Germany - Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Schwerin Residence Ensemble

Schwerin - State Capital of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Schwerin Castle is located on an island in Lake Schwerin. A Slavic princely castle was mentioned at this location as early as 1018. The current building was constructed between 1843 and 1857 in the Historicist style accordng to plans by the Schwerin master builder Demmer.

Sent by Andy from Rostock, a district in the North Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

Established on the shores of Lake Schwerin, the Schwerin Residence Ensemble is an architectural and landscape ensemble which fits very precisely within the context of the emergence and development of the historicist style in Europe, in the second half of the 19th century, and particularly in the German kingdoms and principalities. The establishment of the seat of Grand Ducal power in the 19th century led to the implementation in the city of Schwerin of an architectural and landscape programme that illustrates all the civil and religious functions of a capital city that was the seat of a monarch.

As result of the diversity of the architectural programmes, the ensemble provides a wide spectrum of buildings, which reflect the 19th-century historicist style, and in certain cases refer to the more regional “Johann-Albrecht” style, connecting the programmes even more closely to the history of the Grand Duchy. The choice made to establish the seat next to lakes and ponds, creating a landscape in which the architecture and gardens are reflected in the water, is a perfect illustration of the romantic taste in 19th-century Europe (read more).