House of Mecklenburg
Encyclopedia
The House of Mecklenburg is a North German dynasty
of West Slavic
origin that ruled until 1918
.
was a lord of the Wendish
tribe of Obotrites
. When the Holy Roman Empire
expanded eastwards, notably to the coast of Baltic in 13th century, a portion of Obotrite lords allied with German leaders, and strengthened their own position in consequence. The mightiest of them were those who became first Lords of Mecklenburg (name derives from their main castle, Mikla Burg, big fortress). The main branch of the house was elevated in 1347 to ducal rank. They gradually became outwardly more German, preserving their ruling position.
The Sverker dynasty had long been extinct, having lost the throne ultimately to Eric XI. The male dynasty of Eric X was also now extinct, and issue of his other daughters had been sidestepped by Birger Jarl
, the husband of his daughter (the only who yet in 1250 lived), Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden
. Birger took care to secure the kingship to his own sons.
Claim became reality for a brief reign: Henry II's son Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg (1318–79) married a kinswoman, a Scandinavian heiress Euphemia of Sweden
and Norway (born 1317 and died 1370). The couple's second son duke Albert III
deposed his uncle from the Swedish throne, and ascended as King.
The Regent-Queen Margaret chose Eric of Pomerania
as her heir. Eric descended from the elder brother of Albert III. Monarchs of the Kalmar union were all cognatic descendants of the House of Mecklenburg.
The agnatic House of Mecklenburg, descended from Euphemia's youngest son Magnus I, Duke of Mecklenburg
, continued to keep their claim to the throne, and occasionally stirred the situation in Scandinavia.
, has been the only medieval Scandinavian realm whose kingship was hereditary, not elective. Already when Olav IV of Norway
was little and his mother Margaret was regent, the Dukes of Mecklenburg advanced their claims.
The right is based on their descent from Euphemia of Sweden
, granddaughter of Haakon V of Norway
.
When Olav IV died in 1387, Norway was without a monarch, under the government of the regentess Margaret. She soon chose an heir, Eric of Pomerania
, whose mother Maria of Mecklenburg had been Eufemia's eldest granddaughter. Maria's uncle, Margaret's old opponent was left without.
When Eric's nephew king Christopher died (before the death of the deposed Eric III of Norway), after some hiatus another magnate, Christian VIII of Oldenburg, of a female descent from Eufemia and the Mecklenburg (Eufemia's daughter's great-grandson), was in 1450 chosen as king of Norway, this time surpassing his cousin and male-line rival, Duke Henry the Fat of Mecklenburg.
The Dukes of Mecklenburg continued to regard themselves as rightful heirs of Norway, however they were unable to gain the kingdom from the Oldenburgs.
The legality of that treaty concession has been and is under discussion, because not each of the then agnates of the House participated in the deed, and at least one of them was then underage.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the duchy was divided several times between agnates of the ducal house. Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Werle
, Mecklenburg-Güstrow
and Mecklenburg-Strelitz were typical partition principalities. Until the late 18th century, most parts had returned to the senior branch (Schwerin), after which the patrimony was divided in two states until the very end of monarchy in Germany:
These were elevated to grand duchies by recognition of the Congress of Vienna
. In 1918, less than a year before the elimination of monarchy, the main line of Strelitz went extinct and the then Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin stepped in as regent, but succession unclarities (there was a junior Strelitz branch yet living in Russia) were not solved until the small monarchies both were dissolved to republics.
and Pribislav
, who gradually became Germanized. In the beginning of 20th century, its Slavic roots were remembered for example by king Nicholas I of Montenegro
who chose Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg as the wife of his heir-apparent, Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
, stating the Slavic ethnicity of the Mecklenburg as sufficient.
The remaining members of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin are the daughters of Duke Christian Ludwig; the second son of Frederick Francis IV; the Duchesses Donata
(born 1956) and Edwina (born 1960); Duchess Woizlawa Feodora
(born 1918), the daughter of Duke Adolf Friedrich
; and Hereditary Grand Duchess Karin (née
von Schaper; born 1920), the widow of Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick Francis .
) which was confirmed by the head of the Imperial House of Russia, Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich on 18 July 1929 and recognised on 23 December by Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He succeeded his uncle as head of the house on 6 December 1934 and was granted the style of Highness on 18 December 1950.
In addition to Duke Borwin, the current members of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz are his wife Duchess Alice (née Wagner; born 1959); their children Duchess Olga (born 1988), the Dukes Alexander (born 1991) and Michael (born 1994); his sisters the Duchesses Elisabeth Christine (born 1947), Marie Catherine (born 1949) and Irene (born 1952); and his uncle Duke Carl Gregor (born 1933).
