Schwerin Castle is a prime example of Romantic
historicism in Europe. I find that its home on one of Schwerin’s many islands
makes this place extraordinary charming. Imagination inspires the soul. We all
need courage, confidence, and dreams just in the same way as we also need water
and air to survive. Occasionally, we all should visit fairytale-like places that
tell a story. Stories that remind us that there is always a solution no matter
how complicated and hopeless the situation is. It is important to find meaning
and to look at through what adventures the ones before us had to go before they
experienced their fairy-tale-like ending.
Europe is an ideal place to look at and visit
castles, true. One can visit more than two thousand manor houses, palaces, and
castles in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania alone. You can spend a whole lifetime
visiting historical sites without experiencing a dull day.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is one of Germany's
sixteen states. You find it in the north of the country, with its coastline on
the Baltic Sea. After World War II and until the fall of the wall it was on the
territory of the German Democratic Republic. A particular impressive castle is
in Schwerin. Schwerin, in the west of the state, is the capital of Mecklenburg
Western Pomerania. This friendly and small town with a population of only
100,000, was first mentioned in 1018, and Heinrich the Lion awarded it city
rights in 1164. You find a whopping total of twelve lakes within the city’s
boundaries.
Schwerin Castle – once upon a time in the ninth century
Traces of a first castle complex on the island in
Lake Schwerin date back to the 9th century. It is here that a Slavic tribe
settled. When looking at the origin of the place's name, Schwerin, zuarin in
Slavic language, place of animals, it tells us that one reason might be that
there were lots of possibilities for hunting and food. This was apparently way
before intensive animal farming was considered normal.
In 1160 the Slavic princely family lost their
territory and their king was killed in the fight. Henry the Lion, Duke of
Saxony and Bavaria, a member of the House of Welf Dynasty, founded the town of
Schwerin in 1160. The reign over Schwerin and the surrounding areas received
one of his vassals. The descendants of the Slavs were baptized, successively
received parts of their lands back and proved to be fantastic in their role as
tenants. Eventually, they were awarded prince status of Mecklenburg and in
1348, they became imperial princes. They became dukes of Mecklenburg. They also
managed to buy back the lands of Schwerin, and with that their old possessions.
You may call us Royal Highnesses
Fast forward to the nineteenth century. With the
Vienna Congress in 1815, which was established to keep the peace, and to
restructure Europe following Napoleon's fall, the dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
were awarded the status of grand dukes. They did not really gain anything from
it other than to be addressed as "Royal Highnesses" and to become
part of the highest circles of European nobility. The house of Mecklenburg goes
back all the way to the Slavic ruling families who controlled the area before
the conquest by Henry the Lion. It was one of the oldest princely dynasties in
Europe. From this house stem English and Swedish queens and crown princesses,
Russian grand duchesses, and Dutch kings.
Reading these tales from the past, you are excused
to feel this was all nonsense and that a title would not matter in our modern
times any longer. Wrong. Remember that the Queen and Buckingham Palace recently
announced that Meghan and Prince Harry will not use their title HRH any longer.
History in the making.
A child and his vision – kudos to the son
Around 1840, Grand Duke Friedrich had big plans for
the town of Schwerin where he also wanted to build a castle. He died of
pneumonia before anything could be realized. Left behind was his then only
19-year-old son. Children need to follow their own dreams and visions.
Friedrich Franz II build the castle on the grounds of a traditional renaissance
castle on the island, and that was not in the place in town his father had in
mind. The dad dreamed of building a castle in the spot where the museum is
today. Kudos to the son. He clearly had a more superb idea. And, he surely
understood very well how to present himself as strong and powerful.
After initial inconsistencies and issues regarding
the style of the castle, Friedrich Franz II sees no option other than to send
his architects and designers to England and France for a little bit of
inspiration. In the end, it is a combined effort, a whole team of architects
and horticultural experts build the dream castle and the gardens.
The castle is considered a prime example of
Romantic historicism in Europe. This architecture style of the 19th century
uses elements of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and even
antiquity. The castle's 365 turrets and towers - one for every day of the year,
635 rooms with countless windows, corners, columns, orioles, balustrades, gold
ornaments and figures surrounded by the most magnificent English landscaped
garden are a picture-perfect estate. The view of the iron-cast decorated Orangery is worth a visit alone. It has this true fairy-tale look. It has this
true fairy-tale look. No matter from which point you look at it, you are going
to see it in all its grandeur. This castle was built decades before
Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.
Kindergarten teachers and politicians
During the dictatorship of the GDR, the castle used
to be a school for Kindergarten teacher apprentices and a museum. And now,
imagine this. The palace has been the seat of the state parliament since 1990.
There is also still a museum one can visit. It is remarkable, imagine that the
castle has been used ever since it was built. It is here that you can become a
witness of more than one thousand years of history.
Schwerin Residence Ensemble – Fit to be UNESCO World Heritage site
This. The Schwerin Residence Ensemble, as a
Cultural Landscape of Romantic Historicism, Schwerin Castle has been a
candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage ever since January 2015.
Schwerin Castle – haunted. The legend of the castle spirit
Long before Schwerin Castle came to be, there used
to be a temple of a pagan god in its spot. When the messengers of Christian
belief roamed the country, the pagan god fled into the depths of the oceans of
the world. The pagan god left his servants, the spirits, behind. Over time all
spirits but one took up residence in Petersberg. The spirit called Petermännchen
was the only one that stayed on the island. Legend has it that Petersberg in
Pinnow is connected to the island via long and dark corridors beneath the lake,
that made things easy for the little guy.
