Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has existed as a territorial unit only since 1990, following German reunification. In the High Middle Ages the geographical regions developed into independent territories. Since then there has been a history of Mecklenburg and a history of Western Pomerania. In the seventh century “Michelenburg” castle was built where the village of Mecklenburg is now located. And it was this castle that gave the region its name. “Pomerania” is of Slavic origin and means “land beside the sea”.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is more agricultural in character than any other federal state. Over half of the area is used to produce high-quality, ecological foodstuffs. Tourism is the most important sector in the economy. Shipbuilding (above) is a key industry. Biotechnology is on the rise. And as a result of EU expansion the significance of this state is increasing as a bridge to north-eastern Europe.
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Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has two universities, three specialist colleges and an academy of music and drama. The student population numbers around 30,000. There are also numerous research institutes belonging to the Max Planck and the Fraunhofer societies as well as the Leibniz association. The University of Rostock (above) is a beacon in the academic landscape and the oldest university in the Baltic region. During the 1990s alone the university was responsible for launching 230 start-up enterprises with some 3500 employees.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is rich in the arts, regional culture and attractive events. A particular highlight is the State Museum in Schwerin (above) with its extensive collection from the “golden age”, and the “German Amber Museum” in Ribnitz-Damgarten has an impressive show focusing on the “the gold of the sea”. The summer festivals (below), set against a backdrop that the great native artist Caspar David Friedrich could hardly have surpassed in his paintings, are a sight to behold.
“A picture should not be invented, it should be felt,” according to Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), the master of German Romanticism and one of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s most prominent figures. He experienced nature on his long walks and made it the subject of his art. “Sea of Ice” (above) and “Chalk Cliffs on Rügen” (below) are two of his most famous works. A number of his paintings are on show in the Pommersches Landesmuseum in his home town of Greifswald.
