Schwerin is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Schwerin (Schweriner See), the second-largest lake of the Mecklenburg Lake Plateau after the Müritz, and there are eleven other lakes within Schwerin's city limits. The city is surrounded by the district of Northwestern Mecklenburg to the north, and the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim to the south. Schwerin and the two surrounding districts form the eastern outskirts of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The name of the city is of Slavic origin, deriving from the root "zvěŕ" (wild animal) or "zvěŕin" (game reserve, animal garden, stud farm).
The romanticSchwerin Palace, situated on Castle Island between Lake Schwerin and Castle Lake, known for its golden dome, the Castle Church, the throne room, and the Niklot statue, used to be the seat of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and since 1990, it is the seat of the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Schwerin's silhouette is completed by the towers of Schwerin Cathedral, St Paul's Church and St Nicholas' Church. Because of only minor damage in World War II, the city has a largely intact building structure, both in the Altstadt (Old Town) and Schelfstadt (Reed City) quarters.
Major industries and employers include high technology, machine building, healthcare, government agencies, railway supply, consumer goods and tourism.There is a regional airport in Parchim, southeast of the city, while Hamburg Airport serves as the city's main airport.
History
Early years
Schwerin is enclosed by lakes. The largest of these lakes, the Schweriner See, has an area of 60 km2. In the middle part of these lakes there was a settlement of the Slavic Obotrite (dated back to the 11th century). The area was called Zuarin (PolabianZwierzyn), and the name Schwerin is derived from that designation. In 1160, Henry the Lion defeated the Obotrites and captured Schwerin. The town was later expanded into a powerful regional centre. A castle was built on this site, and expanded to become a ducal palace. It is supposedly haunted by the small, impious ghost, called Petermännchen ("Peterman").
In 1358, Schwerin became a part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, making it the seat of the duchy from then on. About 1500, the construction of the Schwerin Palace began, as a residence for the dukes. After the division of Mecklenburg (1621), Schwerin became the capital of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Between 1765 and 1837, the town of Ludwigslust served as the capital, until Schwerin was reinstated.
Recent times
In the mid-1800s, many residents from Schwerin moved to the United States, many to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Today Milwaukee and Schwerin are sister cities. After 1918, and during the German Revolution, resulting in the fall of all the German monarchies, the Grand Duke abdicated. Schwerin became capital of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin thereafter.
During World War II, Schwerin was hit by bombs in July 1940, on 7 April 1945 and 19 April 1945.[3] At the end of World War II, on 2 May 1945, Schwerin was taken by United States troops. It was turned over to the British on 1 June 1945, and one month later, on 1 July 1945,[4] it was handed over to the Soviet forces, as the British and American forces pulled back from the line of contact to the predesignated occupation zones.
Schwerin was then in the Soviet Occupation Zone which was to become the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Initially, it was the capital of the State of Mecklenburg which at that time included the western part of Pomerania (Vorpommern). After the states were dissolved in the GDR, in 1952, Schwerin served as the capital of the Schwerin district (Bezirk Schwerin).
After reunification in 1990, the former state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was recreated as one of the Bundesländer. Rostock was a serious contender for state capital but the decision went in favour of Schwerin.
Population
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1500
2,500
—
1790
3,512
+40.5%
1819
5,854
+66.7%
1840
16,648
+184.4%
1860
23,517
+41.3%
1880
30,146
+28.2%
1900
38,667
+28.3%
1910
42,519
+10.0%
1925
48,157
+13.3%
1933
53,621
+11.3%
1940
67,200
+25.3%
1950
93,576
+39.3%
1961
92,902
−0.7%
1966
92,356
−0.6%
1971
100,888
+9.2%
1976
110,051
+9.1%
1981
122,264
+11.1%
1986
128,328
+5.0%
1991
125,959
−1.8%
1996
111,029
−11.9%
2001
99,978
−10.0%
2006
96,280
−3.7%
2011
95,300
−1.0%
2016
96,558
+1.3%
2021
95,740
−0.8%
Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.
Schwerin has a population of about 95,000 and is the smallest state capital of Germany. In East Germany era, Schwerin was a industry city known for its leather productions. In 1991, when Schwerin became the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state, it had a population of 126,000. After the German Reunification, Schwerin's population started to decline and fell below 100,000 in 2000, so that it lost its official status as a major city. Schwerin is also the only state capital that has no universities.
