#duke adolf friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

[postcard-from-the-past]

Freidrich Franz Michael Wilhelm Nikolaus Franz-Joseph Ernst August Hans, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Christian Ludwig Ernst August Maximilian Johann Albrecht Adolf Friedrich, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Ernst August Christian Georg, Duke of Brunswick Georg Wilhelm Ernst August Friedrich Axel, Prince of Hanover

German vintage postcard, mailed in 1917 to Coburg

[theroyalwatcher]

The Wedding of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Princess Elisabeth of Stolberg-Rossla in 1924

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

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This place looks like a true fairy tale 🤩🏰 Schwerin Castle is a 19th-century Schloss built in the historicist style 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 while other parts are used for the palace museum, a restaurant, and cultural events, like open air theatre in the courtyard. Major parts of the current palace were built between 1845 and 1857, as a collaboration between the eminent 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 was designated a World Heritage Site in 2024. It is nicknamed the “Neuschwanstein of the North”. @unescoworldheritage Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, wife of King Christian X and Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, was born a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin at the castle on Christmas Eve of 1879.

Some Glimpses from Germany for your Weekend :)

[princessvictoriamelita]

Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and his only daughter Duchess Woizlawa Feodora, c. 1919.

[zitaofaustria]

[treasure-of-the-ancients]

Gold ducat minted by the authority of Duke Adolf Friedrich I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, dated 1639

from The Staatliche Kunstammlungen, Dresden

[smithsonianlibraries]

A reproduction of a painting by W. Kuhnert depicting “the Eruption of Namlagria” Adolf Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Friedrich’s 1910 book In the heart of Africa.

Full text available here.

[castlesandmedievals]

Schwerin Castle The Schwerin Palace (also known as Schwerin Castle, German: Schweriner Schloss, German pronunciation: [ʃvɛ ʁiːn']), is a palatial 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, the Lake Schwerin.For centuries the palace was the home of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg and later Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Today it serves as the residence of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament (German: Landtag).Major parts of the current palace 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 "Neuschwanstein of the North".  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerin_Palace    

[phfanfic-diekoenigin]

national & dynastic orders

A national order is an order bestowed by a sovereign state as part of a national honours system. These orders, conferred for the merit of the recipient(s), are typically categorised as either orders of chivalry or orders of merit.

Source.

A dynastic order, or house order, is an order under royal patronage, bestowed by the head of a currently or formerly sovereign royal family as legitimate fons honorum. These are often considered part of the cultural patrimony of the royal family. They are orders of chivalry, and orders of merit just as those distributed by sovereign states, but dynastic orders were often founded or maintained to reward service to a monarch, or the monarch's subsequent dynasty.

An example of this difference is seen between the Royal Victorian Order, in which appointments are made as a personal gift of the sovereign, thus is a dynastic order, and the Order of the British Empire, in which appointments are made by the sovereign on the basis of recommendations by the Prime Minister, and thus a national order.

Source.

The Kingdom of Mecklenburg currently has six national and dynastic orders within its national honours system.

They are listed below in rank, highest to lowest, general information regarding orders, and a list of wearers within the Royal House and Family.

The Royal Order of the Wendish Crown

Founded: 1864 by Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Friedrich Wilhelm II of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Royal Order

Named for the Wendish Crown, an archaeological discovery in the 19th century, given an invented tradition as part of the history of Mecklenburg. The Wendish Crown can be found on the full coat of arms of the House of Mecklenburg crowning the central helm and on the chain of the Order circling the shield

Only available to senior members of the Royal House, senior foreign royals, foreign heads of state

Officially a separate order to the Grand Ducal Order, since 1919

Reorganised into two ranks ‘Grand Cross with the Crown in Ore’ and ‘Grand Cross with the Crown in Gold’

The Crown in Ore is for senior members of the Royal House, foreign heads of states and the heir/ess apparent

The Crown in Gold is for lesser members of the Royal House and Family, the consorts of heads of states and the consorts of the heir/ess apparent

Number is unlimited

The ‘Crown’ referred to is the Wendish Crowns in the centre of the badge and star (as seen in the sidebar), and the four Crowns within the chain. However, the crown on the badge is made of diamonds for female recipients of the Crown in Ore

