Mecklenburg

Until the end of the 12th century Mecklenburg-region belonged to the Slavic dominated areas of the southern Baltic region, which remained in pagan believe. Christianity established itself finally with the immigration of Christian settlers from the west of the empire around 1200. This historical change is illustrated by few archaeological finds. Testimonies to this process include the holder of polycandelon-type chandelier, a nodus as part of a cross-base or candlekstick, and fragments of romanesque censers, all of which were discovered during systematic detector searches by volunteer archaeologists on late-slavonic settlement sites and in a castle.

Bei den archäologischen Untersuchungen im slawischen Burgwall von Schwerin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) wurden umfangreiche Funde von Nashornkäfern (Oryctes nasicornis (LINNAEUS, 1758)) und Balkenschrötern (Dorcus parallelipipedus (LINNAEUS, 1758)) aus einer Bauphase des Walles von um 960-965 AD geborgen. Nashornkäfer liegen als Larven, Puppen und Adulte vor, wobei insbesondere die unverdrückten Chitinhüllen der Puppen in den verstärkten Puppenkammern außergewöhnlich gut erhalten sind. Auf mehreren Nashornkäferpuppen waren Raubmilben (Gamasina) nachzuweisen. Balkenschröter sind nur als geschlüpfte Adulte in Puppenkammern überliefert. Kokons der mediterranen Dolchwespe Megaseolia maculata (DRURY, 1773), die im zeitgleichen Burgwall von Brandenburg vorkommen und Hinweise auf ein wärmeres Klima in der Mittelalterlichen Warmzeit sind, wurden in Schwerin nicht gefunden.

The paper deals with the ambiguous origination of the symbol of Griffin in the Duchy
of Pomerania, i.e. the way how the motif was implemented in the Pomeranian culture, as well as when it happened and in which form. The paper includes an analysis of the oldest iconographic relics from Pomerania with an image of Griffin and it offers some explanations why that symbol appeared in the Duchy. The paper also provides some information on the origin of the symbol as far back as the ancient and medieval times.

Seal matrices belonging to two members of nobility and a clergy of former principality Werle found during metal detector prospection are described. The seal of Johannes de Kargowe was in use in the late 13th – early 14th centuries, the seal of Otto Cosegarde is from the 15th century. Both matrices were found near medieval motte castles. The clergy Barthold Swartepape was a member of a rich civil family in Plau am See. His seal matrix was found near Stralsund, far from the place were he is recorded in mid 14th centuries deeds.

The paper presents selected results of the excavation in Mecklenburger Straße 11 in the town of Wismar (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany). On the one hand, the focus is on the archaeological features of the courtyard areas of the 13th century, which provide insights into the early plot organisation in the Hanseatic town. On the other hand, the pilgrim badges from the excavation are presented, which give information on the practice of piety, mobility and the far-reaching connections of the town in the 13th century.

The paper provides a summarised overview of the current state of knowledge of the early development of the Hanse town Wismar (Northern Germany) in the light of archaeological features.
Along with the topics of house building, infrastructure and town fortification, some new ideas concerning the location of the first port of Wismar (“portus Wissemer”) are presented.

An investigation into tenth-century Ottonian imperialism across the Elbe-Saale, tracing the roots of present-day conceptions about the "Saxon March," comparing those conceptions to material and charter evidence, and concluding with an analysis in light of Widukind's narrative describing Wichmann the Younger's mid-century rebellion.

An incomplete skull of the lower Toarcian ichthyosaur Stenopterygius cf. quadriscissus is described from the lower Toarcian of Dobbertin (Mecklenburg, northeastern Germany). It represents both the northeasternmost occurrence of this ichthyosaur genus and the first diagnostic specimen from East Germany. It therefore extends the palaeobiogeographic range of Stenopterygius considerably and demonstrates that this ichthyosaur also inhabited the Germanic Basin east of the Rhenish Massif by Early Jurassic times. A palaeobiogeographical pattern is evident within the genus Stenopterygius, with the ubiquitous species S. longifrons and S. hauffianus on one hand, and S. rnegalorhinus and S. quadriscissus on the other hand, which appear not to have ranged northwest of the London-Brabant Massif. It is suggested that, whereas the Rhenish Massif was not an effective barrier for dispersal of ichthyosaurs in Western Europe during early Toarcian times, the London-Brabant Massif played a rather significant role, as is also shown by the fossil record of other marine reptile groups. A provincialism of early Toarcian marine reptiles is suggested for Western Europe, with a northwestern province which contains the British occurrences, an intermediate, Subgermanic province in France and the Benelux countries, and a southeastern province in the Germanic Basin. The British and Germanic provinces are each characterized by a typical assemblage of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and marine crocodiles, wheres the intermediate Subgermanic region shows an intermingling of faunal elements.

During archaeological excavation at the place of  the Neubrandenburg synagogue, built in 1876 and devastated by the Nazis in 1939 its foundation was recorded. The synagogue was built on a former post medieval grave yard near the town wall in the North of the city.

