Güstrow (; ) is a town 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 ...

. It is capital of the Rostock district;

Rostock Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (), is the largest city in the German States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the sta ...

itself is a district-free city and

regiopolis In Germany, a regiopolis is a city outside the core of a metropolitan area, that serves as an independent driving force for development within a larger region. The concept is used to develop midsized urban regions within regional, national and g ...

. It has a population of 28,999 (2020) and is the seventh largest town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since 2006 Güstrow has had the official suffix ''Barlachstadt''. The town is known for its

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

Güstrow Palace Güstrow Palace () is a Renaissance architecture, Renaissance-era palatial schloss in Güstrow, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, used as a museum and cultural centre. Built in 1558 for Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg, it is located close to t ...

, the

old town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

and its

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, ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

with Barlach's ''Floating Angel'' sculpture.

Geography

Güstrow is 45 kilometers south of

at the Nebel, an arm of the

Warnow The Warnow () is a river in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany. It flows into the Baltic Sea near the town of Rostock Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock ( ...

. The Bützow-Güstrow-Kanal (channel) is a navigable connection to the Warnow and used by tourists. There are five lakes ('' Inselsee, Sumpfsee, Parumer See, Grundloser See and Gliner See'') and several forests around Güstrow.

History

The name Güstrow comes from the Polabian Guščerov and means

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

place. In 1219 the Wendish castle Güstrowe was built where the renaissance palace stands now. Güstrow is said to be founded by Heinrich Borwin II, a grandson of

Henry the Lion Henry the Lion (; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty. Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of ...

, between 1219 and 1226 and was first mentioned in 1228 in the deed of city rights of

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Low German: ''Swerin''; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Zwierzyn''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germ ...

, confirmed by the sons of Heinrich Borwin II, who donated the cathedral as

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...

in 1226. Güstrow was a residence of the lords of

Werle {{Infobox country , native_name = ''Herrschaft Werle'' (Standard German, de) , conventional_long_name = Lordship of Werle , common_name = Werle , era = Middle Ages , status = Vassal , em ...

from 1229 until 1436. In 1441 the first privileged shooting society of Güstrow was founded. The

host desecration Host desecration is a form of sacrilege in Christian denominations that follow the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It involves the mistreatment or malicious use of a consecrated Sacramental bread, host—the bread used in ...

-trial of 1330 ended with the burning of 23 Jews and the destruction of the synagogue. The ''Kapelle des heiligen Bluts'' (Chapel of the Holy Blood) was built on the site of the synagogue. In 1503, 1508 and in 1512 fires destroyed the town and in 1556 the palace burned down. After the division of Mecklenburg (1621) it became the capital of the small Duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. (

Albrecht von Wallenstein Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland (; 24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein (), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Thirty Years' War (1618–16 ...

, the imperial general in the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, was a duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow.) In 1695 the last duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow died, and the duchy ceased to exist. Güstrow became a part of the

Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting H ...

. The famous sculptor

Ernst Barlach Ernst Heinrich Barlach (2 January 1870 – 24 October 1938) was a German Expressionism, expressionist sculptor, medallist, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in th ...

lived in Güstrow from 1910 to his death in 1938. During

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 ...

, Güstrow was the location of a labour camp of the

Reich Labour Service The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major paramilitary organization established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate ...

, a

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

-operated prison and a

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 ...

subcamp of the prison in Dreibergen. After the war, it formed 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 ...

Sights

There are several notable sights in Güstrow: * The

(or ''Schloss Güstrow'' in German), built in 1589 in

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

style, as a residence for the dukes of

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...

. One of the most important works of this era in the Baltic Sea region. Between 1963 and 1981 major restoration work was carried out, and a Renaissance garden was added, modelled after descriptions appearing in old engravings. * Güstrow Cathedral, a

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, ...

cathedral built between 1226 and 1335. Noteworthy are a late Gothic high altar (c. 1500), the tombs of Duke Ulrich III and his two wives (16th century), and the celebrated ''Schwebende Engel'' ("Hovering Angel"), the most famous work of the expressionist sculptor

, created in 1926 as a tribute to the victims of World War I. * St. Mary's church, a

parish church, partly remodelled in the 19th century * Ernst Barlach's ''Atelierhaus'' (studio), that exhibits a large collection of his works. * The town hall, originally built in the 13th century and rebuilt c. 1800 at the central market square.

