Originally there was a fortress built at the place where Parchim lies now; it was first mentioned in 1170. Around 1200, merchants settled at the Elde passage near the fortress. Already in 1225/26 written documents mentioned a town by the name of Parchim. From the year 1249 on, a new town developed which merged with the old town Parchim in 1282. A few years before, in 1278, the Marienkirche had been inaugurated. From 1289 on, the Georgenkirche was erected as a Gothic brick building. Parchim developed into a significant trading town while the fortress fell to ruin. Around 1370 cloth makers dominated the town with ten municipal guilds altogether.
After the end of the 16th century the town began to face economic decline. With the onset of industrialisation, however, Parchim regained significance. From 1850 on, it belonged to the most important industrial sites of Mecklenburg, only second to Rostock. Numerous factories were built, the town was connected to the railway system and the Elde was made navigable. Among the newly established companies was the well-known Mecklenburg publishing company Hinstorff, which began operating in 1831.
Between 1850 and 1910 the population of Parchim doubled to over 12,000. Therefore the town grew beyond the medieval city walls in the second half of the 19th century. Parchim is the administrative centre of the district of the same name.
Stadtinformation
Blutstraße 5
19370 Parchim
phone: 03871-71550
fax: 03871-71555
e-mail: stadtinformation@parchim.de
Internet: www.parchim.de