Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Mecklenburg symbolizes the individual governments, that, in the course of history joined to form the country of Mecklenburg:

History of Mecklenburg in 25 Facts

Book 1: Paul E. Garling: The Garling Family from 1751 to 1953; Kerr Printing Company Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 1954
Book 2: Abraham Crider: Genealogy of the Garling Family; compiled and written 1910
Hans: Hans Garling, born about 1688, he is the ancestor of all Mestlin / Ruest Garling's

Currency in Mecklenburg

Taler 1864

Schilling 1844

Pfennig 1872

The three currency levels in Mecklenburg were: Taler, Schilling and Pfennig (symbols from left to right).
Till 1848 one 2/3 Taler was 32 Schilling, 12 Pfennig added up to one Schilling. Another name for the Mecklenburg 2/3 Taler was Gulden. To make the Mecklenburg Taler compareable with the Taler in other German states, the value was defined: from 234 g silver 17 Taler were made.
From 1848 till 1873 one Taler was 48 Schilling, 12 Pfennig were one Schilling. I. e. 234g silver 14 (full) Taler = 21 Gulden (2/3 Taler) = 672 Schilling.
From 1873 on the German currency units were Mark and Pfennig (one Mark was 100 Pfennig).

And here some prices: in 1819 one "Pfund" (550 g) from 3 to 4 Schilling (source: Flasch, S.: Die Kosten einer Reise von Friedland nach Sternberg vor 120 Jahren. - In: Mecklenburgische Monatshefte - Rostock 3 (1927) 8 - S.441.) and in 1848 a taxi ride within Schwerin 6 Schilling and a ride to a suburb from 10 to 24 Schilling (of course it was a horse cab) (source: Jesse, W.: Geschichte der Stadt Schwerin. 2 Bde. - Schwerin: Baerensprung, 1920).

The daily payment of a Tageloehner (day laborers) around 1820 was approx. 10 Shilling (men), 6 Shilling (women), a workday started at 5 am and lasted till dusk (including a two hour break).

The first post stamps were selled in 1856, the last stamps in 1867. In 1868 Mecklenburg joined the "Norddeutscher Postbezirk", which published own stamps

After 1-May-1848 one letter within a town costs 1/2 Schilling, upto 3 miles 1 Schilling, upto 6 miles 1 1/2 Schilling and above 6 miles 3 Schilling.
After 1-July-1867 one letter within a town costs 1/2 Schilling (upto 16,67 g = 1 Lot) and 1 Schilling (upto 15 Lot = 1/2 Pfd.), upto 5 miles 1 Schilling, from 5 to 10 miles 2 Schilling, from 10 to 20 miles 3 Schilling, and above 20 miles 5 Schilling.

Ancient History in Mecklenburg

Approximately 10,000 years ago Stone Age reindeer-hunters went through the cold steppe of the Post Ice Age. Later, settlements of hunters and fishing people developed. Woodland was cleared to pursue farming. Towards the end of the 4th century the Eastgermanians started moving southward. The formerly densely populated land grew to be deserted wilderness.

During the 6th and 7th century Slav tribes moved in from the east. The center of the Slav live were their fortresses. The expensionist tendencies of the German emperors, kings and feudal lords, and especially the differences between Christianity and paganism, lead to constant fights between the Germans and the Slav. In 1160 the Slav suffered their decisive defeat under the Obotritenfuerst Niklot against the Saxon king Henry the Lion.

The Development of Serfdom in Mecklenburg

Towards the end of the 12th and during the 13th century German colonists, primarily from Westphalia, settled in Mecklenburg. In progress of colonization the first churches and monasteries were built. During colonization the land was being cultivated by free farmers that were obliged to pay tax-like tributes ("Bede" and "Zehnt") as well as services to the prince and to church. Other than that they could work the way they wanted to and live pretty well from their products.

Soon, agricultural businesses that usually belonged to knights developed in the villages. In the beginning they only difference between the knights' and the peasants' farm steads was the bigger size and the breeding of draft horses and horses for fighting.

The power, especially the owning of land, was shared by sovereign (the duke, later the grand duke: "Dominalämter"), the clergy (monasteries: monasterial offices), the cities and the rural secular aristocracy (knights, later landlords: knightly offices).

The knights became the heart of the armed forces. Based on this fact they were able to improve their social position in the 14th century. They successfully fought for independence of the dynasty, richess and power. The sovereign gave them sovereign authorities. For example, knights were now allowed to ask tributes and services from peasants, as well as they were now entitled to control jurisdiction. The sovereign also sold and pledged the country's land. The peasants grew more and more dependant. Formerly free state subjects became estate subjects.

During the 30 Years War many villages became deserted, fields lay fallow. After the war the aristocracy (landlords, the new word "knight" with its military meaning became less and less appropriate) found new ways to enrich themselves: First he took posession of abandoned pieces of land. Not much later knights started violently taking land and forcing the peasants into serfdom. In 1654 serfdom was confirmed by law.

The social changes were reflected in village life as well: Instead of peasant's houses cottages for day-laborers were built. Instead of knightly residences manors were being built. This way the land of "manors and cottages" developed. Until 1820 almost all knightly peasants had become landless day- laborers.

In Mecklenburg serfdom took on propertions that were unknown in the other parts of Germany. Even though serfdom was officially abolished in 1820, afterwards small farmers and hereditary leasehold steads were supported: the strong subjectal relations in Germany did not change very much till the beginning of World War One.

Professions and related Terms in Mecklenburg

We find a lot of different rural professions: Tagelöhner, Knecht, Magd, Hauswirth, Hausmann, Büdner, Kossate, ... . These professions are explained in the Mecklenburg FAQ.