Draft:Schwerin Residence Ensemble

Schwerin Castle is a central part of Schwerin Residence Ensemble

Since January 15th, 2015, the Schwerin Residence Ensemble has been on the German tentative list for future proposals by the Federal Republic of Germany for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Efforts to be included in the World Heritage List began in 2000 on the initiative of the association “Pro Schwerin e. V.”. The idea of the UNESCO application as a "Schwerin Palace Ensemble" was confirmed by a resolution of the city representatives in 2001. Further, the idea was confirmed by a corresponding resolution of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament in 2007. In 2010, the cooperation agreement for joint support of the application between the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Schwerin state capital was concluded. In 2015, the "Welterbe Schwerin Förderverein e. V." was founded due to civic commitment. In the same year, the Scientific Advisory Board for the Schwerin World Heritage application was constituted, which was appointed by the then Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The application was handed over to UNESCO in Paris on February 1, 2023.

Criteria

The Schwerin Residence Ensemble is nominated under criteria (iii) and (iv).

Criterion (iii) - "With its exceptionally cohesive state of preservation, the Schwerin Residence Ensemble is a testament to monarchical tradition and symbolism of the Mecklenburg-Schwerin dynasty, which derived its claim to rule from the Slavic Obotrite princes and throughout history maintained its local seat of power. The Residence Ensemble intended to represent the power of the monarchy, to justify it theologically, but also to provide court infrastructure. Numerous buildings provide references to the dynastic history such as, the Neo-Renaissance reference to the local Johann-Albrecht style, the monumental Niklot statue, monograms or ducal burial sites."

Criterion (iv) - "The Schwerin Residence Ensemble is a prime example of a 19th century European Royal Residence and illustrates an intricate group of buildings that express and function as monarchical symbolism, religious legitimation, state administration, service infrastructure and military power. Schwerin Palace is a highlight of European historicist Residence Palace architecture. From the Baroque Palace Garden to the historicist Palace and the early modernist State Archives, the Ensemble illustrates continuous stylistic development from the 18th century to the end of the monarchy in 1918. The Schwerin Residence Ensemble is sophisticated in terms of its architecture, design, and function, but also exceptionally comprehensive in its range, cohesiveness and preservation."