Mecklenburg-Strelitz Rural District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mecklenburg-Strelitz
District
Coat of arms
Country	Germany
State	Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Disbanded	September 2011
Capital	Neustrelitz
Area
• Total	2,089 km2 (807 sq mi)
Population  (2005)
• Total	84.259 (31. March 2,005)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Vehicle registration	MST
Website	mecklenburg-strelitz.de

Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a former district (like a county) in the southern part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. Imagine it as a region with its own local government. The city of Neubrandenburg, which was a separate city district, was almost completely surrounded by Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The original capital of the area, which was once a "duchy" (a land ruled by a duke), was the town of Strelitz. But in 1712, a big fire destroyed the town. Because of this, the duke decided to build a brand new town. He chose a spot near a small lake called the Zierker See. This new town was named Neustrelitz, which means New Strelitz in English.

The Mecklenburg-Strelitz district was created in 1994. It was formed by combining three older districts: Neubrandenburg, Neustrelitz, and Strasburg. In September 2011, this district was dissolved and became part of a larger new district.

What the Coat of Arms Means

The coat of arms for Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The coat of arms for Mecklenburg-Strelitz tells a story about its history.

Symbols on the Shield

• The Bull Head: You can see a bull head on a yellow background. This symbol was part of the coat of arms for the dukes of Mecklenburg. They were the rulers of this region for a long time.
• The Tower: The tower on the shield represents Stargard Castle. This castle was home to the dukes of Mecklenburg for many years. It was built in the 13th century and is known as the northernmost mountain-top castle in Germany.
• The Maltese Cross: The white Maltese cross reminds us of the Order of St. John of Malta. This group owned a lot of land in the area before the year 1648.

Towns and Communities

Mecklenburg-Strelitz had several towns and smaller communities. Some towns were "Amt-free," meaning they managed their own local affairs. Other smaller communities belonged to groups called Ämter. An Amt is like a local administrative group that helps manage several smaller towns and villages together.

Important Towns

• Neustrelitz: This was the main town and capital of the district.
• Feldberger Seenlandschaft: This is a larger community known for its beautiful lakes.

Communities in Ämter

Many smaller towns and villages were part of different Ämter. These Ämter helped organize local services for the communities within them. Some of the Ämter included:

• Friedland
• Mecklenburgische Kleinseenplatte
• Neustrelitz-Land (with its main office in Neustrelitz)
• Neverin
• Stargarder Land
• Woldegk