Schwerin | Recordare Domine A415

Schwerin palace, is an outstanding example of the last flourishing of court culture in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state in the north-east of Germany. The history of courtly music of Schwerin palace is reaching back into the sixteenth century, under Duke Johann Albrecht I (reigned 1547–1576), who was the founder of the court chapel at Schwerin.

The foundations of a continuous courtly music life were laid only when Duke Christian Ludwig II (reigned 1747–1756) reorganized the chapel, which became famous beyond the region. This was owed not only to the fact that the court chapel soon reached excellent standards, but primarily to the highly individual musical profile it could boast from about 1770 with its concentration – remarkable for a court of this size – of creative personages composing a great number of works written specifically for the ensemble. In 1747 Duke Christian Ludwig II appointed Adolph Carl Kunzen (1720–1781) as the first kapellmeister of his revived chapel. In 1754 he was followed by Johann Wilhelm Hertel, who was employed as court chapel composer, a position which ranked just below that of Superintendent of Court Affairs and above the rest of the Kapelle.

In the castle design, as seen today, designers intentionally used older structural elements from the 16th century and elements of French Renaissance, inspired by Chambord, to make reference to a royal structure, emphasising the grand duke’s claim to king-like status among the sovereigns of Europe. The beliefs of the Lutheran grand duke are reflected in the construction programme:by choosing to preserve the castle chapel, he consciously paid tribute to his ancestor Johann Albrecht I, who carried out the Reformation in Mecklenburg and built the castle chapel, which was the first Protestant place of worship in the state. The religious and historical orientation of Friedrich Franz II was also reflected in other construction and reconstruction projects: for example, he resurfaced the old ducal crypt in the Schwerin cathedral, renovated the baroque Church of St. Nikolai with the ducal burial place of the 18th century and built the Church of St. Paul from 1863 to 1869 in memory of his father, with a visual reference to the castle.

Cultural institutions that have remained part of the Residence are the State Theatre with the Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle, a symphony orchestra that evolved from the court orchestra, and the State Museum with the former ducal art collections, which are still largely intact and constitute the foundation of the museum’s holdings, to the Landeshauptarchiv (state archives) and Landesbibliothek (state library) with its highly significant collection of sheet music.

Schwerin palace musicians

Johann Wilhelm Hertel

1727 - 1789

Schwerin region

Schwerin castle was the political and cultural centre of the state and represents the historic birthplace of Schwerin capital city. A Slavic fort was built on this site as early as the 10th century. This structure was later rebuilt as a Germanic stronghold that developed into the residential castle of the dukes of Mecklenburg in the 14th century.

Schwerin was the seat of government, as well as fortress and living quarters for the dukedom of the Obotrites – the only reigning dynasty of Slavic heritage up to 1918 in Germany. The cradle of Mecklenburg history is located on the castle island. The Slavic fortress Zuarin was already situated here in the 10th century. After the founding of the city by Henry the Lion, it was the seat of the Counts of Schwerin and since 1358, became seat of the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg – who were themselves descendants of the Obotrites. The Schwerin castle reflects its era in a characteristic way, which was shaped by the crisis of monarchy versus the liberal forces of the so-called »Vormärz« period.

After 1918 Schwerin remained the state capital and became a parliamentary seat in the Weimar Republic. In communist East Germany, it was the seat of the Landtag (state assembly) and then of the Bezirkstag (regional assembly). The addition of the plenary assembly room in 1949 in the Burgseeflügel, which had been gutted by fire in 1913, underscores this continuity. Since 1990 Schwerin has been the state capital of Mecklenburg- Vorpommern. The castle, as the seat of the elected state parliament, is the political centre of the federal state.

Schwerin palace, is an outstanding example of the last flourishing of court culture in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state in the north-east of Germany. The history of courtly music of Schwerin palace is reaching back into the sixteenth century, under Duke Johann Albrecht I (reigned 1547–1576), who was the founder of the court chapel at Schwerin.

The foundations of a continuous courtly music life were laid only when Duke Christian Ludwig II (reigned 1747–1756) reorganized the chapel, which became famous beyond the region. This was owed not only to the fact that the court chapel soon reached excellent standards, but primarily to the highly individual musical profile it could boast from about 1770 with its concentration – remarkable for a court of this size – of creative personages composing a great number of works written specifically for the ensemble. In 1747 Duke Christian Ludwig II appointed Adolph Carl Kunzen (1720–1781) as the first kapellmeister of his revived chapel. In 1754 he was followed by Johann Wilhelm Hertel, who was employed as court chapel composer, a position which ranked just below that of Superintendent of Court Affairs and above the rest of the Kapelle.

In the castle design, as seen today, designers intentionally used older structural elements from the 16th century and elements of French Renaissance, inspired by Chambord, to make reference to a royal structure, emphasising the grand duke’s claim to king-like status among the sovereigns of Europe. The beliefs of the Lutheran grand duke are reflected in the construction programme:by choosing to preserve the castle chapel, he consciously paid tribute to his ancestor Johann Albrecht I, who carried out the Reformation in Mecklenburg and built the castle chapel, which was the first Protestant place of worship in the state. The religious and historical orientation of Friedrich Franz II was also reflected in other construction and reconstruction projects: for example, he resurfaced the old ducal crypt in the Schwerin cathedral, renovated the baroque Church of St. Nikolai with the ducal burial place of the 18th century and built the Church of St. Paul from 1863 to 1869 in memory of his father, with a visual reference to the castle.

Cultural institutions that have remained part of the Residence are the State Theatre with the Mecklenburgische Staatskapelle, a symphony orchestra that evolved from the court orchestra, and the State Museum with the former ducal art collections, which are still largely intact and constitute the foundation of the museum’s holdings, to the Landeshauptarchiv (state archives) and Landesbibliothek (state library) with its highly significant collection of sheet music.

Court musicians at the Schwerin Palace

Schwerin palace musicians

Johann Wilhelm Hertel

1727 - 1789

Schwerin region

Schwerin castle was the political and cultural centre of the state and represents the historic birthplace of Schwerin capital city. A Slavic fort was built on this site as early as the 10th century. This structure was later rebuilt as a Germanic stronghold that developed into the residential castle of the dukes of Mecklenburg in the 14th century.

Schwerin was the seat of government, as well as fortress and living quarters for the dukedom of the Obotrites – the only reigning dynasty of Slavic heritage up to 1918 in Germany. The cradle of Mecklenburg history is located on the castle island. The Slavic fortress Zuarin was already situated here in the 10th century. After the founding of the city by Henry the Lion, it was the seat of the Counts of Schwerin and since 1358, became seat of the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg – who were themselves descendants of the Obotrites. The Schwerin castle reflects its era in a characteristic way, which was shaped by the crisis of monarchy versus the liberal forces of the so-called »Vormärz« period.

After 1918 Schwerin remained the state capital and became a parliamentary seat in the Weimar Republic. In communist East Germany, it was the seat of the Landtag (state assembly) and then of the Bezirkstag (regional assembly). The addition of the plenary assembly room in 1949 in the Burgseeflügel, which had been gutted by fire in 1913, underscores this continuity. Since 1990 Schwerin has been the state capital of Mecklenburg- Vorpommern. The castle, as the seat of the elected state parliament, is the political centre of the federal state.