Mecklenburg Castle
The Mecklenburg (mean age = Michilin-/Michelin-/Mikelinburg " great castle " ), was the original headquarters of the princes of the Niklot and his son Pribislaw derived princes and dukes of Mecklenburg and lay to the south of the field of today's community village Mecklenburg Wismar. From the castle has not been preserved today still shows a mound. Your early name Wiligrad led to the naming of the present castle Wiligrad.
Construction
The complex covered an area of 23196 m², the largest exterior length was 234 meters, the largest exterior width 185 meters and the maximum height of 12.75 meters. The protected, elliptical interior of the castle had a size of about 1.4 hectares. For the construction of the first walls in box type construction in oak planks and piles according to scientific calculations, the movement of 25,000 m³ of earth mass and the procurement of 9400 cubic meters of wood were necessary.
History
The first Slavic castle wall in the area of Mecklenburg was archaeological excavations According built in the second half of the 7th century on the tip of a peninsula. Finds Slavic ceramics from the layers behind the castle walls can be assigned to the so-called Feldberg type. Oldest dendrochronological belong to the late 7th century. To the 680 system was first renewed, later followed repeatedly conversions. The construction of the moated castle was carried out by a mighty mound Walls in seven phases in the time difficult to access moorland. According to archaeological findings, the stronghold for the Abodrites seems to have exercised a suburb function and was in close contact with the nearby early medieval trading center Reric.
The Slavic name of the castle is not known. Maybe he was Weligrad what would " Large Castle " mean. The German name ( Michel castle in the year 995 ) is likely to be a translation.
Since the 10th century, the castle is occupied as offices and main castle of the princes abodritischen. The Judeo- Andalusian merchant Ibrahim ibn Jacub she called 965 as Nakons castle. After the father had Nakons 931 adopted the Christian faith was at the castle end of the 10th century, a church dedicated to the Apostle Peter with adjoining convent, the abbess the abodritische Princess Hodica board. The Mecklenburg also served as a de facto bishopric of Hamburg Slavs Diocese: Here resided at 995 Mecklenburg Bishop rhyme Bert and his successor Bernhard ( 1013/14-1023 ). King Otto III. mentioned on 10 September 995 first documented the Mecklenburg.Sie was known in the Baltic Sea for its huge slave market. From Mikel castle was built in the course of time Mecklenburg. During a punitive expedition of Henry the Lion against his fragile peace vassals Niklot this castle in 1160 put on fire. Subsequently, the Saxon duke taught there a breakpoint under Henry of Schaten, but was overrun in 1164 by Niklot son Pribislaw and abandoned by the Saxons.
The rebuilt of the Niklotiden castle demolished Johann I von Mecklenburg in 1256 to use the material for the construction of the castle in the then flourishing town of Wismar. After the castle was in 1277, again built during the guardianship proceedings during the captivity of Henry the pilgrim for the Mecklenburg princes and the rulers of Werle, who carried out their raids from here, they 45 years later fell again - now finally - the destruction of the victim. From the settlement below the castle, the village Mecklenburg emerged in the mid -14th century. After the superficial ablation of the debris of the wall was used for agriculture by farmers. The first planting of oaks place in the year 1856. 1870 put to the cemetery of the village in the still clearly recognizable, up to seven meters high rampart on. At the castle today remembers the street name on the castle wall.
Excavations
Friedrich Lisch led on the grounds 1839-41 by first excavations and surveys. 1854, the Wall was declared by Grand Ducal decree to the floor monument. Renewed, extensive excavations at a cutting length of 52 meters on the south wall and on an area of 1175 m² in front of the castle there was in the years 1967-71 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Claus Donat of the Academy of Sciences.