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Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg

History

The federal country Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is located in the North-East of Germany. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as it is called in German – it's the deep blue lakes and the green meadows. Rape in bloom covers the landscape like a yellow robe and, as night falls, the lights of the fashionable promenades scintillate like an evening gown. The temperament of lively towns mixed with the quietude of idyllic villages and swathes of land are a picture full of harmony. Approximately 1.7 million residents are living in this area. With the size of 23,170 square km is Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the most thinly populated area in Germany (79 inhabitants per square km).
 
For more detailed information regarding Mecklenburg-Vorpommern please visit www.mecklenburg-vorpommern.eu, the authorized regional information systems.
 
A brief history of the Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg - the name means "the great fortress" - lies between the River Elbe and the Recknitz.
During the period of Germanic migrations (around 600 AD) some of the Germanic tribes are edged out by Western Slavic tribes (Obotrites, Lusici, Wilzen).
The first attempts at missionary work are unsuccessful despite initially showing some promise (uprisings of the Slavs in 983 and Wends in 1066).
Mecklenburg is christianised during the 12th century as a result of colonisation by Flemish and Westphalian settlers.
The dioceses of Ratzeburg (1154), Lübeck (1160) and Schwerin (1160) are established.
Monasteries are founded: Cistercians in Althof-Doberan (1171/86) and Dargun (1172/1209), Premonstratensians in Ratzeburg (1158) and Broda (1244), Carthusians in Marienehe (1396).
Convents are established in Dobbertin, Eldena, Rühn (Benedictines), Ivenack, Malchow, Neukloster, Rostock, Wanzka, Zarrentin (Cistercians). Röbel (Magdalene order), Rehna (Premonstratensians) and Ribnitz (Clarissa order).
Orders move in and found monasteries: the Order of St John in Gross Eichsen (1160), Mirow (1242) and Nemerow (1298), the Antonite Order in Tempzin (1222), Knights of the German Order in Krankow (1268).
Franciscan monasteries are founded: Schwerin (1235/36), Rostock (1240), Wismar (1251/52), Parchim (1246) and Neubrandenburg (1260); there are Dominican monasteries in Rostock (1256), Röbel (1286) and Wismar (1292/93).
1419: the first university of Northern Europe is founded at Rostock.
1432: a Faculty of Theology is set up under the auspices of Pope Eugene IV.
The influence of the Reformation movement begins to have an effect on the church in Mecklenburg. 1523: Joachim Slüter in Rostock and Heinrich Never in Wismar preach in favour of Protestantism.
1549: after a period of dual confessionalism, with Duke Heinrich V supporting the Reformation and Duke Albrecht VII the Catholic cause, at the meeting of the state parliament in Sternberg both duchies agree to accept the Reformation.
1552: a Lutheran church constitution is introduced (drawn up by Johann Aurifaber); 1557/60 there is a state visitation.
Thirty Years War: from time to time there is Catholic influence on Mecklenburg under Wallenstein. 1631: this becomes less as a result of the intervention of Gustav II Adolf of Sweden.
Paul Tarnow (d. 1633), Joachim Lütkemann (d. 1655), Theophil Grossgebauer (d. 1661), Johann Quistorp (d. 1669) and Heinrich Müller (d. 1675) advocate Pietism.
1663: Duke Christian Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin is converted to Catholicism. Catholic clergy including Nils Stensen move into the area and Catholic parishes are founded. 1708: a house of the Jesuit order is founded in Schwerin.
1811: under Friedrich-Franz I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the Catholic and Lutheran confessions are given equal rights. 1813: Jews are granted rights of citizenship.
1919/20: a republican constitution leads to the setting up of a synodical system of church government.
1922: Heinrich Behm (d. 1930) becomes the first Lutheran Bishop of Mecklenburg.
1930: Roman Catholic parishes become part of the Diocese of Osnabrück.
World War II: the Lutheran church is brought into line. Autumn 1933: Bishop Heinrich Rendtorff (d. 1960) resigns and is replaced by the so-called "Führer of the State Church" Walter Schulz. As leader of the Fraternal Council of the state, Niklot Beste (d. 1987) has a determining influence on the Confessing Church, and the Faculty of Theology in Rostock (Fr. Brunstäd, H. Schreiner) takes the side of the Confessing Church.
1946-1971: as bishop, Niklot Beste leads the Church in Mecklenburg in the direction of a "people's church" based on Lutheran principles. 1968-69: he is involved in the foundation of the United Evangelical-Lutheran Church of the GDR and the Federation of Protestant Churches in the GDR. His successors are Bishops Heinrich Rathke (1972-1984), Christoph Stier (1984-1996) and Hermann Beste (1996-present), Dr. Andreas von Maltzahn (since 2007).
1989: the Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg applies to join the EKD (council of Protestant Churches in Germany) and VELKD (the United Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Germany). 1991: applications accepted. 1994: the relationship between the state and the Lutheran Church is laid out in the Güstrow Agreement.
At the present time the Lutheran Church has 193.000 members with 169 parishes divided into 5 church districts (2011).
Since 1st January 1995 the Roman Catholic parishes in Mecklenburg have been part of the Archdiocese of Hamburg under Archbishop Averkamp; there are currently 60,000 Catholics in 50 parishes divided into 5 deaneries.