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Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
of West Slavic
West Slavs
The West Slavs are Slavic peoples speaking West Slavic languages. They include Poles , Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Sorbs and the historical Polabians. The northern or Lechitic group includes, along with Polish, the extinct Polabian and Pomeranian languages...
origin that ruled until 1918
German Revolution
The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...
.
Origins
NiklotNiklot
Niklot or Nyklot was a pagan chief or prince of the Slavic Obotrites and an ancestor of the House of Mecklenburg. From 1130 or 1131 until his death he was chief of the Obotrite confederacy, the Kissini, and the Circipani. At the same time he was Lord of Schwerin, Quetzin, and Malchow...
was a lord of the Wendish
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
tribe of Obotrites
Obotrites
The Obotrites , also commonly known as the Obodrites, Abotrites, or Abodrites, were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany . For decades they were allies of Charlemagne in his wars against Germanic Saxons and Slavic...
. When the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
expanded eastwards, notably to the coast of Baltic in 13th century, a portion of Obotrite lords allied with German leaders, and strengthened their own position in consequence. The mightiest of them were those who became first Lords of Mecklenburg (name derives from their main castle, Mikla Burg, big fortress). The main branch of the house was elevated in 1347 to ducal rank. They gradually became outwardly more German, preserving their ruling position.
Claims to Swedish throne
The Dukes of Mecklenburg pursued from 14th century a claim to inheritance in Sweden. The Duke of Mecklenburg was a descendant and the heir of two women whom legends tied to Scandinavian royal houses.- Duke Henry II of MecklenburgHenry II of MecklenburgHenry II, Duke of Mecklenburg, nicknamed the Lion was regent of Mecklenburg from 1287 to 1298, co-regent from 1298 to 1302 and alone again from 1302 to 1329.- Life :...
's paternal great-grandmother, a Scandinavian noblewoman named Christina, who was the wife of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg (d 1226), was a daughter of King Sverker II of SwedenSverker II of SwedenSverker II was King of Sweden from 1196 to 1208.-Biography:...
by his first wife. Christina was the mother of John I of Mecklenburg, whose son was Henry I of Mecklenburg. - Duke Henry II of MecklenburgHenry II of MecklenburgHenry II, Duke of Mecklenburg, nicknamed the Lion was regent of Mecklenburg from 1287 to 1298, co-regent from 1298 to 1302 and alone again from 1302 to 1329.- Life :...
's maternal grandmother, a lady named Marianna, who was the first wife of Duke Barnim I of Pomerania (d 1278), lord of Wolgast, was a sister of King Eric XI of SwedenEric XI of SwedenEric "XI" of Sweden, or Eric the Lisp and Lame Swedish: Erik Eriksson läspe och halte; Old Norse: Eiríkr Eiríksson was king of Sweden in 1222–1229 and 1234–1250.-Background:...
. Marianna had given birth to an only surviving child, daughter named Anastasia of Pomerania, who then became the wife of Henry I of Mecklenburg (d 1302) and mother of Henry II.
The Sverker dynasty had long been extinct, having lost the throne ultimately to Eric XI. The male dynasty of Eric X was also now extinct, and issue of his other daughters had been sidestepped by Birger Jarl
Birger jarl
, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have...
, the husband of his daughter (the only who yet in 1250 lived), Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden
Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden
Ingeborg Eriksdotter , was a Swedish Princess and Duchess, daughter of king Eric X of Sweden, eldest sibling of king Eric XI of Sweden, wife of Birger Jarl and mother of king Valdemar I of Sweden.- Biography :...
. Birger took care to secure the kingship to his own sons.
Claim became reality for a brief reign: Henry II's son Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg (1318–79) married a kinswoman, a Scandinavian heiress Euphemia of Sweden
Euphemia of Sweden
Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden was a Swedish princess, spouse of Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg, Duchess Consort of Mecklenburg, heiress of Sweden and of Norway, mother of king Albert of Sweden.- Biography :Her father was Eric of Sweden Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden (1317–1370) was a Swedish...
and Norway (born 1317 and died 1370). The couple's second son duke Albert III
Albert of Sweden
Albert was King of Sweden from 1364 to 1389 and Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1384 to 1412.-Background:...
deposed his uncle from the Swedish throne, and ascended as King.
The Regent-Queen Margaret chose Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
as her heir. Eric descended from the elder brother of Albert III. Monarchs of the Kalmar union were all cognatic descendants of the House of Mecklenburg.
