MECKLENBURG-WESTERN POMERANIA
- Jan 14
- 5 min read
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is a land of lakes, Baltic beaches and medieval Hanseatic towns with discreet yet stunning northern nature and a rich history.
MECKLENBURG-WESTERN POMERANIA: ICONIC LANDMARKS
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a state in northeastern Germany, bordering the Baltic Sea and Poland. It is sometimes called the "land of a thousand lakes". It is home to Germany's largest inland lake, Lake Müritz. Besides its picturesque lakes, the region is also attractive for its coastline, including Germany's largest island, Rügen, known for its majestic chalk cliffs.
The regional capital, Schwerin is famous for its fairytale palace, once the residence of the Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg and now the seat of the state parliament.
The region's largest city is Rostock, home to the famous Marienkirche church and the popular seaside resort of Warnemünde. The city annually hosts the vibrant "Hanseatic Port Days" festival, attracting tourists from across Europe. The region's architectural heritage is rich in distinctive brick Gothic architecture, characteristic of ancient Hanseatic cities such as Stralsund, Wismar, and Greifswald.
MECKLENBURG-WESTERN POMERANIA: COAT OF ARMS' HISTORY
In the early Middle Ages, Slavic tribes inhabited these lands, and from the 9th century onward, a wave of migration of Germanic tribes began from the central Rhineland to the north and east of the Elbe. These migrations included nobles, burghers, and peasants, leading to close, though not always peaceful, interactions between the Slavic and Germanic populations.
The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, established in 1945 and re-established in 1990, is a union of historical regions. On the state's coat of arms, the former Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz and the Prussian provinces of Pomerania and Brandenburg are represented by their respective heraldic animals.
Initially, the seal of the Mecklenburg princes depicted a griffin (what a remarkable coincidence), but from 1219 onward, a bull's head was added. This popular heraldic figure presents a somewhat contradictory image: the embodiment of stubbornness and tenacity, perseverance and patience, fury and strength.
Since then, the bull's head has served almost continuously as the coat of arms of the Mecklenburg family, surviving numerous dynastic divisions, including the divisions into two grand duchies: Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Both had identical coats of arms, so the two bulls on today's coat of arms symbolize these two states.
The region with the romantic name "Pomerania" has always been renowned for the optimism of its inhabitants (this name is consonant to Polish "umierać" and Russian "pomirat'" meaning "to perish", "to die") . In fact, the name derives from the Slavic word "Pomorie," emphasizing the land's proximity to the Baltic Sea. Its symbol is the griffin. It has the strength of a lion, the vigilance and wisdom of an eagle, and even the ability to find gold.
Since the late 12th century, the griffin has been a common heraldic animal, especially in the southern Baltic region. Since 1880, a shield with a griffin has become the coat of arms of the Prussian province of Pomerania. Today, it is divided into the German province of Western Pomerania (Vorpommern) and the Polish province of Western Pomerania. The latter has a completely identical coat of arms. The unusual name "Vorpommern", literally "Fore Pomerania" was likely introduced to avoid confusion: anglicized name Western Pomerania is found in both Germany and Poland. Or perhaps the underlying message is: "We have Fore Pomerania, and you have Back..."
The red Brandenburg eagle represents the historically close ties between Pomerania and Brandenburg and balances the coat of arms as a whole.
The license plate depicts the large state coat of arms, divided into four parts. It is intended for the state government and parliament. All subordinate government bodies are required to use the lesser coat of arms. It is divided into two parts, and its creation in 1948 unexpectedly unfolded in a dramatic way.
The concept was clear: a Mecklenburg bull and a Pomeranian griffin. But the initial designs for the coat of arms featured either a diagonal or horizontal division. Representatives of each region protested and rejected them, declaring, "You with the cow's head/red monster on top, and we're below..." Desperate artists attempted to add the coat of arms of the state capital, Schwerin (a golden equestrian knight on a blue shield), but this provoked the united anger of both sides.
The seemingly obvious solution — the vertical division of the coat of arms — came after three years of debate. Both symbols became equal. However, there's a nuance here. The placement of the bull's head is called "heraldically right" and appears first in the description. A small, but nevertheless advantage.
MECKLENBURG-WESTERN POMERANIA: FUN FACTS
Of the North Wind's Favorite Artist.
If the North Wind had a favorite artist, it would be Caspar David Friedrich. The leading Romantic of German art had a simple skill: he positioned a person with his back to the viewer and his face toward infinity. And it immediately became clear: this wasn't a landscape, but a conversation about life, loneliness, and eternity.
Friedrich was born in Greifswald, a seaside town whose name translates as "griffin forest." The symbolism is almost autobiographical: the coat of arms features a red griffin, confidently standing with its paw on a felled but still green tree stump, as if hinting at life stubbornly continuing amidst loss. Not far from the city are the ruins of Eldena Abbey, which Friedrich immortalized in his painting "Abbey in the Oak Forest." The crumbling walls, centuries-old trees, and silence transform the landscape into a meditation on time: not on its end, but on the calm acceptance of its passage.
And then comes the island of Rügen. White chalk cliffs, a precipice overlooking the Baltic, and the feeling that the earth ends, and thought is only just beginning. In the painting "Chalk Cliffs on the Island of Rügen," nature doesn't frighten — it invites us to pause. Curiously, the island's coat of arms speaks the same language: a lion seems to burst from behind a wall, transcending the boundary between material and open space. This movement is not one of conquest, but of contemplation. Here, obstacles are left behind, and the gaze is directed forward – to where northern romance turns into a quiet inner conversation.
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