Schwerin's municipal area was populated in the early Middle Ages by the Slavic Obotrites. On the present day castle island, they erected a fortress, which was first mentioned under the name of "Zuarin" in 1018. In 1160 the Guelphic Duke Henry the Lion subjugated the Obotrites and began the systematic development of Schwerin. For this reason he is regarded as the founder of the town.
In 1167 the bishop's seat was moved from Burg Mecklenburg to Schwerin. In the period that followed, Schwerin developed into the ecclesiastical centre of the region. The construction of a Romanesque cathedral had already begun in 1175. Between 1270 and 1416 the construction of the presently apparent Gothic cathedral was carried out. The almost 120-metre-high steeple that towers over the centre of Schwerin is a neo-Gothic extension added on between 1889 and 1892.
The Mecklenburg Duke Albrecht II acquired Schwerin in 1358 and made it his residence town. Until 1918 Schwerin remained the seat of the Mecklenburg Dukes with the exception of two interruptions (1628-1631 and 1756-1837). Schwerin owes its most famous object of interest - the Schwerin Castle - to them. Picturesquely lying on an island in Schwerin Lake, the Castle was erected on the walls of the former fortress in the 16th century. Its present day appearance has been significantly determined by the reconstruction conducted by the architects Georg Adolph Demmler and Friedrich August Stüler between 1845 and 1857. British and French castles were the inspiration for it, in particular Chambord-on-the-Loire. Local industry developed as a result of the increasing demands of the ducal household.
Since the Middle Ages Schwerin has expanded over a large area. After 1705 the so-called Schelfstadt north of the old town centre developed. In the 19th century, during the period of industrial expansion, Paulstadt was added to the west and Feldstadt to the south. Through numerous incorporations Schwerin had reached its current size by 1936. During the GDR era Schwerin was the administrative centre of the district. New industry settled in the town and areas of concrete slab buildings like Große Dreesch were constructed.
Schwerin has been the capital of the Federal State Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 1990. The state parliament is accommodated in the castle, Schweriner Schloss.
Tourist-Information
Am Markt 14
19055 Schwerin
phone: 0385-59252,-12,-13,-14
fax: 0385-55 5094
e-mail: info@schwerin.info
Internet: www.schwerin.com