Pfaffenteich

Schelfstadt is a central quarter of the city of Schwerin, capital of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state of Germany.

Schwerin (German: [ʃveˈʁiːn] (listen); Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Low German: Swerin; Latin: Suerina, Suerinum) is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. It has around 96,000 inhabitants, and is thus the least populous of all German state capitals. Schwerin is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Schwerin (Schweriner See), the second-largest lake of the Mecklenburg Lake Plateau after the Müritz, and there are eleven other lakes within Schwerin's city limits. The city is surrounded by the district of Northwestern Mecklenburg to the north, and the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim to the south. Schwerin and the two surrounding districts form the eastern outskirts of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The name of the city is of Slavic origin, deriving from the root "zvěŕ" (wild animal) or "zvěŕin" (game reserve, animal garden, stud farm). Schwerin was first mentioned in 1018 as Zuarina and was granted city rights in 1160 by Henry the Lion, thus it is the oldest city of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. As main residence of the House of Mecklenburg, a dynasty with Slavic roots also known as the Obotrites or Niklotides, Schwerin was the capital of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1379 to 1815, of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (after the duke was elevated to the title of a grand duke) from 1815 to 1918, of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1918 to 1934, of the State of Mecklenburg (after it was merged with the Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) from 1934 to 1952, and of the District of Schwerin from 1952 to 1990. The romantic Schwerin Palace, situated on Castle Island between Lake Schwerin and Castle Lake, known for its golden dome, the Castle Church, the throne room, and the Niklot statue, used to be the seat of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and since 1990, it is the seat of the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Schwerin's silhouette is completed by the towers of Schwerin Cathedral, St Paul's Church and St Nicholas' Church. Because of only minor damage in World War II, the city has a largely intact building structure, both in the Altstadt (Old Town) and Schelfstadt (Reed City) quarters. Major industries and employers include high technology, machine building, healthcare, government agencies, railway supply, consumer goods and tourism. Schwerin has two academic colleges, the Schwerin campus of the "Fachhochschule des Mittelstands" (University of Applied Sciences of the Mittelstand), and the Schwerin campus of the "Hochschule der Bundesagentur für Arbeit" (University of the Federal Employment Agency). There is a regional airport in Parchim, southeast of the city, while Hamburg Airport serves as the city's main airport.

The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a territory in Northern Germany held by the House of Mecklenburg residing at Schwerin. It was a sovereign member state of the German Confederation and became a federated state of the North German Confederation and finally of the German Empire in 1871.

Schwerin Cathedral (German: Schweriner Dom) is an Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral located in the town of Schwerin, Germany. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint John. Along with St. Mary's Church, Lübeck and St. Nicholas' Church, Stralsund, it is one of the earliest large examples of Brick Gothic architecture.It was built following the move here of the seat of the Bishopric of the Abodrites, established by Henry the Lion, from the old city of Mecklenburg in the late 12th century. The first cathedral was built of timber. The foundation stone of the stone cathedral of the Prince-Bishopric of Schwerin was laid in 1172. After a construction period of seventy-six years, it was consecrated in 1248. During the Reformation in 1524, it was confiscated from the Catholic Church and given to the Lutherans. It is now the seat of the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg. In 1222 Count Henry of Schwerin returned from the Fifth Crusade with a reliquary of the Holy Blood, an alleged drop of Christ's blood contained in a jewel. This was placed in the cathedral, and caused it to become a place of pilgrimage. During the 14th century the nave and transept were completed, as well as the chapter buildings. At the end of the 15th century the cloister on the north side was finished. The tower, 117.5 metres high, was constructed between 1889 and 1893. It is the tallest church spire in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Schwerin Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station of the capital of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and is located in the northwest of the central city. It includes four tracks on two platforms and a siding west of the fourth track. Currently the station is used by about 12,000 passengers a day.

Neustadt Palace (German: Neustädtisches Palais)(also: Marienpalais) is a representative, magnificent building in the Schwerin Schelfstadt from the 18th century. The house at Puschkinstrasse 19 is a listed building. Since June 2006 it has been the headquarters for the Ministry of Justice of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The Schwerin tramway network (German: Straßenbahnnetz Schwerin) is a network of tramways forming the key feature of the public transport system in Schwerin, the capital city of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Opened on 1 December 1908, the electrically powered network is currently operated by Nahverkehr Schwerin GmbH, and has four lines.

The Schelf Church of St. Nicholas (German: Schelfkirche St. Nikolai) is an Evangelical Lutheran church dedicated to Saint Nicholas in the Schelfstadt quarter of Schwerin in Germany. The church is owned and used by a congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany. It was originally built in 1238, but was rebuilt in 1713 in the Baroque style after destruction by a storm. It is the family burial place of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, including Sophia Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

The Mecklenburg State Theatre (German: Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin) is the principal theatre of Schwerin in Germany. Its main theatre (or Großes Haus) seats 650 people and is used for the performance of plays, opera, musical theatre and ballet. Designed by Georg Daniel, the present building was built between 1883 and 1886 after the previous court theatre had been destroyed by fire in 1882. It was inaugurated on 3 October 1886 with a performance of Gluck's Iphigénie en Aulide with Marie Wittich in the title role. The complex also includes the State Museum in Schwerin (Staatliche Museum Schwerin) and a 240-seat concert hall, now used for performances of chamber works. All theatres were closed for the autumn season of 1944, with the staff drafted wherever possible. By German standards, wartime casualties and destruction by bombing in Schwerin were small, in spite of nightly RAF raids and the droning of massive bomber pulks as silver specks on the sky during the day on their way to Berlin. Americans were the first to enter the town in the spring of 1945, handing it over to the British until the Russians arrived. These ordered the immediate reopening of the theatre, taking great interest in light operas and operettas as an art they very much appreciated, but until then out of their reach in most parts of Stalin's Soviet Union. Not familiar with Central European culture, one saw their well-fed ladies wearing night gowns during the invariably full houses as a substitute for an evening dress. In the immediate years to follow, there was a gradual exodus of key staff to the West, where few found equivalent employment. The ensuing vacancies provided new chances for many musicians, who were prepared to stay in East Germany to gain important positions there in their later career. Lutz Kreisel was the chief stage designer of the Mecklenburg State Theatre from 1971-2007.

The Staatliches Museum Schwerin (State Museum Schwerin) is an art gallery and museum in Schwerin in Germany. It was established by Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1882 its historicist Haupthaus as the Staatsgalerie next to the Staatstheater. Its other locations are opposite the Schweriner Schloss and in the former residences at Schloss Güstrow and Schloss Ludwigslust.

Burgsee is a lake at Schwerin, Nordwestmecklenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. At an elevation of 37.8 m, its surface area is 0.111 square kilometres (0.043 sq mi).

Schwerin Castle (German: Schweriner Schloss, also known as Schwerin Palace, German pronunciation: [ʃvɛ ʁiːn']) is a schloss located in the city of Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state, Germany. It is situated on an island in the city's main lake, Lake Schwerin. For centuries, the castle was the home of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg and later Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Today parts of it serve as the residence of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament (German: Landtag), other parts are open for tourists. Major parts of the current castle were built between 1845 and 1857, as a cooperation of the renowned historicist architects Gottfried Semper, Friedrich August Stüler, Georg Adolf Demmler and Ernst Friedrich Zwirner. The castle is regarded as one of the most important works of Romantic historicism in Europe and is designated to become a World Heritage Site. It is nicknamed the "Neuschwanstein of the North".