowo, and Sikawa. Others starved, died of disease, or froze to death while being expelled in slow and ill-equipped trains; or in transit camps. Altogether, around 8 million ethnic German refugees and expellees from across Europe eventually settled in West Germany, with
12690-567: The difference with the other two routes is about 55 kilometres in each case. Today, only the short section between the stations of Hagenow Land and Hagenow Stadt (called just Hagenow until 2010) is regularly served by passenger services, although the Hollenbek –Ratzeburg section is used for draisine rides. The Hagenow– Zarrentin section is served occasionally. The other sections are closed and dismantled. Its alternative name Kaiserbahn refers to Emperor Wilhelm II , who often used it. Before
12831-506: The early 12th century, Hither Pomerania passed under Polish suzerainty under Bolesław III Wrymouth , who initiated Christianization , entrusting this task to Otto of Bamberg . In the late 12th century, Mecklenburg and Hither Pomerania were conquered by Henry the Lion and briefly incorporated into the Duchy of Saxony , joining the Holy Roman Empire in the 1180s. Parts of Mecklenburg and Pomerania were settled with Germans in
12972-466: The eastern part lay in Mecklenburg , which was then independent: The operation of through traffic over the whole line began with the opening of the last section. The Emperor participated personally and used the line from the first day as it was 25 km shorter than the two alternative routes. Nevertheless, the Emperor sometimes preferred to use the northern route via Lübeck; the risk of attack on
13113-455: 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
13254-405: The formal occupation of the western allies until 1990, although most day-to-day administration was conducted by an elected West Berlin government. West Germany was allied with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. A western democratic country with a " social market economy ", the country would from the 1950s onwards come to enjoy prolonged economic growth ( Wirtschaftswunder ) following
13395-408: The former occupying troops remained permanently stationed there. The former German capital, Berlin, was a special case, being divided into East Berlin and West Berlin , with West Berlin completely surrounded by East German territory. Though the German inhabitants of West Berlin were citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany, West Berlin was not legally incorporated into West Germany; it remained under
13536-484: 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. 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
13677-444: The hundreds of thousands, quite possibly as high as the 2,000,000 victims estimate made by Barbara Johr, in "Befreier und Befreite". Many of these victims were raped repeatedly. Naimark states that not only had each victim to carry the trauma with her for the rest of her days, it inflicted a massive collective trauma on the East German nation (the German Democratic Republic ). Naimark concludes "The social psychology of women and men in
13818-483: The indigenous Caritasverband, were not allowed to use imported supplies. When the Vatican attempted to transmit food supplies from Chile to German infants, the U.S. State Department forbade it. The German food situation became worse during the very cold winter of 1946–1947 when German calorie intake ranged from 1,000–1,500 kilocalories per day, a situation made worse by severe lack of fuel for heating. As agreed by
13959-490: The issue of reparations dealt an early blow to the prospect of a united Germany in 1945. The figure of $ 20 Billion had been floated by Stalin as an adequate recompense but as the United States refused to consider this a basis for negotiation The Soviet Union was left only with the opportunity of extracting its own reparations, at a heavy cost to the East Germans. This was the beginning of the formal split of Germany. With
14100-472: The latter, many bridges were built over the line for tracks that did not connect to other tracks and were used exclusively for agricultural purposes. Some of these bridges still exist today. Crossing and passing tracks were located in the stations. Most underpasses were built to enable the later installation of a second track. The railway was opened in three sections by the Prussian state railways , although
14241-530: The line of the private Lübeck-Büchen Railway Company . The line was mainly important for local passenger services and freight traffic. In 1945, up to 60 trains a day ran on the section between Hollenbek and Schmilau. The decline of the railway began with the end of the Second World War. In 1945, a munitions train in Hollenbek station was hit by U.S. bombers. The exploding ammunition tore a hole that
14382-506: The memory of German aggression led other European states to seek tight control over the West German military. Germany's partners in the Coal and Steel Community decided to establish a European Defence Community (EDC), with an integrated army, navy and air force, composed of the armed forces of its member states. The West German military would be subject to complete EDC control, but the other EDC member states (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and
14523-468: The modern era of "total war" included virtually all, were to be severely restricted. The restriction of the latter was set to Germany's "approved peacetime needs", which were defined to be set on the average European standard. In order to achieve this, each type of industry was subsequently reviewed to see how many factories Germany required under these minimum level of industry requirements. The first plan, from 29 March 1946, stated that German heavy industry
14664-496: The new route was higher because of the bridge over the Elbe–Lübeck Canal . The branch line from Hollenbek to Mölln was opened on 1 April 1899. At the beginning of the 20th century it was served by an express train and in the 1930s two express trains ran between Berlin and Kiel and back across the southeastern part of the line between Hagenow and Ratzeburg. These trains ran between Ratzeburg and Kiel via Lübeck and thus over
