• 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.

 Frank Hamburger

 Bibliography:

 H. Holze, article for the new edition of RGG [Religion Past and Present], Vol. 5, K. Schmaltz, Kirchengeschichte Mecklenburgs [The Church History of Mecklenburg], 3 volumes, 1935-1952

 N. Beste, Der Kirchenkampf in Mecklenburg [The Church's Fight in Mecklenburg], 1975

 E. Wolgast, Die Reformation in Mecklenburg [The Reformation in Mecklenburg], VHKM 8, 1995

 Th. Kaufmann, Universität und luth. Konfessionalisierung [The University and Lutheran Denominationalism], 1997; G. Haendler, Mecklenburg (TRE [Theologische Realenzyklopädie = Real Encyclopedia of Theology] 22, 1992, 310-318).