The agnatic House of Mecklenburg, descended from Euphemia's youngest son Magnus I, Duke of Mecklenburg
Magnus I, Duke of Mecklenburg
Magnus I, Duke of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1383 until his death. Magnus was the third son of Duke Albert II of Mecklenburg and his wife Euphemia, the sister of the King Magnus Eriksson of Sweden...
, continued to keep their claim to the throne, and occasionally stirred the situation in Scandinavia.
Claims to Norway
This country, the Hereditary Kingdom of NorwayHereditary Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Norway as a unified realm was initiated by King Harald Fairhair in 9th century. His efforts in unifying the petty kingdoms of Norway, resulted in the first known Norwegian central government...
, has been the only medieval Scandinavian realm whose kingship was hereditary, not elective. Already when Olav IV of Norway
Olav IV of Norway
Olaf II Haakonsson was king of Denmark as Olaf II and king of Norway as Olaf IV . Olaf was son of King Haakon VI of Norway and the grandson of King Magnus IV of Sweden. His mother was Queen Margaret I of Denmark which made him the grandson of King Valdemar IV of Denmark...
was little and his mother Margaret was regent, the Dukes of Mecklenburg advanced their claims.
The right is based on their descent from Euphemia of Sweden
Euphemia of Sweden
Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden was a Swedish princess, spouse of Albert II, Duke of Mecklenburg, Duchess Consort of Mecklenburg, heiress of Sweden and of Norway, mother of king Albert of Sweden.- Biography :Her father was Eric of Sweden Eufemia Ericsdotter of Sweden (1317–1370) was a Swedish...
, granddaughter of Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.-Biography:Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Haakon was descended from king Saint Olav and is considered to have been the last Norwegian king in the Fairhair...
.
When Olav IV died in 1387, Norway was without a monarch, under the government of the regentess Margaret. She soon chose an heir, Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
, whose mother Maria of Mecklenburg had been Eufemia's eldest granddaughter. Maria's uncle, Margaret's old opponent was left without.
When Eric's nephew king Christopher died (before the death of the deposed Eric III of Norway), after some hiatus another magnate, Christian VIII of Oldenburg, of a female descent from Eufemia and the Mecklenburg (Eufemia's daughter's great-grandson), was in 1450 chosen as king of Norway, this time surpassing his cousin and male-line rival, Duke Henry the Fat of Mecklenburg.
The Dukes of Mecklenburg continued to regard themselves as rightful heirs of Norway, however they were unable to gain the kingdom from the Oldenburgs.
Modern states in Mecklenburg
Around 1711, a treaty was made between Dukes of Mecklenburg and the Elector of Brandenburg through which the elector was recognized as the next heir of Mecklenburg after the male lines of the genealogical house of Mecklenburg. Whereby the electors, later kings of Prussia, regarded themselves as having become members of the House of Mecklenburg and started to use its titles, e.g. Duke of Mecklenburg, among their own titulary.The legality of that treaty concession has been and is under discussion, because not each of the then agnates of the House participated in the deed, and at least one of them was then underage.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the duchy was divided several times between agnates of the ducal house. Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Werle
Werle
Werle was a fiefdom, or Herrschaft in German, in the Holy Roman Empire that was founded in 1235. It was created in the partition of territories in Mecklenburg that followed the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg ....
, Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Mecklenburg-Güstrow
Mecklenburg-Güstrow was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in Northern Germany, that existed on three separate occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg at Güstrow.-History:...
and Mecklenburg-Strelitz were typical partition principalities. Until the late 18th century, most parts had returned to the senior branch (Schwerin), after which the patrimony was divided in two states until the very end of monarchy in Germany:
- Mecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
- Mecklenburg-StrelitzMecklenburg-StrelitzMecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district , and the western exclave of the former Bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern...
These were elevated to grand duchies by recognition of the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
. In 1918, less than a year before the elimination of monarchy, the main line of Strelitz went extinct and the then Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin stepped in as regent, but succession unclarities (there was a junior Strelitz branch yet living in Russia) were not solved until the small monarchies both were dissolved to republics.
Slavic heritage
The house of Mecklenburg was originally a tribal chieftain dynasty of Slavic Obotrites, such as NiklotNiklot
Niklot or Nyklot was a pagan chief or prince of the Slavic Obotrites and an ancestor of the House of Mecklenburg. From 1130 or 1131 until his death he was chief of the Obotrite confederacy, the Kissini, and the Circipani. At the same time he was Lord of Schwerin, Quetzin, and Malchow...
and Pribislav
Pribislav of Mecklenburg
Pribislav was an Obotrite prince and the first Prince of Mecklenburg .Pribislav was one of three sons of the Obotrite chieftain Niklot, who was killed in 1160 during a joint campaign by Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony and King Valdemar the Great of Denmark...