14805-472: The new terminus, the stations of Hakendorf, Sterley and Alt Horst were re-opened. It was operated with railbuses . The section between Hollenbek and Mölln was closed on 3 September 1959, finally ending passenger services on the entire West German section between Klein Zecher and Bad Oldesloe. On 1 September 1971, the transport of freight between Hollenbek and Klein Zecher and between Ratzeburg and Bad Oldesloe
14946-411: The occupation authorities to access all records and facilities. Meanwhile, thousands of the best German scientists were being put to work in the U.S. (see also Operation Paperclip ) During the war, Germans seized food supplies from occupied countries and forced millions of foreigners to work on German farms and factories, in addition to food shipped from farms in eastern Germany. When this ended in 1945,
15087-705: The period following World War II . The period began with the Berlin Declaration , marking the abolition of the German Reich and Allied-occupied period in Germany on 5 June 1945, and ended with the German reunification on 3 October 1990. Following the collapse of the Third Reich in 1945 and its defeat in World War II , Germany was stripped of its territorial gains. Beyond that, more than
15228-711: 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. Western Pomerania
15369-538: 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. 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
15510-405: The prohibition against speaking with German children was loosened. In July troops were permitted to speak to German adults in certain circumstances. In September 1945 the entire policy was dropped. Only the ban on marriage between Americans and German or Austrian civilians remained in place until 11 December 1946 and 2 January 1946 respectively. The initial proposal for the post-surrender policy of
15651-475: The railway hubs of Hamburg and Lübeck . Wilhelm II used the approach that had already been used by Tsar Nicholas I for the Moscow – Saint Petersburg Railway , with a ruler giving the approximate course. The treaty authorising the construction of the railway was finally signed on 5 December 1889. The desired course of the single-track line runs through many cuttings and an average number of fields. To compensate
15792-468: 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 Fore Pomerania . The state was established in 1945 after World War II through the merger of the historic regions of Mecklenburg and Prussian Western Pomerania by
15933-594: The speech Restatement of Policy on Germany , held in Stuttgart on 6 September 1946, the United States Secretary of State James F. Byrnes stated the U.S. motive in detaching the Saar from Germany as "The United States does not feel that it can deny to France, which has been invaded three times by Germany in 70 years, its claim to the Saar territory". The Saar came under French administration in 1946 as
16074-885: 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 ,
16215-573: 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 . Largest groups of foreign residents by 31 December 2023 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has
16356-533: 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. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the least densely populated and least industrial German state , being the sixth largest in area, but only
16497-508: 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
16638-499: The state. 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
16779-521: The steel production was located, had argued for a more limited capacity reduction by placing the production ceiling at 12 million tons of steel per year, but had to submit to the will of the U.S., France and the Soviet Union (which had argued for a 3 million ton limit). Germany was to be reduced to the standard of life it had known at the height of the Great Depression (1932). Car production was set to 10% of pre-war levels, etc. By 1950, after
16920-796: The symbolism of expellee groups; especially in appropriating and subverting the terminology and imagery of the Holocaust ; applying this to post-war German experience instead. Eventually in 1990, following the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany , the unified Germany indeed confirmed in treaties with Poland and the Soviet Union that the transfer of sovereignty over the former German eastern territories in 1945 had been permanent and irreversible; Germany now undertaking never again to make territorial claims in respect of these lands. The intended governing body of Germany
17061-624: The time and rate at which further transfers could be carried out, having regard to the present situation in Germany. The Czechoslovak Government, the Polish Provisional Government and the control council in Hungary are at the same time being informed of the above and are being requested meanwhile to suspend further expulsions pending the examination by the Governments concerned of the report from their representatives on
17202-580: 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: 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. Article 20 of
17343-664: The unpopularity of the policy. Support for dismantling was by this time coming predominantly from the French, and the Petersberg Agreement of November 1949 reduced the levels vastly, though dismantling of minor factories continued until 1951. The final limitations on German industrial levels were lifted after the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, though arms manufacture remained prohibited. Germany's second largest center of mining and industry, Upper Silesia , had been handed over by
17484-507: The use of the Reichstag building by flying very noisy supersonic jets near the building. A number of cities were proposed to host the federal government, and Kassel (among others) was eliminated in the first round. Other politicians opposed the choice of Frankfurt out of concern that, as one of the largest German cities and a former centre of the Holy Roman Empire , it would be accepted as a "permanent" capital of Germany, thereby weakening