Gallery

File:GüstrowSchloss&Park.JPG,

File:20230420 4470 Güstrower Dom.jpg,

Güstrow Cathedral File:20230928 9222- Ernst Barlach Der Schwebende.jpg, ''Floating Angel'' by

, 1927

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

WW1 memorial in the Cathedral File:Güstrow Pfarrkirche St. Marien 2012-07-11 097.JPG, St. Mary's Parish Church File:Güstrow Kerstingstraße Giebel der Domschule (01-2).jpg, Cathedral School (''Domschule'') File:20230420 Domschule Güstrow.jpg, Cathedral school File:Guestrow Rathaus.jpg, City Hall at the Market Square File:Güstrow Markt Blick von der Pfarrkirche St. Marien 2012-07-11 127.JPG, Gable houses at Güstrow's market square File:Ernst-Barlach-Theater Güstrow 2011-III.jpg, Theatre of Güstrow (''Ernst-Barlach-Theater'') File:Güstrow Postamt 2012-07-11 136.JPG, Main Post Office ( historicist architecture) File:Stadtmuseum Güstrow 2011.jpg, City museum and tourist info File:Guestrow-sowjet-ehrenfriedh.jpg, Soviet Cemetery File:Gut moor482.jpg, Inselsee (''Island Lake'') File:Güstrow, Natur&Umwelt Park28-30.06.08 254.jpg, Nature and Environment Park (''Natur- und Umweltpark Güstrow'') File:20230420 Armesünderturm Güstrow.jpg, The Armesünderturm

Education

Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung, Rechtspflege und Polizei Güstrow
(''University of Administration, Judicature and Police in Güstrow'') * John-Brinckman-Gymnasium Güstrow (public grammar school) * ecolea – International School Güstrow (private grammar school) * Freie Schule Güstrow e.V. * Secondary School "Richard Wossidlo" * Secondary School "Thomas Müntzer" * Primary and Secondary School "Schule am Inselsee" * Primary School "Georg Friedrich Kersting" * Primary School "Fritz Reuter" * Primary School "Schule an der Nebel"

Transport

City buses are operated by rebus GmbH. The town is the southern terminus of the Rostock S-Bahn.

Sport and leisure

The motorcycle speedway team MC Güstrow competes in the German league at the Güstrow Speedway Stadium.

Notable people

* Christian Geist (ca 1650–1711), a German composer and organist, who lived and worked in Scandinavia. * Joachim Daniel von Jauch (1688–1754), major general and baroque architect * John Brinckman (1814–1870), poet and short story writer of humorous works in Plattdeutsch. * Karl Christian Johann Holsten (1825–1897), a German Protestant theologian. * Ulrich Neckel (1898–1928), pilot in WWI and a recipient of the

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

medal * Harry Lehmann (1924–1998),

Max Planck Medal The Max Planck Medal is the highest award of the German Physical Society , the world's largest organization of physicists, for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics. The prize has been awarded annually since 1929, with few exceptions ...

award-winning physicist * Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky (1933–2023), jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, flautist, composer and author; ''father of

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

'' in the GDR * Peter Kurth (born 1957), a German actor.

Aristocracy

* Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg (1486–1547), Duke of

in Güstrow * John Albert I (1525–1576), duke of

Mecklenburg-Güstrow Mecklenburg-Güstrow was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in Northern Germany, that existed on three occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg at Güstrow. History A first short-lived predecessor existed after the death of Henry IV, Duke of M ...

from 1547 to 1556 and of

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Adolphus Frederick II divided ...

from 1556 to 1576. *

Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg Ulrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg or Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (5 March 1527 – 14 March 1603) was Duke of Mecklenburg ( -Güstrow) from 1555-56 to 1603. Early life Ulrich was the third son of Duke Albrecht VII and Anna of Brandenburg. ...

(1527–1603), Duke of Mecklenburg (-Güstrow) from 1555-56 to 1603. *

Charles I, Duke of Mecklenburg Charles I (28 December 1540 in Neustadt – 22 July 1610 in Güstrow), was the reigning Duke of Mecklenburg in the Mecklenburg-Güstrow part of the country. He was the youngest son of the Duke Albert VII and his wife, Anna of Brandenburg. Betw ...

(1540–1610 in Güstrow) Duke of Mecklenburg * Johann VII, Duke of Mecklenburg (1558–1592), Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin * John Albert II (1590–1636 in Güstrow), was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1608 to 1611, * Gustav Adolph, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1633–1695), last ruler of

from 1636 to 1695. * Karl, Hereditary Prince of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1664–1688), hereditary prince of

Sport

* Torsten Voss (born 1963), decathlete, silver medallist at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

* Frank-Peter Roetsch (born 1964), biathlete, twice gold medallist at the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...

* Patrick Kühl (born 1968), medley swimmer, silver medallist at the

Twin towns – sister cities

Güstrow is twinned with: *

Ribe Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,367 (2025). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged E ...

, Denmark *

Gryfice Gryfice (pronounced ; )". 1880. is a historic town in Pomerania, north-western Poland, with 16,600 inhabitants (2017). It is the capital of Gryfice County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The town is situated approximately 22 kilometres from the B ...

, Poland * Kronshagen, Germany *

Neuwied Neuwied (, ) is a town in the north of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, capital of the Neuwied (district), District of Neuwied. Neuwied lies on the east bank of the Rhine, 12 km northwest of Koblenz, on the railway from Frankfurt ...

, Germany

Climate

Notes

References

External links

* * *
Barlachstadt Güstrow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gustrow Cities and towns in Mecklenburg Populated places established in the 13th century 1228 establishments in Europe Populated riverside places in Germany