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71-734: The Schaale is a river of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Germany . It is the southern outflow of the Schaalsee . It flows into the Sude near Teldau . This article related to a river in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ( MV ; German: [ˌmeːklənbʊʁkˈfoːɐ̯pɔmɐn] or [ˌmɛk-] ; Low German : Mäkelborg-Vörpommern ), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania ,

142-840: 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

213-561: 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

284-591: 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 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

355-471: A castle named Mikilenburg ( Old Saxon for "big castle", hence its translation into Neo-Latin and Greek as Megalopolis ), located between the cities of Schwerin and Wismar . In Slavic languages it was known as Veligrad , which also means "big castle". It was the ancestral seat of the House of Mecklenburg ; for a time the area was divided into Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz among

426-576: 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

497-555: 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

568-444: A crown above, may have originated from this period. It represents what early peoples would have worn, i.e. a steers's head as a helmet , with the hide hanging down the back to protect the neck from the sun, and overall as a way to instill fear in the enemy. From the 7th through the 12th centuries, Mecklenburg was inhabited by Western Slavs who migrated there from what is now eastern Poland and north-western Ukraine . Among them were

639-473: A flag of 3.75 to 5.625 M with the middle arms on a white quadrant (1.75 M) in the middle. The middle arms show the shield of Mecklenburg as arranged in the 17th century. The county of Schwerin in the middle and in the quartering Mecklenburg (bull's head with hide), Rostock ( griffin ), principality of Schwerin (griffin surmounting green rectangle), Ratzeburg (cross surmounted by crown), Stargard (arm with hand holding ring) and Wenden (bull's head). The shield

710-588: 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

781-648: 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

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852-459: 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

923-448: 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 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

994-635: 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

1065-509: 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

1136-617: 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

1207-477: 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

1278-497: 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

1349-570: 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

1420-416: Is supported by a bull and a griffin and surmounted by a royal crown. The dukes of Strelitz used according to Siebmachers the blue-yellow-red flag with just the (oval) shield of Mecklenburg in the yellow band. Ströhl in 1897 and Bulgaria show another arrangement: The grand-duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin flows a flag (4:5) with the arms of the figures from the shield of arms. The former Schwerin standard with

1491-484: Is the site of many prehistoric dolmen tombs. Its earliest organised inhabitants may have had Celtic origins. By no later than 100 BC the area had been populated by pre-Christian Germanic peoples . The traditional symbol of Mecklenburg, the grinning steer 's head ( Low German : Ossenkopp , lit.: 'oxen's head', with osse being a synonym for steer and bull in Middle Low German ), with an attached hide, and

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1562-432: The Baltic Sea . Under the peat of Mecklenburg are sometimes found deposits of ancient lava flows. Traditionally, at least in the countryside, the stone from these flows is cut and used in the construction of homes, often in joint use with cement, brick and wood, forming a unique look to the exterior of country houses. Mecklenburg has productive farming, but the land is most suitable for grazing for livestock. Mecklenburg

1633-524: The East German government ended the independent existence of Mecklenburg, creating three districts ("Bezirke") out of its territory: Rostock, Schwerin and Neubrandenburg. During German reunification in 1990, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was revived, and is now one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany . The House of Mecklenburg was founded by Niklot , prince of

1704-565: 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

1775-972: 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

1846-552: 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

1917-607: 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

1988-469: The Northern Crusades . From the 12th to 14th centuries, large numbers of Germans and Flemings settled the area ( Ostsiedlung ), importing German law and improved agricultural techniques. The Wends who survived all warfare and devastation of the centuries before, including invasions of and expeditions into Saxony , Denmark and Liutizic areas as well as internal conflicts, were assimilated in

2059-681: The Obotrites and other tribes that Frankish sources referred to as " Wends ". The 11th-century founder of the Mecklenburger dynasty of Dukes and later Grand Dukes , which lasted until 1918, was Nyklot of the Obotrites. In the late 12th century, Henry the Lion , Duke of the Saxons , reconquered the region, took oaths from its local lords, and Christianized its people, in a precursor to

2130-581: The Obotrites , Chizzini and Circipani on the Baltic Sea, who died in 1160. His Christian progeny was recognized as prince of the Holy Roman Empire 1170 and Duke of Mecklenburg 8 July 1348. On 27 February 1658 the ducal house divided in two branches: Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz . The flag of both Mecklenburg duchies is traditionally made of the colours blue, yellow and red. The sequence however changed more than once in

2201-816: 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) . During the war, the make-up of Mecklenburg and Vorpommern's population changed, due to wartime losses and

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2272-818: 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,

2343-834: 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

2414-489: The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern . Mecklenburg contributed about two-thirds of the geographical size of the new state and the majority of its population. Also, the new state became temporary or permanent home for many refugees expelled from former German territories seized by the Soviet Union and Poland after the war. The Soviets changed the name from "Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania" to "Mecklenburg" in 1947. In 1952,

2485-555: 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. Mecklenburg The name Mecklenburg derives from

