Mecklenburg-Güstrow

Mecklenburg-Güstrow was a historical duchy in northeastern Germany, located along the Baltic Sea coast. It was part of the larger Mecklenburg region, which was historically inhabited by Slavic tribes before German domination and Christianity were introduced in the 12th century.1

The Mecklenburg dynasty was founded by Przybysław, son of an Obotrite ruler. In the 13th century, the region was divided, with one of the resulting lines being Mecklenburg-Güstrow. This duchy existed intermittently, notably in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and again from 1520 to 1695. Güstrow served as its seat and was the capital of Albrecht von Wallenstein's brief duchy of Mecklenburg during the Thirty Years' War.12

After the extinction of the Güstrow line in 1695, Mecklenburg was reunited but then permanently divided into Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The historical Mecklenburg region is now part of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.1