The Principality of Ratzeburg was a former state, existing from 1648 to 1918. It belonged to the

imperially immediate Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...

territory of

Duchy of Mecklenburg The Duchy of Mecklenburg was a duchy within the Holy Roman Empire, located in the region of Mecklenburg. It existed during the Late Middle Ages and the early modern period, from 1471 to 1520, as well as 1695 to 1701. Its capital was Schwerin. T ...

and was part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

. Mecklenburg was split up in the third partition of Mecklenburg in the 1701 Treaty of Hamburg, which created the semi-ducal states of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz, with the latter made up of the Principality of Ratzeburg and the Lordship of Stargard. Most of the Principality is now within the state of

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

History

1648-1806

1815-1918

Later developments

Territories

18th century administrative divisions

Coat of arms

Bibliography

Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch (also known as Carl Masch, Karl Masch or misspelled as Gottlieb Matthäus Carl Masch; 4 August 1794, Schlagsdorf – 28 June 1878, Demern) was a German theologian, rector, pastor, historian, numismatist and writer ...

: ''Geschichte des Bisthums Ratzeburg.'' F. Aschenfeldt, Lübeck 1835 (Volltext). *Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch: ''Das Ratzeburgische Wappen. In: Jahrbücher des Vereins für Mecklenburgische Geschichte und Altertumskunde .'' Band 1, 1836, S. 143–151 *Gottlieb Matthias Carl Masch: ''Gesetze, Verordnungen und Verfügungen, welche für das Fürstenthum Ratzeburg erlassen sind.'' L. Bicker, Schönberg 1851 *Theodor Scharenberg: ''Gesetze, Verordnungen und Verfügungen, welche in Kirchen- und Schulsachen für das Fürstentum Ratzeburg erlassen sind. Fortsetzung der Gesetzsammlung von Masch, soweit die letztere Kirchen- und Schulsachen betrifft.'' Spalding, Neustrelitz 1893 *Reno Stutz: ''Ratzeburger Land. Mecklenburgs ungewöhnlicher Landesteil zwischen Wismar und Lübeck.'' 2. Auflage. Neuer Hochschulschriften Verlag, Rostock 1997, .

External links

*http://www.landesbibliographie-mv.de/REL?PPN=247654159 *http://www.pfhl.de/fuerstentum/index.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Ratzeburg, Principality of Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire History of Mecklenburg Nordwestmecklenburg Former states and territories of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 1701 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire