Mecklenburg-Strelitz
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Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy and later grand duchy in northern Germany, roughly consisting of the present day district of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (the historical Stargarder Land), bordering areas of modern-day Brandenburg with the town of Fürstenberg and the area around Ratzeburg in modern Schleswig-Holstein.
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[edit] History
It was established in 1701, roughly on the territory of the former duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. The capital was Neustrelitz. In 1808, the duchy joined the Confederation of the Rhine. The Congress of Vienna recognized it as a grand duchy and member of the German Confederation. Mecklenburg-Strelitz joined the North German Confederation in 1867, and became a part of the German Empire in 1871. On January 1, 1934 it was united with the neighbouring state of Mecklenburg-Schwerin to form the State of Mecklenburg (today part of the Bundesland Mecklenburg-Vorpommern).
The US county Mecklenburg (Charlotte, North Carolina) is named after Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Strelitz-born Princess Charlotte (queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom). The flower Strelitzia ("Bird of Paradise") also is in honor of her home country. Queen Luise of Prussia also was a born princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
The lingering end of the ruling family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz occurred just prior to the loss of actual monarchy in developments of First World War — at that time, there existed only two surviving recognized male dynasts of Strelitz, the young Grand Duke Adolf Frederick VI and his cousin Duke Charles Michael who was in Russian service, being a son of a grand duchess. In 1914 after the death of Grand Duke Adolf Frederick V and before the proclamation of war between Germany and Russia, Duke Charles Michael (d 1934) renounced his Mecklenburgish citizenship and in 1918 his rights to succession of Strelitz (though possibly not of Schwerin). On 23 February 1918, Grand Duke Adolf Frederick VI committed suicide, leaving no male heirs of the Strelitz line. In the unclear and possibly heirless situation, the agnate Grand Duke Frederick Francis IV of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (possibly the rightful heir, though the case was yet under adjudication) was appointed as the regent of this small grand duchy.
From Count George of Carlow (d 1963) - also known as Duke George of Mecklenburg, who was the morganatic nephew (son of Duke George Alexander and Countess Natalia Carlow) of Duke Charles Michael, descends a male-line family of today Mecklenburg (lead by George Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg). Their dynastic status is under discussion, depending on the validity of the family-act of Frederick Francis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (d 2001) to recognize him as dynast of Mecklenburg with rights to succession.
[edit] Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1701-1815
- Adolf Friedrich II 1701-1708
- Adolf Friedrich III 1708-1752
- Adolf Friedrich IV 1752-1794
- Karl 1794-1815
[edit] Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1815-1918
- Karl 1815-1816
- Georg 1816-1860
- Friedrich Wilhelm 1860-1904
- Adolf Friedrich V 1904-1914
- Adolf Friedrich VI 1914-1918
- Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1918 (Regent)
[edit] Heads of the House post-monarchy
- Duke Charles Michael 1918-1934
- Duke Georg 1934-1962
- Duke Georg Alexander 1962-1996
- Duke Georg Borwin 1996-present
Heir: Duke Alexander of Mecklenburg (born 1991)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
 Holy Roman Empire – Lower Saxon Circle (1500–1806) |
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| Ecclesiastical princes | Bremen* | Halberstadt* | Hildesheim | Lübeck | Magdeburg* | Ratzeburg (until 1701) | Schwerin* |
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| Secular princes | Bremen† | Brunswick: Blankenburg (until 1731), Calenberg‡, Celle, Grubenhagen‡, Lüneburg‡, Wolfenbüttel | Hanover (from 1708)| Holstein: Glückstadt, Gottorp | Mecklenburg: Güstrow (until 1695), Schwerin, Strelitz | Rantzau (until 1734) | Regenstein | Saxe-Lauenburg‡ | |
| Imperial cities | Bremen | Goslar | Hamburg | Lübeck | Mühlhausen | Nordhausen | |
| * until 1648 † from 1648 ‡ until 1708 | ||
 States of the Confederation of the Rhine (1806–13) |
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|---|---|---|
| Rank elevated by Napoleon |
Kingdoms: Bavaria | Saxony | Württemberg Grand Duchies: Baden | Hesse |
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| States created | Kingdoms: Westphalia Grand Duchies: Berg | Frankfurt‡ | Würzburg |
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| Pre-existing states |
Duchies: Anhalt: Bernburg, Dessau, Köthen | Arenberg | Mecklenburg: Schwerin, Strelitz | Nassau | Oldenburg | Saxony: Coburg-Saalfeld, Gotha-Altenburg, Hildburghausen, Meiningen, Weimar*, Eisenach*, Weimar-Eisenach** Principalities: Hohenzollern: Hechingen, Sigmaringen | Isenburg-Birstein | Liechtenstein | Lippe-Detmold | Reuß: Ebersdorf, Greiz, Lobenstein, Schleiz | Salm: Kyrburg, Salm | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Waldeck |
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| * until 1809 ** from 1809 † until 1810 ‡ from 1810 | ||
 States of the German Confederation (1815–66) |
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|---|---|---|
| Empires | Austria |  |
| Kingdoms | Prussia | Bavaria | Saxony | Hanover | Württemberg | |
| Electorates | Hesse | |
| Grand Duchies | Baden | Hesse | Luxembourg | Mecklenburg: Schwerin, Strelitz | Oldenburg | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | |
| Duchies | Anhalt: Bernburg¹, Dessau¹, Köthen² | Brunswick | Holstein | Limburg | Nassau | Saxony: Altenburg³, Coburg-Saalfeld4, Coburg-Gotha³, Gotha-Altenburg4, Hildburghausen4, Lauenburg, Meiningen | |
| Principalities | Hesse-Homburg | Hohenzollern-Hechingen5| Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen5 | Liechtenstein | Lippe | Reuss: Elder, Junior | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Waldeck and Pyrmont | |
| City-states | Bremen | Frankfurt | Hamburg | Lübeck | |
| 1: Merged to Anhalt from 1863; 2: until 1847; 3: from 1826; 4: until 1826; 5: until 1850 | ||
 States of the North German Confederation (1866–71) |
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|---|---|---|
| Kingdoms | Prussia | Saxony |  |
| Grand Duchies | Hesse | Mecklenburg: Schwerin, Strelitz | Oldenburg | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | |
| Duchies | Anhalt | Brunswick | Saxony: Altenburg, Coburg and Gotha, Meiningen | |
| Principalities | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Lippe | Reuss: Elder, Junior | Waldeck-Pyrmont | |
| City-states | Bremen | Hamburg | Lübeck | |
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States of the German Empire (1871–1918) |
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| Kingdoms | Prussia | Bavaria | Saxony | Württemberg |  |
| Grand Duchies | Baden | Hesse | Mecklenburg: Schwerin, Strelitz | Oldenburg | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | |
| Duchies | Anhalt | Brunswick | Saxony: Altenburg, Coburg and Gotha, Meiningen | |
| Principalities | Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Lippe | Reuss: Elder, Junior | Waldeck-Pyrmont | |
| City-states | Bremen | Hamburg | Lübeck | |
| Other | Alsace-Lorraine | Colonial possessions | |