Only the senior rank, Crown in Ore, is awarded with the chain of the Order

Ribbon: Light blue, with outer yellow and red stripes

Motto: Per Aspera Ad Astra (Through Hardships To The Stars)

Similar to the Danish Order of the Elephant and the Swedish Order of the Seraphim

Wikipedia

House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz website

Pictures of the Chain

The Royal Order of the Griffin

Founded: 1884 by Friedrich Franz III of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in 1904, Adolf Friedrich V of Mecklenburg-Strelitz became co-Grand Master of the Order

Royal Order & Civilian Order

Named for the griffin on the House of Mecklenburg’s coat of arms, representing the Principality of Schwerin and the Lordship of Rostock

Available to lesser members of the Royal House or Family, or other female-line descendants, lesser foreign royals, foreign heads of government and national and non-national senior public servants, who have contributed to the kingdom

Officially a separate order to the Grand Ducal Order, since 1919

Some ranks’ numbers are limited

Ribbon: Yellow, with outer narrow red and yellow stripes

Motto: Altior Adversis (Against All Odds)

Similar to the British Order of the Bath - Civilian Division

Wikipedia

House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz website

The Order of the Obotriti

Founded: 1926 by Heinrich Ludwig I of Mecklenburg

Military Order

Named for the Slavic tribe which once ruled present-day western Mecklenburg. The founder of the House of Mecklenburg, Pribislav, was the last Obotrite prince

Available to members of the Royal House, or other female-line descendants, foreign royals and senior military officers/soldiers, who have seen service/command

Some ranks’ numbers are limited

Motto: Nec Temere, Nec Timide (Neither Rashly Nor Timidly)

Ribbon: Dark blue, with outer yellow, and narrow white and dark blue stripes

Similar to the British Order of the Bath - Military Division

The Order of the Veleti

Founded: 1926 by Heinrich Ludwig I of Mecklenburg

Cultural Order

Named for the Slavic tribe which once ruled present-day eastern Mecklenburg

Available to people who contribute to the arts, sciences, literature and culture of the kingdom

Some ranks’ numbers are limited

Motto: Non Pro Nobis Laboramus (We Labour Not For Ourselves)

Ribbon: White, with outer narrow light blue, red and yellow stripes

Similar to the French Order of Arts and Letters

The Royal Order of Johann Albrecht

Founded: 1920 by Heinrich Ludwig I of Mecklenburg

Royal Order

Named for Heinrich Ludwig I’s father, Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who had died early that year

Available to all who provide service to the Crown, and is usually considered to be a personal gift from the monarch, but can be awarded on behalf of any member of the Royal House or Family

Number is unlimited

Motto: Ioannes Albertus (Johann Albrecht)

Ribbon: Red, with outer white and light blue stripes

Similar to the British Royal Victorian Order

The Order of Mecklenburg

Founded: 1991 by Wilhelm Franz I of Mecklenburg

Civilian, Military and Cultural Order

Named for the Kingdom of Mecklenburg, following its reunification and union with the former Province of Vorpommern

Available to those who make a significant achievement for the kingdom

Number is unlimited

Cannot be awarded to members of the Royal House or Family

Motto: Unitatis In Posterum (Unity Into The Future)

Ribbon: Yellow, with outer white, and narrow red and light blue stripes

Similar to the Order of the British Empire

All orders can be made available to nationals and non-nationals of the kingdom

Royal Orders are awarded by the monarch by their own volition or nomination by members of the Royal House and Family, without interference by the government.

Civilian, Military and Cultural Orders are awarded by the monarch by their own volition, by recommendation of the government or nomination of nationals and non-nationals. The monarch reserves the right to deny any recommendations brought before them.

All orders, except the Order of the Wendish Crown and the Royal Family Orders, come with the rank Knight (Ritter for men and Ritterin for women) and the style within the Mecklenburgish nobility of ‘His/Her Excellency’.