2556-695: The Grand Duke personally owned half of the countryside. The last Duke abdicated in 1918, as monarchies fell throughout Europe. The Duke's ruling house reigned in Mecklenburg uninterrupted (except for two years) from its incorporation into the Holy Roman Empire until 1918. From 1918 to 1933, the duchies were free states in the Weimar Republic . Traditionally Mecklenburg has always been one of the poorer German regions. The reasons for this may be varied, but one factor stands out: agriculturally

2627-600: 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 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 ;

2698-453: 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, 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 ,

2769-692: 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

2840-649: 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

2911-607: 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 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

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2982-668: 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 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

3053-579: The centuries thereafter. However, elements of certain names and words used in Mecklenburg speak to the lingering Slavic influence. An example would be the city of Schwerin , which was originally called Zuarin in Slavic . Another example is the town of Bresegard , the 'gard' portion of the town name deriving from the Slavic word 'grad', meaning city or town. Since the 12th century, the territory remained stable and relatively independent of its neighbours; one of

3124-557: 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 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

3195-489: The command of General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz , with the headquarters at Stettin . Mecklenburg was assigned to an Area headquartered at Schwerin , which was responsible for military units in Schwerin , Rostock , Parchim , and Neustrelitz . After World War II , the Soviet government occupying eastern Germany merged Mecklenburg with the smaller neighbouring region of Western Pomerania (German Vorpommern ) to form

3266-412: 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

3337-566: 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 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

3408-411: The eve of World War I ) until the revolution of 1918 . Life in Mecklenburg could be quite harsh. Practices such as having to ask for permission from the Grand Duke to get married, or having to apply for permission to emigrate, would linger late into the history of Mecklenburg (i.e. 1918), long after such practices had been abandoned in other German areas. Even as late as the later half of the 19th century

3479-634: The extinction of the Güstrow line in 1701, the Güstrow lands were redivided, part going to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and part going to the new line of Mecklenburg-Strelitz . In 1815, the two Mecklenburgian duchies were raised to Grand Duchies , the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , and subsequently existed separately as such in Germany under enlightened but absolute rule (constitutions being granted on

3550-532: The few German territories for which this is true. During the Reformation , the Duke in Schwerin would convert to Protestantism and so would follow the Duchy of Mecklenburg in 1549 . Like many German territories, Mecklenburg was sometimes partitioned and re-partitioned among different members of the ruling dynasty. In 1621 it was divided into the two duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Güstrow . With

3621-415: 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

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3692-404: 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 the area. Most of them left during the Migration Period , heading towards Spain, Italy, and France, leaving

3763-451: 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

3834-449: The land is poor and can not produce at the same level as other parts of Germany. The two Mecklenburgs made attempts at being independent states after 1918, but eventually failed as their dependence on the rest of the German lands became apparent. After three centuries of partition, Mecklenburg was united on 1 January 1934 by the German government. During World War II the Wehrmacht assigned Mecklenburg and Pomerania to Wehrkreis II under

3905-477: 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 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

3976-435: The order of the Wendic Crown in a white oval. On sea the yellow band in her flag was of course white. The princes (dukes) of Mecklenburg-Schwerin had according to this source their own standard, showing the griffin of Rostock. A flat landscape, Mecklenburg is known for its farmlands—which produces quinoa, wheat, barley and maize—and its animal husbandry, notably its cattle and the Mecklenburger breed of horse. Recently, given

4047-427: The past 300 years. In 1813 the duchies used yellow-red-blue. 23 December 1863 for Schwerin and 4 January 1864 for Strelitz blue-yellow-red was ordered. Mecklenburg-Schwerin however used white instead of yellow for flags on sea by law of 24 March 1855. Siebmachers Wappenbuch gives therefore (?) blue-white-red for Schwerin and blue-yellow-red for Strelitz. According to this source, the grand ducal house of Schwerin used

4118-526: The same dynasty. Linguistically Mecklenburgers retain and use many features of Low German vocabulary or phonology. The adjective for the region is Mecklenburgian or Mecklenburgish (German: mecklenburgisch ); inhabitants are called Mecklenburgians or Mecklenburgers (German: Mecklenburger ). Mecklenburg is known for its mostly flat countryside. Much of the terrain is boggy, with ponds, marshes and fields as common features, with small forests interspersed. The terrain changes as one moves north towards

4189-419: 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 ,

4260-509: 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

4331-408: 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

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4402-434: 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

4473-428: 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

4544-521: 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

4615-452: The upheavals and environmental disruptions created by globalisation, German farmers have become concerned about potentially invasive species such as the Greater rhea and the Asian hornet . Mecklenburg has seen a huge increase in tourism since German reunification in 1990, particularly with its beaches and seaside resorts at the Baltic Sea ("German Riviera", Warnemünde , Boltenhagen , Heiligendamm , Kühlungsborn , Rerik and others),

4686-411: 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

4757-448: The white quadrant is now ascribed to the grand dukes of Strelitz. Ströhl mentions a flag for the grand ducal house by law of 23 December 1863 with the middle arms in the yellow band. And he mentions a special sea flag, the same but with a white middle band. 'Berühmte Fahnen' shows furthermore a standard for grand duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, princess of Hannover (1882–1963), showing her shield and that of Mecklenburg joined by

4828-432: 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

4899-408: 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,

4970-405: 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

5041-437: 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 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

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