Güstrow
Encyclopedia
Güstrow (ˈɡʏstʁo) is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
, Germany
the capital of the district of Güstrow
. It has a population of 30,500 (2008) and is the seventh largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since 2006 Güstrow has the official suffix Barlachstadt
.
at the Nebel, a sidearm of the Warnow. The Bützow-Güstrow-Kanal (Kanal=channel) is a navigable connection to the Warnow and used by water tourists. There are 5 lakes (Inselsee
, Sumpfsee, Parumer See, Grundloser See and Gliner See (See = lake) and several forests around Güstrow.
In 1219 the wendish
castle Güstrowe was built at the place, the renaissance castle stands nowadays. Güstrow is said to be founded by Heinrich Borwin II. a grandson of Henry the Lion
in the time from 1219 to 1226 and was first mentioned in 1228 in the deed of city rights of Schwerin
, confirmed by the sons of Heinrich Borwin II., who donated the cathedral as collegiate church
in 1226. Güstrow was a residence of the dukes of Werle from 1229 until 1436. In 1441 the first privileged shooting society of Güstrow was founded.
The host desecration-trial of 1330 ended with the burning of 23 Jews and the destruction of the synagogue. The Kapelle des heiligen Bluts (Chapel of the Holy Blood) was built on the site of the synagogue. In 1503, 1508 and again in 1512 fires destroyed the town and 1556 the castle burned down.
After the division of Mecklenburg (1621) it became the capital of the small duchy
of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
. (Albrecht von Wallenstein
, the imperial general in the Thirty Years' War
, was a duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.)
In 1695 the last duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow died, and the duchy ceased to exist. Güstrow became a part of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The famous sculptor Ernst Barlach
lived in Güstrow from 1910 to his death in 1938.
, Denmark
Valkeala
, Finland
Kronshagen
, Germany Gryfice
(Greifenberg), Poland
Neuwied
, Germany
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a federal state in northern Germany. The capital city is Schwerin...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
the capital of the district of Güstrow
Güstrow (district)
Güstrow is a former district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It was bounded by the districts of Bad Doberan, Nordvorpommern, Demmin, Müritz, Parchim and Nordwestmecklenburg. The district was disbanded at the district reform of September 2011...
. It has a population of 30,500 (2008) and is the seventh largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since 2006 Güstrow has the official suffix Barlachstadt
Ernst Barlach
Ernst Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war...
.
Geography
The town of Güstrow is located 45 kilometers south of RostockRostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
at the Nebel, a sidearm of the Warnow. The Bützow-Güstrow-Kanal (Kanal=channel) is a navigable connection to the Warnow and used by water tourists. There are 5 lakes (Inselsee
Inselsee
Inselsee is a lake in the Rostock district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. At an elevation of 11.4 m, its surface area is 4.58 km². The lake is divided into two parts by a small island. While the northern part of the lake is relatively flat, the average depth of the southern part is up to...
, Sumpfsee, Parumer See, Grundloser See and Gliner See (See = lake) and several forests around Güstrow.
History
The name Güstrow comes from the Oldpolabian Guščerov and means lizard place.In 1219 the wendish
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
castle Güstrowe was built at the place, the renaissance castle stands nowadays. Güstrow is said to be founded by Heinrich Borwin II. a grandson of Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
in the time from 1219 to 1226 and was first mentioned in 1228 in the deed of city rights of Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
, confirmed by the sons of Heinrich Borwin II., who donated the cathedral as collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
in 1226. Güstrow was a residence of the dukes of Werle from 1229 until 1436. In 1441 the first privileged shooting society of Güstrow was founded.
The host desecration-trial of 1330 ended with the burning of 23 Jews and the destruction of the synagogue. The Kapelle des heiligen Bluts (Chapel of the Holy Blood) was built on the site of the synagogue. In 1503, 1508 and again in 1512 fires destroyed the town and 1556 the castle burned down.
After the division of Mecklenburg (1621) it became the capital of the small duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Mecklenburg-Güstrow was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in Northern Germany, that existed on three separate occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg at Güstrow.-History:...
. (Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
, the imperial general in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, was a duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.)
In 1695 the last duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow died, and the duchy ceased to exist. Güstrow became a part of the duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
The famous sculptor Ernst Barlach
Ernst Barlach
Ernst Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war...
lived in Güstrow from 1910 to his death in 1938.
Sights
There are several notable sights in Güstrow:- The Schloss (German for Castle), built in 1589 in RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style, as a residence for the dukes of Mecklenburg. Between 1963 and 1981 major restoration work was carried out, and a Renaissance garden was added, modelled after descriptions appearing in old engravings. - The Cathedral, a Brick GothicBrick GothicBrick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...
cathedral built between 1226 and 1335. Noteworthy are a late Gothic high altar (c. 1500), the tombs of Duke Ulrich IIIUlrich III of Mecklenburg-GüstrowUlrich, Duke of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1555-56 to 1603.-Early life:Ulrich was the third son of Duke Albrecht VII and Anna of Brandenburg. Ulrich was educated in the Bavarian court. Later, he studied theology and law in Ingolstadt...
and his two wives (16th century), and the celebrated Schwebende Engel ("Hovering Angel"), the most famous work of the expressionist sculptor Ernst BarlachErnst BarlachErnst Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war...
, created in 1926 as a tribute to the victims of World War I. - St. Mary church - a Brick GothicBrick GothicBrick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...
church, rebuilt in the 19-th century - Ernst Barlach's Atelierhaus (studio), that exhibits a large collection of his works.
- The Townhall, original built in the 13th century and rebuilt c. 1800 at the marketplace.
Transport
City buses are run by OVG (Omnibusverkehrsgesellschaft Güstrow).People
- Joachim Daniel von JauchJoachim Daniel von JauchJoachim Daniel von Jauch was a German architect who supervised the baroque development of the city of Warsaw.-Early life and work:...
(1688–1754), major general and baroque architect - Harry LehmannHarry LehmannHarry Lehmann was a German physicist.Lehmann studied physics at Rostock and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin....
(1924–1998) Max Planck MedalMax Planck medalThe Max Planck medal is an award for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics. It is awarded annually by the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft , the world's largest organization of physicists.-List of recipients:...
award winning physicist - Ulrich NeckelUlrich NeckelUlrich Neckel Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross First and Second Class, was a World War I fighter ace credited with 30 victories.-Early Life and Enlistment:...
(1898–1928) Pour le MéritePour le MériteThe Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
medal winning pilot in WWI - Erwin RostinErwin RostinErwin Rostin was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
(1907-1942), U-boat commander
Twin cities and towns
(alphabetic list) RibeRibe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Valkeala
Valkeala
Valkeala is a former municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Southern Finland, near the city of Kouvola, and it was a part of the Kymenlaakso region. The municipality had a population of 11,238 and covered an area of 1,004.40 km² of which 143.47 km² was water...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Kronshagen
Kronshagen
Kronshagen is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 23 km southeast of Eckernförde, and 3 km west of Kiel....
, Germany Gryfice
Gryfice
Gryfice is a town in Pomerania, north-western Poland with 16 632 inhabitants . It is the capital of Gryfice County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship , previously in Szczecin Voivodeship .-History:...
(Greifenberg), Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Neuwied
Neuwied
Neuwied is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the right bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt am Main to Cologne...
, Germany