Strictly speaking, Schwerin castle is haunted. The
friendly castle spirit lives in the cellar vaults and in the attics and
corridors of Schwerin castle. He apparently shows itself to people in different
forms and shapes. As a guardian of the castle, he rewards the honest and the
good. Sometimes he turns up as an old man with a wrinkled face and a long
flowing beard. Another time he appears as a medieval horseman. He chases away
thieves with his nightly rumblings. The last sightings, recorded in writing,
are from 1913 and 1930. The ghost appeared to a young girl when part of the
castle was ablaze. A police officer claims to have seen a figure with a pointed
hat in the castle garden before it disappeared into the night.
Walk through Schwerin: Half– timbered houses and cobblestone streets
The old town of Schwerin is walkable and easy to
navigate. Visit the old town market, a popular square with cafés and a monument
that tells the story of the city's father Heinrich the Lion. From here it is
only a short walk of a few steps to Schwerin Cathedral with its 120 meters high
church tower. Stopover at Buschstrasse 15 to look at a timbered house that was build in
1698 that is home to a popular woodturner. If you keep on walking you reach the
popular Pfaffenteich. It is believed that a dam was built in the 12th century
to store the water for a mill. Later, this dam proved pretty useful for pastors
and bishops of the nearby cathedral congregation as they needed to water their
vegetables and plants. Hence today’s name ‘Pfaffenteich,’ pastor's pond.
Walk along the shore (August-Bebel-Strasse) and you will soon reach the Schwerin borough of Schelfstadt. It is believed that 'Schelf' stands for reed used to characterize the area with its swampy grounds. Keep walking up Körnerstrasse. Follow the narrow cobblestoned streets into the heart of the Schelfstadt, with its charming half-timbered houses and stately refurbished period properties. Fishermen and traders lived here long before Schwerin's official founding. The Schelfstadt was officially planned as a new town by Duke Friedrich Wilhelm at the beginning of the 18th century aiming to stimulate the economy and with that gain political independence. In 1832 the shelf city became part of Schwerin.
The GDR, East Germany, had lots of problems, one
major one was the lack of money and funding. At the end of the 1980s, the
houses in the Schelfstadt were neglected, severely damaged and decayed.
Imagining this now, as a history and architecture lover, it can be best
described as a sort of a 'crime,' but at the end of the 1980s, the houses were
to be demolished. Luckily, the houses and their stories were preserved and
refurbished, as we can see today. Walk all the way towards Puschkinstrasse and
turn to the right and walk back down towards the market square. On
Puschkinstrasse you can browse small shops and visit cafes and wine bars.
Please keep in mind that due to the threat of
Covid-19 it is fair to wear a face cover when you enter shops, churches, and
museums, to protect those around you. Right now, it is compulsory to wear a
face cover.
What you need to know to travel to Schwerin
Visa requirements for Germany
You can apply for the German
Schengen Visa, as a Member State of the EU, Germany is a member state of the
Schengen Area. Visitors from the Schengen countries do not need a passport or
visa, only a valid an ID-card or passport. Visit this website to see
whether you need a Visa to visit Germany.
How to get to Schwerin
By car. From Berlin roughly 210 kilometres. From Hamburg roughly 110 kilometres. There
is a visitor car park located at one of the entrances of the park. By public
transport: Take the train from Berlin central station to Schwerin, the commute
takes around two hours.
Best time to visit Schwerin
Summers are dry and can be hot with temperatures up
to above 30 degrees Celsius at times. Wear sunscreen. Spring is a pleasant
time, on good days temperatures can go up to 20 degrees Celsius. Autumn is a
colourful time to visit. Winter can be rainy and miserable, with the odd snow
day; on some days, temperatures can fall well below zero degrees Celsius. Wrap
up warm.
Germany – Currency and how to pay
Germany is a member of the European Union. The
official currency in Germany is the Euro. Exchange money on arrival at the
airport, or get some cash at an ATM. You can pay in cash still almost
everywhere in town (some shops/restaurants/cafes only accept cash though).
Credit cards are hardly if ever, accepted. The situation might change due to
the coronavirus covid19 epidemic as more and more businesses are asked to
accept cashless payment. Only time will tell if Germans are ready for cashless
payment. Until then, bring cash and be on the safe side.
Info, tickets and hours Schwerin Castle and Castle Garden
Schwerin Castle. Lennéstraße 1, 19053 Schwerin.
Tickets Adults EUR 8.50, reduced EUR 6.50. Annual pass EUR 50/ reduced EUR 30. Children under 18 years:
free. Audio guides EUR 2. Hours: Castle museum, April 14 to October 13, Tuesday
to Sunday 10am to 6pm. October 14 to April 13, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
Closed on Monday. Palace gardens and park, publicly accessible at any time. Please visit the website before your visit. Please
email for detailed information: info@schloss-schwerin.de.
Accessibility Schwerin Castle and Castle Gardens
The Schwerin Castle Museum is barrier-free. The
first and second floors are accessible by elevator. Access to the third floor
(event floor, with state rooms, including the throne room) is not barrier-free
(five steps, no lift). Access to the Hofdornitz with hunting and ceremonial
weapons is not barrier-free (nine steps, no stairlift). A disabled toilet is
located on the first floor (accessible by lift). There is a castle shop and a
cloakroom on the ground floor. Please email for detailed information: info@schloss-schwerin.de.
From Berlin with love