| 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. |