by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025
Schwerin Cathedral, originally a Roman Catholic church, is now an Evangelical Lutheran church in Schwerin, formerly in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now located in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist.
History
Schwerin Cathedral before 1845; Credit – Wikipedia
As early as 1154, a Christian church was documented in Schwerin, probably a wooden makeshift building. In 1175, the foundation stone was laid for the first cathedral, built in the Romanesque style. After about 74 years of construction, the cathedral was consecrated on June 6, 1249.
In 1222, Heinrich I, Count of Schwerin returned from the Fifth Crusade with a reliquary of the Holy Blood, an alleged drop of Jesus Christ’s blood contained in a jewel, which was placed in Schwerin Cathedral. Because of this relic, Schwerin Cathedral became the most important pilgrimage church in northeastern Germany. Soon, the Romanesque cathedral was no longer able to cope with the large number of pilgrims. This led to the complete reconstruction of Schwerin Cathedral in the Brick Gothic style, beginning around 1270. Due to the large number of pilgrims and their generous offerings, there was enough money for the construction of the new cathedral.
In 1327, the new choir was completed, along with the eastern side aisles of the transept. Since the new choir was now ready for worship, the first cathedral was completely demolished. By the end of the 14th century, the transept and the nave were completed except for the vaults, which were completed in 1419.
In 1524, during the Protestant Reformation, Schwerin Cathedral was confiscated from the Catholic Church and given to the Lutherans
The current tower is a Neo-Gothic addition, built from 1889 to 1893.
The Interior of Schwerin Cathedral
The current Schwerin Cathedral is a three-aisled Brick Gothic basilica with a large three-aisled transept, choir ambulatory, and chapel wreath, a chapel arranged around a semicircular or polygonal choir or ambulatory.
The blue stained glass windows in Schwerin Cathedral are among the last works of the artist Günther Uecker; Credit – Welt – Günther Uecker has died – Tribute to the great artist
The original colourful leaded glass windows were broken during the fighting at the end of World War II. Simple, unadorned, colorless window panes were installed after the war. The late German artist Günther Uecker, who died on June 10, 2025, designed new colored windows for the cathedral. The windows are made with bright blue backgrounds, which are a symbolic representation of the Virgin Mary, who is frequently depicted wearing blue, symbolizing purity, faithfulness, and heavenly status. In addition, the color blue represents the blue of the sky, the Mecklenburg Lake District, and the Baltic Sea. The installation of the new windows began in 2022.
Burials
Tombs in Schwerin Cathedral; Credit – Schwerin Cathedral – Viewpoint over Schwerin
Schwerin Cathedral and Doberan Minster in Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg, Germany, served as the main burial sites for members of the Mecklenburg and Mecklenburg-Schwerin families.
Unofficial Royalty: Mecklenburg-Schwerin Royal Burial Sites
- Niklot of the Obotrites (1090 – 1160), chief of the Slavic Obotrites and an ancestor of the House of Mecklenburg
- Heinrich I, Count of Schwerin (circa 1155 – 1228)
- Jutta of Hoya, Duchess of Mecklenburg (? – 1415), first wife of Johann IV, Duke of Mecklenburg
- Helene of the Palatinate, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1493 – 1524), second wife of Heinrich V, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Heinrich V, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1479 – 1552)
- Georg of Mecklenburg (1528 – 1552), son of Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
- Anna of Brandenburg, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1507 – 1567), wife of Albrecht VII, Duke of Mecklenburg
- Johann Albrecht I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow from 1547 to 1556 and Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1556 to 1576 (1525 – 1576)
- Anna Sophie of Prussia, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1527 – 1591), wife of Johann Albrecht I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
- Christoph, Duke of Mecklenburg (1537 – 1592)
- Elisabeth of Sweden, Duchess of Mecklenburg (1549 – 1597), wife of Christoph, Duke of Mecklenburg; cenotaph in Schwerin Cathedral, buried in Upsala Cathedral in Sweden
- Johann VII, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1558 – 1592)
- Sigismund August, Duke of Mecklenburg – link in German (1560 – 1600)
- Bernhard Sigismund of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (born and died 1641), infant son of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Augusta of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1643 – 1644), infant daughter of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Adolf Ernst of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1650 – 1651), infant son of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Heinrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (born and died 1653), infant son of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Philipp Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1652 – 1655), son of Adolf Friedrich I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, died in early childhood
- Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1800 – 1842)
- Nikolaus of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1855 – 1856), infant son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Alexander of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (born and died 1859), infant son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Auguste Reuss of Kostritz, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1822 – 1862), 1st wife of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Anna of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1843 – 1865), 2nd wife of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, died in childbirth
- Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1827 – 1879), son of Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Anna Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1865 – 1882), the teenage daughter of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, died of pneumonia
- Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1823 – 1883)
- Alexandrine of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1803 – 1892), wife of Paul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Friedrich Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1871 – 1897), son of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, an officer in the Imperial German Navy, died in a shipwreck
- Alexandrine of Prussia, Duchess Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1842 – 1906), wife of Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1850 – 1922), 3rd wife of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.
Works Cited
- Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Kirchengebäude in Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweriner_Dom
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin Royal Burial Sites | Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Unofficialroyalty.com. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-mecklenburg-schwerin/mecklenburg-schwerin-royal-burial-sites/
- Memorials in Cathedral of Schwerin – Find a Grave. (2025). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2328869/memorial-search?cemeteryName=Cathedral%20of%20Schwerin
- Schweriner Dom. (2025). Hartmutstein.com. https://hartmutstein.com/dom.html
- Schwerin Domgemeinde. (2021). Kirche-Mv.de. https://www.kirche-mv.de/index.php?id=1002&type=0
- Tourismusverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V. (2025). Schwerin Cathedral St. Marien and St. Johannis. Tourismusverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern E.V. https://www.off-to-mv.com/destinations/a-dom-schwerin
- WELT. (2025, June 11). Günther Uecker gestorben – Würdigung für großen Künstler. DIE WELT; WELT. https://www.welt.de/regionales/mecklenburg-vorpommern/article256236906/landesbischoefin-wuerdigt-gestorbenen-kuenstler-guenther-uecker.html
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Schwerin Cathedral. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