Geography
Schwerin on Lake Schwerin (Schweriner See), subdivided into Outer Lake (Außensee) and Inner Lake (Innensee) by Paul's Dam (Paulsdamm)The 26 boroughs of Schwerin
Lakes
The 12 lakes within Schwerin's city limits and their size in km2:
Castle Island (Schlossinsel) between Lake Schwerin and Castle Lake
Big Murrkiten Island (Große Murrkiteninsel) in the Brick Lake
Small Murrkiten Island (Kleine Murrkiteninsel) in the Brick Lake
Big Stone (Großer Stein) in Lake Schwerin
Boroughs
The urban area of Schwerin is subdivided into 17 local districts,[5] each with a local council. The districts consist of one or more boroughs. The local councilors have between 5 and 15 members depending on the number of inhabitants. They are determined by the city council for the duration of the election period of the city council after each municipal election. The local councilors are to hear important matters concerning the district and have a right of initiative. However, the final decisions are made by the city council of the city as a whole.
Schwerin has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb; Trewartha: Dobk). Schwerin is located not far from the Baltic Sea coast. Its climate is moderated by the ocean, with warm winters and cool summers throughout the year, with an average temperature ranging from 1 °C (34 °F) in winter to 18 °C (64 °F) in summer.
The Schwerin weather station has recorded the following extreme values:[6]
Its highest temperature was 38.4 °C (101.1 °F) on 20 July 2022.
Its lowest temperature was −27.0 °C (−16.6 °F) on 5 February 1912.
Its greatest annual precipitation was 850.1 mm (33.47 in) in 2002.
Its least annual precipitation was 396.1 mm (15.59 in) in 1892.
The longest annual sunshine was 2,040.8 hours in 1959.
The shortest annual sunshine was 1,339.7 hours in 1926.
Climate data for Schwerin (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present)
Schwerin has two academic colleges, the Schwerin campus of the "Fachhochschule des Mittelstands" (University of Applied Sciences of the Mittelstand), and the Schwerin campus of the "Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit" (University of the Federal Employment Agency).
Transport
City buses and trams are run by NVS (Nahverkehr Schwerin).[8]
The landmark of the city is the Schwerin Palace, located on an island in the lake of the same name (Schweriner See). It was, for centuries, the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg and today is the seat of the Landtag (state parliament).
The Alter Garten (Old Garden) square, surrounded by buildings such as the 18th-century Altes Palais (Old Palace), the neoclassicalStaatliches Museum Schwerin (State Art Museum, built in 1877–1882), and the Staatstheater (City Theater, erected in 1886).
The city hall (18th century).
Schelfkirche (Saint Nicolai Church), originally built 1238, but rebuilt in 1713 after destruction by a storm.
The Staatliches Museum Schwerin-Kunstsammlungen (State Art Museum) houses a remarkable collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings and German art from medieval and renaissance masters up to the present day. There are also a collection of Greek vases, the notable collection of Paintings of Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a collection of sculptures of Houdon, German 18th-century court paintings, and works by such modern artists as Max Liebermann, Franz Stuck, Marcel Duchamp etc. The Graphic cabinet houses rich collections of Dutch and German drawings and prints (Jan van Goyen, Dürer, Cranach, Rembrandt, Merian) and a notable collection of coloured graphics from the time of the GDR.
The State Museum of Technology (Technische Museum), housed in the former Marstall (Royal Stables). In 2012 the Technische Museum moved to the city of Wismar located 40 km north of Schwerin.
Crime rate
According to the official 2007 Crime Report for Germany, Schwerin was the only German city with a crime rate over 17,000 total offenses committed per 100,000 inhabitants;[9] thus being 1st in the list of Germany's most dangerous cities. The larger cities, such as Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, or Bremen, all have crime rates ranging from 14,000 to 16,000 total offenses committed per 100,000 people. However, Schwerin is the only city where riding a bus (or tram) without a ticket and social security fraud is counted towards the crime rate, significantly boosting the numbers.[10]
Governance
The current mayor of Schwerin is Rico Badenschier (SPD) since 2016. The most recent mayoral election was held on 4 June 2023, with a runoff held on 18 June, and the results were as follows:
^Some evidence[citation needed] calls into doubt the date on which the British withdrew to the predesignated occupation zone. Local residents claim that the British forces did not relinquish control of Schwerin until later in the year, probably November, following a brief artillery exchange across lake Schwerin between the British and the Soviets. Allegedly there were no deaths.
^"Stadtteile". www.schwerin.de (in German). Retrieved 2017-07-26.
^ ab"Monatsauswertung". sklima.de (in German). SKlima. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
1 until 1648.2 until 1701.3 from 1648.4 until 1731.5 until 1705.6 until 1596.7 from 1708.8 until 1773.9 until 1640.10 until 1695.11 from 1701.12 until 1734.
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