17625-475: The victims of the Nazis. It was directed that all relief went to non-German displaced persons , liberated Allied POWs , and concentration camp inmates. During 1945 it was estimated that the average German civilian in the U.S. and UK occupation zones received 1200 kilocalories a day in official rations, not counting food they grew themselves or purchased on the large-scale black market . In early October 1945
17766-401: The virtual completion of the by then much watered-down plans, equipment had been removed from 706 factories in the west and steel production capacity had been reduced by 6,700,000 tons. Timber exports from the U.S. occupation zone were particularly heavy. Sources in the U.S. government stated that the purpose of this was the "ultimate destruction of the war potential of German forests". With
17907-588: The way for German membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In April 1951, West Germany joined with France, Italy and the Benelux countries in the European Coal and Steel Community (forerunner of the European Union). The outbreak of the Korean War (June 1950) led to Washington calling for the rearmament of West Germany in order to defend western Europe from the Soviet threat. But
18048-400: The western half of the city. The Soviets ended the blockade after 11 months. The Allies confiscated intellectual property of great value, all German patents, both in Germany and abroad, and used them to strengthen their own industrial competitiveness by licensing them to Allied companies. Beginning immediately after the German surrender and continuing for the next two years, the U.S. pursued
18189-402: Was a growing demand for labor in many industries as the workforce grew by 3% per annum, the reserves of labor were virtually used up. The millions of displaced persons and the refugees from the eastern provinces had all been integrated into the workforce. At the end of the decade, thousands of younger East Germans were packing their bags and migrating westwards, posing an ever-growing problem for
18330-603: Was abandoned; a year later was the track was dismantled on these sections. On the remaining 13 km to Ratzeburg, however, a little freight traffic remained, mainly consisting of the transport of sugar beet to Uelzen in Lower Saxony . This section continued to be operated until 14 December 1994, but it was then also closed due to its unprofitability. Passenger and freight services on the Hagenow Land–Zarrentin section were maintained until 30 April 1969. The line
18471-467: 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. 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,
18612-547: Was called the Allied Control Council , consisting of the commanders-in-chief in Germany of the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union; who exercised supreme authority in their respective zones, while supposedly acting in concert on questions affecting the whole country. In actuality however, the French consistently blocked any progress towards re-establishing all-German governing institutions; substantially in pursuit of French aspirations for
18753-409: Was closed until 27 September 1975 for the rehabilitation of the track. Passenger traffic was sparse, but it was maintained until the turn of the millennium, while the carriage of freight between Zarrentin and Wittenburg was discontinued on 31 December 1994. On 28 May 2000, passenger traffic was abandoned on the section between Hagenow Land and Zarrentin. However, freight traffic remained. As a result of
18894-518: 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
19035-641: Was done sometimes in English with words such as "doubt"). 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. 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
19176-446: Was established in the Soviet Zone. The 1952 Stalin Note proposed German reunification and superpower disengagement from Central Europe but Britain, France, and the United States rejected the offer as insincere. Also, West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer preferred "Westintegration", rejecting "experiments". In English, the two larger states were known informally as "West Germany" and "East Germany" respectively. In both cases,
19317-496: Was established on the territory of the Western occupied zones, with Bonn as its "provisional" capital. It comprised the area of 11 newly formed states (replacing the pre-war states), with present-day Baden-Württemberg being split into three states until 1952). The Federal Republic was declared to have "the full authority of a sovereign state" on 5 May 1955. On 7 October 1949 the German Democratic Republic (GDR, Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) ), with East Berlin as its capital,
19458-409: Was hence treated as automatically invalid, including Eupen-Malmedy , Alsace-Lorraine , Austria , Lower Styria , Upper Carniola , Southern Carinthia , Bohemia , Moravia , Czech Silesia , Danzig , Poland , and Memel . The northern half of East Prussia in the region of Königsberg was administratively assigned by the Potsdam Agreement to the Soviet Union, pending a final Peace Conference (with
19599-401: Was replaced by JCS 1779, which instead stressed that "[a]n orderly, prosperous Europe requires the economic contributions of a stable and productive Germany." The dismantling did however continue, and in 1949 West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer wrote to the Allies requesting that it end, citing the inherent contradiction between encouraging industrial growth and removing factories and also
19740-400: Was to be lowered to 50% of its 1938 levels by the destruction of 1,500 listed manufacturing plants . In January 1946 the Allied Control Council set the foundation of the future German economy by putting a cap on German steel production—the maximum allowed was set at about 5,800,000 tons of steel a year, equivalent to 25% of the pre-war production level. The UK, in whose occupation zone most of
19881-439: Was up to 12 metres deep over a 150 m by 25 m area. Rail fragments and the boiler of the locomotive were thrown up to 1 km away and as far as the centre of the village. Nevertheless, the line was reopened for rail transport after a few weeks. A wagon was left in a tree at Hollenbek station. Erlebnisbahn Ratzeburg (a leisure company in Ratzeburg) recreated this for its Baumwaggonhotel ("Tree wagon Hotel"). Immediately after
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