Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/284

MECKLENBURG-SCHWEBIN. 256 MECKLENBURG-STRELITZ. on tlif ayrci-nionl concliuUil in 17 oo ln'lvoc:i the Dukf of -Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his estates, and adopted in the same year by the Duchy of ^lecklenbiiigSticlitz. The crown is liereditary in the male line in both ducliies and on the extinc- tion of the reij;ning dynasty in either State the succession reverts to the other house. In the case of the extinction of both houses, the rif,'ht of suc- cession passes to Prussia. The govornriicnl of the two Mecklenburgs is semi-feudal in character, and the proprietors of the land, whether belong- ing to the nobility or not, are endowed with many special privileges. The conunon assembly, or Landesunion, of both grand duchies consists of the representatives of the landed aristocracy, or Ritterschaft, and the burgoma.sters of 49 towns. The tenants of the royal domains are not repre- sented. The assembly convenes every year for a short period, alternately at Sternberg and at Malchin. There arc also a pernument committee of nine members at Rostock representing the two estates when the Landtag is not in session, and convoca- tion and deputation diets which can be assembled for special purposes in either of the duchies. The Principality of Ratzeburg is under the direct authority of the Grand Duke of ilecklenburg- Strelitz. The executive authority in llecklen- hurg-Schwerin is vested in a Cabinet of four min- isters. Mecklenburg-Schwerin is represented by two members in the Bundesrat and sends six Deputies to the Reichstag. The capital is Schwe- rin; the sunnner residence of the Granil Duke is Ludwigslust. The two duchies have two separate systems of lower courts and a common su|ircnie court at Ros- tock. There is no general linaneial syst<'m in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The reve- nue is divided into three classes, of which by far the largest (derived from the royal domains and ordinary ta.xes) is under the sole control of the Grand Duke. A part of it goes to cover the or<li- nary expenses of the Government. The total public debt, incurred to some extent for the purchase of railways, amounted in 1001 to .$2()..505.000. Gen- eral and technical education is on a high ])lane. The universitv at Rostock ii..) iirovides higher cdiu'ation. Population, in 18110, .-)78,342; in 1!)00, GOT ,770. almost entirely Protestant. History. The territory of .Mecklenburg was anciently occupied by Germanic peoples, and at the beginning of the Middle Ages the Wends, Obotrits, and other Slavic tribes took possession of the region. The Slavic inhabitants long resisted the power of (iermany. but were finally subdued in the .second half of the twelfth century by Henry the l.ion, Duke of Saxony. Henry left a part of the ciiuntry (which took its name from Mikilinborg, the principal settlement of the Obo- trits, near the modern Wismar) under the rule of the Obotrit jirinces, while at the same time the Gcrmanization of the region .was proseculed. After 1220 the territory was fi-e<iuently divided an<l subdivided among the desiendants of the original Slavic rulers. In 134S Mecklenburg was elevated into a duchv by the Knipi'ror f'liarles IV. In ISfi.t Albert III.", Duke of M<<<klenburg. was called to the throne of Sweden, but in KiSO was dethroned by Margaret. (,)ui'en of Denmark and Norway. In the middle of the sixteenth cen- tury T.utheranisiii was made the established re- ligion in Alecklenburp. About this time there was n division into the two ducal lines of Meck- lenburg-Sihwcrin and Mecklenburg (Mislrow. In the Thirty Years' War the Dukes of Mecklenburg joined Christian IV. of Denmark in the .struggle against the Catholic powers, and, as a result, were deprived of their possessions, which were conferred in 1020 upon Wallenstein. In 1031, however, the ihikes were restored by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweilen. After various subdivisions of the ducal line into the branches of .Selnverin, Strelitz, and others, and the successive extinction of several of these collateral houses, the Imperial Commission, which met at Hamburg in 1701, brought about a family compact, by which it was arranged that Schwerin and Giistrow should form one duchy and Strelitz with Ratzeburg, .Star- gard, etc., another. In I8I5 the dukes of both the Mecklenburgs assumed the title of Grand Duke. Frederick Francis (178.5-1837), Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Sehwerin. abolished serfdom in his dominions, to which he added ismar. The reign of Frederick Francis II. of the same duchy, who succeeded his father, Paul Fri'deriek, in 1842, was disturbed by a contest between the nobles and the burghers and smaller landowners. The revolutionary movement of 1848 gave a fresh stimulus to the popular ferment in both duchies, and the disturbances could only be quelled by the intervention of the Prussian troops; but a reaction took place in 18")0. and matters were restored to their former condition. Fred- erick Francis II. (q.v.). CJrand Duke of Meck- lenburg-Schwerin, was (me of the principal gen- erals in the Franco-German War of 1870-71. As members of the new German Empire, the two duchies have maintained their internal constitu- tion very much on the old footing. Consult: Boll, fit'schichtc MtvLlciibKrgs (Xeubrandenburg, 18.'j.5-.t0) ; Mayer. (Imrhichtc des (I'lDxslirrzog- thums Mccklcnhitrrj - XtrrJilr tStO-90 ( N'eu.stre- litz, 1 800). MECKLENBTJRG-STBELITZ, -stra'lits. A grand ducliy and eoiist itueiil State of the Ger- man Empire, consisting of the grand ducliy proper, bounded by the Prussian provinces of I'omerania and Brandenburg and the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-SehweTin. and of the Principality of Ratzeburg. which is separated from it by Jleeklenburg-Schwcrin (Map: Genuany. E 2). Total area. 1131 square miles. In the formation of its surf:ice the grand duchy proper riseiiible.s Meeklenburg-Sehwerin. It is watered chiefly by the Havel, and contains numerous lakes. The Principality of Ratzx-burg is watered by the >Ste- penitz. Agriculture is the chief occupation, and the system of land tenure does not diller from that prevailing in the Gniild Duchy of Mecklenluirg- Schwerin. The trade is naturally less developed than in Meeklenburg-Sehwerin on account of the absence of harbors, but there is considerable in- land trallic. and the railway facilities are good. Mecklenburg-Strelitz is governed by the same constitution as Meeklenburg-Sehwerin (q.v.). The executive power is vested in a Minister of State and a small council. The scat of govern- ment is at Neustrclitz. The financial system also resembles that of Mecklenburg-Sehwerin. Jlecklenburg-Strelitz is represented by one mem- ber in the Bundesrat. and returns one Deputy to the Reichstag. Population, in 1800, 07.078: in lOOn, 102.002. almost exclusively Protestant. For history, sec Mecklenbubg-Schwebin.