Güstrow

Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
Wappen = Wappen Güstrow1.svg
lat_deg = 53 | lat_min = 47 |lat_sec = 38
lon_deg = 12 | lon_min = 10 |lon_sec = 35
Lageplan = Güstrow_in_GÜ.pngLageplanbeschreibung =
Bundesland = Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Landkreis = Güstrow
Höhe = 14
Fläche = 70.86
Einwohner = 31083
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 18273
Vorwahl = 03843
Kfz = GÜ
Gemeindeschlüssel = 13 0 53 031
Adresse = Markt 1
18273 Güstrow
Website = [http://www.guestrow.de/ www.guestrow.de]
Bürgermeister = Arne Schuldt
Partei = parteilos

Güstrow (pronounced|ˈgʏstʀoː) is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Güstrow. Population: 34,000 (1999).

History

Güstrow was first mentioned in 1228. It is said to be founded by a grandson of Henry the Lion. Güstrow became a summer residence of the dukes of Mecklenburg in the 14th century. After the division of Mecklenburg (1621) it became the capital of the small duchy of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. (Albrecht von Wallenstein, the imperial general in the Thirty Years' War, 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 famous sculptor Ernst Barlach lived in Güstrow from 1910 to his death in 1938.

Sights

There are several notable sights in Güstrow:
* The "Schloss" (German for Castle), built in 1589 in Renaissance style, as a residence for the dukes of Mecklenburg. Between 1963 and 1981 major restoration work was carried out, and a Renaissance garden was added, modelled after descriptions appearing in old engravings.
* The Cathedral, a Brick Gothic 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 Ernst Barlach, created in 1926 as a tribute to the victims of World War I.
* St. Mary church - a Brick Gothic church, rebuilt in the 19-th century
* Ernst Barlach's "Atelierhaus" (studio), that exhibits a large collection of his works.

People

*Joachim Daniel von Jauch (1688-1754), major general and baroque architect
*Harry Lehmann (1924-1998) Max Planck Medal award winning physicist

Twin cities and towns

(alphabetic list)
* Ribe, Municipality of Esbjerg, Denmark
* Valkeala, Finland
* Kronshagen, Germany
* Gryfice (Greifenberg), Poland
* Neuwied, Germany