Bützow is a town in the district of Rostock in

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; ), also known by its Anglicisation, anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a Federated state, state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's States of Germany, sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpom ...

in north-eastern

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, centered on

Bützower See Bützower See is a lake in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its si ...

History

The town was first mentioned in 1171. From 1815 to 1918 Bützow was part of the

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 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 C ...

, from 1871 within the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. From 1933 to 1945, during Nazi rule and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, a Nazi prison was operated in the Dreibergen district with multiple

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

subcamps located in various places in the region. After the war, the town was part of

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

until 1990. On 5 May 2015, the town was struck by an F3

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

which caused severe damage to many buildings, including the local hospital. This tornado grew to 1.5 km wide (1500m)

Culture

Medieval

Bützow Castle Bützow Castle () is a castle in Bützow, Germany. The castle is built on the foundations of a Slav fortress, and served as the residential castle of the bishops of Schwerin. It was transformed into a Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is ...

is located in Bützow. The town also has a medieval

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (, , ) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Baltic region, Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resources of standing rock (though Glacial erratic, ...

church, which contains an

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

made by the Master of the Bützow Altarpiece (1503). Bützow also has one of the last German monuments dedicated to Lenin, a memorial stone located at Leninring.

Notable people

Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten (5 April 1768 – 20 May 1810) was a German mineralogist. Among the most notable of Karsten's writings is a mineralogy book published in 1789 when he was only 21 years old. In later years Karsten held senior governme ...

(1768-1810),

mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...

Karl Johann Bernhard Karsten Karl Johann Bernhard Karsten (26 November 1782 – 22 August 1853) was a German mineralogist known for contributions made to the German metallurgy industry. Biography Karsten was born at Bützow in Mecklenburg-Schwerin and initially studied l ...

(1782–1853),

. *

Else Hirsch Else Hirsch (29 July 1889 – 1942 or 1943) was a Jewish teacher in Bochum, Germany, and a member of the German Resistance against Nazi Germany. She organized transports of Jewish children to the Netherlands and England, saving them from Nazi de ...

(1889-1943), Jewish teacher and member of the German Resistance

Sport

Eckhard Martens Eckhard Martens (born 12 June 1951 in Bützow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) is a German rower. He competed for the SC Dynamo Berlin / Sportvereinigung (SV) Dynamo The Sportvereinigung Dynamo () (''Dynamo Sports Association'') was the Sports assoc ...

(born 1951), rower, team silver medallist at the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

Torsten Fröhling Torsten Fröhling (born 24 August 1966) is a German football coach and former player. He has been head coach of Altona 93, Holstein Kiel II, Holstein Kiel, VfB Oldenburg, 1860 Munich II, 1860 Munich, Wehen Wiesbaden and Schalke 04 II. Playin ...

(born 1966), soccer player and football coach; played 109 games *

Andrea Philipp Andrea Philipp (born 29 July 1971) is a retired German sprinter. A three-time Olympian, she won a bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 1999 World Championships (tied with Merlene Frazer), and a gold medal in the 100 metres at the 1990 Worl ...

(born 1971), sprinter and three time Olympic competitor

People who have worked in Bützow

Sophie Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel Sophie Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel (16 July 1678, Kassel – 30 May 1749, Bützow) was a princess of Hesse-Kassel and by marriage Duchess of Mecklenburg. Life Sophie Charlotte was a daughter of Count Charles of Hesse-Kassel (1654 to 1730) fr ...

(1678-1749),

Duchess of Mecklenburg This is a list of the duchesses and grand duchesses; the consorts of the duke Mecklenburg and later the grand duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Strelitz Duchess of Mecklenburg Mecklenburg-Schwerin Line (III) Mecklenburg-Strelitz Line Grand ...

, lived in Bützow and founded the German Reformed Church *

Wenceslaus Johann Gustav Karsten Wenceslaus Johann Gustav Karsten (15 December 1732 – 17 April 1787) was a German mathematician. In 1768, Karsten published a graphic representation of infinitely many logarithms of real and complex numbers. He was a professor of Mathematics at t ...

(1732-1787), mathematician, grew up locally with his grandfather; twice rector of the University of Bützow

References

Cities and towns in Mecklenburg 1230s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1236 establishments in Europe Populated places established in the 13th century {{LandkreisRostock-geo-stub