Normally orders are to be returned after the death of the recipient (some used orders are placed in various museums around the nation and preserved for future generations, others are re-gifted), some are given to the nation of the recipient if the monarch wishes (i.e. for very important national figures such as presidents or monarchs).

Recipients of the orders are usually awarded as part of the New Year’s Honours on 1 January or Kingdom Day’s Honours on 28 June, each year, or during state visits. However, Royal Orders can be awarded at any time.

The monarch is the Grand Master of all national and dynastic orders, and is thus automatically a member, even in cases where they did not receive the Order formally. In other words, Queen Karolina Augusta I was awarded the Grand Cross with the Crown in Ore of the Royal Order of the Wendish Crown by her father when she became the heiress apparent on 1 January 1990, but was granted no further orders, aside from her father’s Royal Family Order, prior to his father’s death.

This means that outside of ceremonies and services dedicated to a particular Order which Karolina Augusta attends in her capacity as Grand Master, Karolina Augusta cannot wear the insignia of the Royal Orders of the Griffin,  of Johann Albrecht, or the Orders of the Obotriti, the Veleti, or of Mecklenburg when the dress code requires orders to be worn. Despite being queen, Karolina Augusta is less adorned than most of her family during official events.

For further information about orders, how they are worn, etc, please read here and here at Order of Splendor. I highly recommend checking out these links, they are full of fantastic information.

The Royal House of Mecklenburg and the Ducal House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Following the separation of the Order of the Wendish Crown and the Order of the Griffin into Royal and Ducal Orders in 1919, it has been a tradition for the heads of the two branches to award the other their version of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Griffin, with each version having differing insignia.

Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, became head of the Strelitz branch in 1996, but it was decided to delay awarding him with the Royal Order of the Griffin until the regency finished in 2006. On 17 September, 2006, The Queen of Mecklenburg and The Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz exchanged Grand Crosses of the Order of the Griffin.

During official events requiring orders to be worn, the Ducal Order of the Griffin will take precedence after the Royal Order of the Wendish Crown when worn by The Queen of Mecklenburg, while the Royal Order of the Griffin will take precedence after the Ducal Order of the Wendish Crown when worn by The Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The head of the Schwerin branch of the House of Mecklenburg, currently Prince Klaus Wilhelm, is not a Grand Master to any order, but previous heads of the Schwerin branch have been awarded Ducal Orders in the past out of courtesy. Prince Klaus Wilhelm has yet to receive either Ducal Order since assuming headship of the Schwerin branch in 2001.

Orders worn by The Royal House and Family of Mecklenburg, and their descendants and spouses (as of July 2014):

The Royal Order of the Wendish Crown

HM Queen Karolina Augusta I of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HM Queen Eleonora of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Prince Klaus Wilhelm of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Prince Albrecht Gustav of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Princess Veronica of Mecklenburg, Crown in Gold

HRH Princess Heinrike Franziska of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Princess Elisabeth Mathilde of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Princess Marie Anastasia of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Princess Cecilie Auguste of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Princess Alexandrine Luise of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

HRH Princess Marie Elisabeth of Mecklenburg, Crown in Ore

The Royal Order of the Griffin

HRH Prince Paul Ludwig of Mecklenburg, Knight Grand Cross

HRH Princess Evelyn of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HSH Hereditary Prince Michael of Schwarzburg, Knight Grand Cross

HH Prince Alexander of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Knight Grand Cross

HH Prince Harald of Denmark, Knight Grand Cross

HH Princess Helene of Denmark, Dame Grand Cross

HH Princess Feodora of Liechtenstein, Dame Grand Cross

HSH Prince Karl Emmeran of Liechtenstein, Knight Grand Cross

The Order of the Obotriti

HRH Prince Albrecht Gustav of Mecklenburg, Knight Grand Cross

The Order of the Veleti

HSH Prince Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Commander

HSH Princess Amalia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Commander

The Royal Order of Johann Albrecht

HM Queen Eleonora of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HRH Prince Klaus Wilhelm of Mecklenburg, Knight Grand Cross

HRH Prince Albrecht Gustav of Mecklenburg, Knight Grand Cross

HRH Princess Veronica of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HRH Princess Heinrike Franziska of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HRH Princess Elisabeth Mathilde of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HRH Princess Marie Anastasia of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HRH Princess Cecilie Auguste of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HRH Princess Alexandrine Luise of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HRH Princess Marie Elisabeth of Mecklenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HSH Hereditary Prince Michael of Schwarzburg, Knight Grand Cross

HH Prince Alexander of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Knight Grand Cross

HSH Prince Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Knight Grand Cross

HSH Princess Amalia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Dame Grand Cross

HH Prince Harald of Denmark, Knight Grand Cross

HH Princess Helene of Denmark, Dame Grand Cross

HH Prince Oskar of Denmark, Knight Grand Cross

HH Princess Feodora of Liechtenstein, Dame Grand Cross

HSH Prince Karl Emmeran of Liechtenstein, Knight Grand Cross

The Order of Mecklenburg

Members of the Royal House and Family are not eligible to receive this Order, however some of their descendants are, though none have received the Order of Mecklenburg to date.

[steliosagapitos]

    Schwerin Castle

    Schwerin Castle (German: Schweriner Schloss, German pronunciation: [ʃvɛ ʁiːn']), is a palatial 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, the Schweriner See.

For centuries the palace was the home of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg and later Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Today it serves as the residence of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament (German: Landtag).

Major parts of the current palace were built between 1845 and 1857, as a cooperation of the renowned history 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 "Neuschwanstein of the North".

The first records of a castle at this location date from AD 973. There was a fort of the Polabian Slav tribe of the Obotrites on an island in the large Lake of Schwerin.

In 1160, the fort became a target of Germanic noblemen planning to expand their territory eastward under the leadership of Henry the Lion (1129–1195). The Obotrites under Niklot destroyed the fort but left because of the Germanic military dominance.

   However, the German conquerors recognized the strategic and aesthetically interesting location of the island and started building a new fort. The foundation of the city of Schwerin took place in the same year. Schwerin became the seat of a bishopric.

In 1167, Henry gave the County of Schwerin to his vassal Gunzelin von Hagen, and the rest of the country around the city was returned to Niklot's son Pribislav, forming a ducal hereditary line that lasted until 1918.

   In 1358, the County of Schwerin was purchased by the descendants of Niklot, who had been elevated to Dukes of Mecklenburg in 1348. They soon relocated farther inland from Mikelenburg, near the city of Wismar, to Schwerin. During the late Gothic era, the growing prosperity and position of the dukes led to a growing need for a representative castle, and this meant architectural changes to the fortress settlement. The Bishop's House (Bischofshaus) from that period remains intact.

Under John Albert I, Duke of Mecklenburg (1525–1576), the building faced important changes. The fort became a palace, and the defensive functionality of the fortress was replaced with ornamentation and concessions to comfort. The use of terracotta during the Renaissance was dominant in North German architecture, and Schwerin's terracotta was supplied from Lübeck.

    A few years after reworking the main building itself, from 1560 to 1563, John Albert rebuilt the palace's chapel. It became the first new Protestant church of the state. The architecture was inspired by churches in Torgau and Dresden. The Venetian Renaissance gate, its gable showing the carrying of the cross, was made by Hans Walther (1526–1600), a sculptor from Dresden. Windows on the northern face show biblical illustrations by well-known Dutch artist Willem van den Broecke ("Paludanus") (1530–1580).

    As the ducal residence needed additional defences, despite its island site, some time in the middle of the 16th century bastions were established to the north-west, south-west and south-east. They were probably built by the same Italian architects who, under Francesco a Bornau, also designed the Dömitz Fortress. The bastions were later modified several times, and are still standing today.

Before the Thirty Years' War, the architect Ghert Evert Piloot, who had entered Mecklenburg's service in 1612, made plans to completely rebuild the palace in the style of the Dutch Renaissance. In 1617, work began under his supervision, but soon had to cease because of the war. Piloot's plans were partially realized between 1635 and 1643: the house above the palatial kitchen and that above the chapel were razed and given Dutch Renaissance style façades.