, who gradually became Germanized. In the beginning of 20th century, its Slavic roots were remembered for example by king Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nicholas I of Montenegro
Nikola I Mirkov Petrović-Njegoš was the only king of Montenegro, reigning as king from 1910 to 1918 and as prince from 1860 to 1910. He was also a poet, notably penning "Onamo, 'namo!", a popular song from Montenegro.-Early life:Nikola was born in the village of Njeguši, the ancient home of the...
who chose Duchess Jutta of Mecklenburg as the wife of his heir-apparent, Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro
Danilo Aleksandar Petrović-Njegoš was the Crown Prince of Montenegro. He was eldest of the son of King Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro and Queen Milena Vukotić. During the Balkan Wars and World War I he led the Montenegrin Army with his father, King Nicholas I of Montenegro, Janko Vukotić,...
, stating the Slavic ethnicity of the Mecklenburg as sufficient.
House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
The House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin became extinct in the male line on 31 July 2001 with the death of Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick Francis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin the eldest son and heir of the last reigning Grand Duke, Frederick Francis IV.The remaining members of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin are the daughters of Duke Christian Ludwig; the second son of Frederick Francis IV; the Duchesses Donata
Duchess Donata of Mecklenburg
Duchess Donata of Mecklenburg is the senior member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Since there are no males left in the family, the Schwerin branch itself is considered extinct due to the Salic law of succession...
(born 1956) and Edwina (born 1960); Duchess Woizlawa Feodora
Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg
Princess Woizlawa Feodora Reuss of Köstritz is a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin...
(born 1918), the daughter of Duke Adolf Friedrich
Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg
Duke Adolf Friedrich Albrecht Heinrich of Mecklenburg was a German explorer in Africa, a colonial politician, the elected Duke of the United Baltic Duchy from 5 November to 28 November, 1918, and the first president of the National Olympic Committee of Germany .- Biography :Born in Schwerin, Adolf...
; and Hereditary Grand Duchess Karin (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
von Schaper; born 1920), the widow of Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick Francis .
House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
With the extinction of Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz is now the only surviving branch of the Grand Ducal house in the male line. The current head of this house is Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg. His grandfather was Count Georg of Carlow the morganatic son of Duke George Alexander of Mecklenburg (1859–1909). Count Georg of Carlow was adopted in 1928 by his uncle Duke Charles Michael of Mecklenburg the head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. He then assumed the title Duke of Mecklenburg (Serene HighnessSerene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
) which was confirmed by the head of the Imperial House of Russia, Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovich on 18 July 1929 and recognised on 23 December by Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He succeeded his uncle as head of the house on 6 December 1934 and was granted the style of Highness on 18 December 1950.
In addition to Duke Borwin, the current members of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz are his wife Duchess Alice (née Wagner; born 1959); their children Duchess Olga (born 1988), the Dukes Alexander (born 1991) and Michael (born 1994); his sisters the Duchesses Elisabeth Christine (born 1947), Marie Catherine (born 1949) and Irene (born 1952); and his uncle Duke Carl Gregor (born 1933).
Line of succession
- Head of the house: Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg (born 1956)
- Duke Alexander of Mecklenburg (born 1991)
- Duke Michael of Mecklenburg (born 1994)
- Duke Carl Gregor of Mecklenburg (born 1933)
States ruled by the House of Mecklenburg
- MecklenburgMecklenburgMecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
(1131–1918), with- Mecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-SchwerinMecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1348, when Albert II of Mecklenburg and his younger brother John were raised to Dukes of Mecklenburg by King Charles IV...
(1352–1918) with interruptions - Mecklenburg-GüstrowMecklenburg-GüstrowMecklenburg-Güstrow was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in Northern Germany, that existed on three separate occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg at Güstrow.-History:...
(1621–1701) - Mecklenburg-Stargard (1348–1471)
- Mecklenburg-StrelitzMecklenburg-StrelitzMecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district , and the western exclave of the former Bishopric of Ratzeburg in modern...
(1701–1918)
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(1364–1389) - WerleWerleWerle was a fiefdom, or Herrschaft in German, in the Holy Roman Empire that was founded in 1235. It was created in the partition of territories in Mecklenburg that followed the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg ....
(1235–1436)
Sources
- Ilka Minneker: Vom Kloster zur Residenz – Dynastische Memoria und Repräsentation im spätmittelalterlichen und frühneuzeitlichen Mecklenburg. Rhema-Verlag, Münster 2007, ISBN 978-3-930454-78-5
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