L. Radohs, Vom portus Wissemer zur Hansestadt Wismar – Untersuchungen zur Stadtentstehung Wismars im 13. Jahrhundert auf Grundlage der archäologischen Quellen. Findbücher, Inventare und kleine Schriften des Archivs der Hansestadt Wismar 5 (Wismar 2016).

In der Archäologie war es lange Zeit eine gängige Annahme, Formenkreise mit Werkstätten und damit mit den Herstellungsorten der untersuchten Objekte zu verbinden. Erst mit der Einsicht, dass formale Ähnlichkeiten unabhängig von ihrer Herstellung entstehen können, wurde angemerkt, dass Werkstätten nur durch eine genaue Kenntnis aller Objekte einer formalen Gruppe, und dann auch nur durch eine intensive Betrachtung der Stücke, bestimmt werden können. Diese Aussage muss jedoch noch weiter eingeschränkt werden. Die Bestimmung einer prähistorischen Werkstatt ist nur dann möglich, wenn Produktionsspuren, Metallkompositionen und andere Eigenschaften des Objekts, die Hinweise auf seine Fertigung liefern, ein großes Maß an Übereinstimmungen aufzeigen. Denn erst diese Übereinstimmungen lassen den Schluss zu, dass die Herstellung auf eine Person oder einen vertrauten Personenkreis zurückzuführen ist.

A fossil shark tooth of the White Shark Cosmopolitodus hastalis is described from a medieval cess pit in the Hanseatic town of Wismar. The tooth originally belonged to a Natternzungenkredenz - a salt vessel protected by shark teeth (glosspetrae) against poison.

Rezeptionsgeschichte; Sternberg als Teil der Geschichte von Hostienschändungsprozessen; Das Jahr 1492 und die europäischen Judenvertreibungen; Interessen der beteiligten Persönlichkeiten und Institutionen; Der Prozess um die angebliche Hostienschändung; Der Verteilungskampf um die Wallfahrtseinkünfte; Der Text der "Urgicht"

The medieval wooden sculptures in the Lower Rhine and the Maasland region have been the focus of much art historical interest. Various inventory and exhibition projects in the twentieth century comprehensively recorded and arranged the numerous works available in the region and assigned them to different known or unknown artists or art landscape groups of works, according to the status of the respective research claim. Important here are such renowned names as Master Arnt Beeldesnider, Dries Holthuys, the Master of Elsloo, Jan van Steffeswert and Hendrick Douwermann, who afforded a hierarchical systematisation, including possible students and successors. However, numerous fragments and sculptures cannot be integrated into previously ordered systems and so receive less attention. The basis for a revision of the Lower Rhine and Maasland medieval wooden sculptures lies in the application of large-scale research efforts toward medieval wooden sculpture and panel painting in the Mecklenb...

The medieval wooden sculptures in the Lower Rhine and the Maasland region have been the focus of much art historical interest. Various inventory and exhibition projects in the twentieth century comprehensively recorded and arranged the numerous works available in the region and assigned them to different known or unknown artists or art landscape groups of works, according to the status of the respective research claim.
The basis for a revision of the Lower Rhine and Maasland medieval wooden sculptures lies in the application of large-scale research efforts toward medieval wooden sculpture and panel painting in the Mecklenburg and Nordschleswig/Sønderjylland regions. The concept is to apply comprehensive digital mapping of wooden sculptures in the Lower Rhine region. This could help to identify small, peripheral art centres and make the distribution channels of art transfer comprehensible.

When in 2007 the rulers of an elite group of industrialized nations met in Germany to hold their G8 summit, the venue of Heiligendamm was not a random choice. Certainly, the remote location enabled security forces to prevent protesters, who numbered in the tens of thousands, from disturbing the summit. A more convincing reason to choose Heiligendamm, however, was its air of luxury and seclusion, which derives from its long history as a place where the elites have rubbed shoulders and members of high society have socialized. In this article, I will shed some light on the composition of the elite that met in the Mecklenburg seaside spa of Heiligendamm during the 19th century and document the process of its transition, by presenting evidence from the official visitors' lists of the bathing facilities. At the same time, I want to reassess the dictum of the spa's internationality. Did the elite that visited this venue have a transnational character? Did European elitist circles become established during the leisure activities? In what way and to what extend was internationality important to Heiligendamm?
[For the published version go to: https://www.degruyter.com/view/book/9783110585193/10.1515/9783110585193-002.xml]

From 1936 to 1972, in total 151 graves from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman Iron Age were discovered on the cemetery of Wusterhusen near Lubmin, now belonging to the Vorpommern-Greifswald district. Archaeologists from the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald (W. Petzsch, H. Gau, H.G. Hackbarth, H. Schubart, I. Nilius) have conducted the excavations. The results were presented in 1982 as a diploma thesis at the Humboldt University at Berlin, and five years later printed with this volume.