During this period, a half-timbered building was constructed near the chapel to house the archducal collection of paintings. Also, the Teepavillon (tea house) was built.

The court moved to Schloss Ludwigslust in 1756.

In 1837, the ducal residence moved back to Schwerin, but the building was in a relatively bad condition, and the Grand Duke disliked the individual buildings' incongruent origins and architectural styles.

Grand Duke Friedrich (1800–1842) instructed his architect Georg Adolph Demmler (1804–1886) to remodel the palace. However a few months later, construction was halted by his successor, Friedrich Franz II (1823–1883), who wanted a complete reconstruction of the historic site. Only some parts of the building dating from the 16th and 17th century were retained.

Dresden architect Gottfried Semper (1803–1879) and Berlin architect Friedrich August Stüler (1800–1865) could not convince the Grand Duke of their plans. Instead, Demmler included elements of both of them into his plan, but found inspiration in French Renaissance castles. The castle became the most admired masterpiece of the student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. He also planned a government building in 1825-1826 located at Schlossstraße (today the State Chancellery).

Renaissance châteaux of the Loire Valley (such as Chambord) also inspired him and contributed to the construction from 1843 until 1851.

His successor Stüler again made a few alterations, and included an equestrian statue of Niklot and the cupola. Heinrich Strack (1805–1880) from Berlin was chosen for the interior design. Most of the work was carried out by craftsmen from Schwerin and Berlin.

    A fire destroyed about a third of the palace in December 1913. Only the exterior reconstruction had been completed when the revolution in 1918 resulted in the abdication of the Grand Duke. The castle later became a museum and in 1948 the seat of the state parliament. The German Democratic Republic used the palace as a college for kindergarten teachers from 1952 to 1981. Then it was a museum again until 1993. The Orangerie had been a technical museum since 1961. From 1974 on, some renovated rooms were used as an art museum.

    Since late 1990, it is once again a seat of government, as the seat of the Landtag (the state assembly of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Since then there have been massive preservation and renovation efforts. Most of these were finished by 2014.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Ernst August, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, Prince of Hanover Prince Georg Wilhelm Ernst August Friedrich Axel of Hanover Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duke Christian Ludwig Ernst August Maximilian Johann Albrecht Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

German vintage postcard

[princessvictoriamelita]

Dowager Grand Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin with her sons, Duke Henry and Duke Adolf Friedrich, late 1890s.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Baby Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, later Queen, among her mother's paternal relatives. (July 1938).

From left to right: Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick Francis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands holding baby daughter Princess Beatrix, Duke Christian Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine of Oldenburg, Duchess Woizlawa Feodora of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Duke Adolf Friedrich and Duchess Viktoria Feodora of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1917/1918.

[princessvictoriamelita]

The Confirmation of Duke Christian Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1928.

Back row: Hereditary Grand Duke Frederick Francis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duke Frederick Francis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Prince Hubertus of Prussia.

Middle row: Duchess Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, Duke Christian Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia and Prince Olga of Hanover.

Front row: Duchess Anastasia, Duchess Woizlawa Feodora and Duchess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

[princessvictoriamelita]

Grand Duke Frederick Francis II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin's children from his third marriage to Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. 1890s.

From left to right: Duke Friedrich William (1871-1897), Duke Henry (1876-1934), Duchess Elisabeth Alexandrine (1869-1955) and Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1873-1969).

"In a storm on the morning of September 22, 1897, the torpedo boat S 26 capsized on the way home from an exercise by the torpedo boat division in the Elbe estuary near Cuxhaven, at approximately the height of the lightship Elbe 1.

The S 26 torpedo boat was caught aft by a sea approaching behind, then thrown sideways and capsized. Immediately after the accident, the division boat D 3 of Captain Schaefer tried unsuccessfully to tow the capsized boat. The rescue operation failed due to the steadily increasing swell. With the keel up, the boat swam about an hour before the stern straightened and then sank. Friedrich Wilhelm and seven of his crew drowned, some of them trapped in the false deck. Eight crew members survived and were recovered. They probably only survived because their commander had ordered the wearing of life jackets early on after the loss of the torpedo sailor Schwabrowski from S 27".

Source: internet