How did the aristocracy of Mecklenburg live between the 16th and the 18th century?

Written for the MFP by Claus Heinrich Bill

With three shots and two stabs miserably murdered undressed and covered with straw

Not all aristocrats of the early modern age in Mecklenburg were killed as brutally as the first lieutenant on horse Hans Christoph v. Lehsten (1618 - 1643), who was in the duty of Sweden, from which we know that he made his way up to some of the highest positions in the foreign army when he was still very young. He was robbed and killed by roaming soldiers, when he was on his way home to Krentzlin, Mecklenburg, to visit his father. He was part of the primeval aristocracy in Mecklenburg, who have already had representatives there in midiaeval times and that were mostly in the duty of local dukes.

He is one of the victims of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), which swallowed the lives of thousands of people - civilians as well as military personell. At the same time he is also an example for the way of an aristocrat's life in Mecklenburg in the 17th century.

Now, how did the aristocracy live at that time, how were they raised, educated, how did they chose their husbands or wifes, how did they die? All of these questions are being answered by a research project of the German Institute of Aristocratic Research (http://home.foni.net/~adelsforschung), which has evaluated over 150 funeral orations - the best source for this period of time.

Let's have a look at a fictitious example of the life of an aristocrat in Mecklenburg. He could be born in 1600 around the time of Easter, as the son of a landowner. The father was a member of the primeval aristocracy, as well as the mother, who belonged to a neighboring family, contributed a high dowry to the marriage, and gave birth to many children. Most of them died at a young age - some due to the bad hygiene, one at birth, and five were killed by the plague, which didn't exclude the aristocracy. But our young man survived. First he was educated by hired bourgeois teachers, for example pastors, at home. He learned reading, writing, and studied religion. Afterwards he went to a school, and then to the University of Rostock. Then he was sent to the Netherlands on an academic journey, where he was supposed to learn about the life and the way of reigning in foreign countries. Italy was a more usual destination, but the father didn't have enough money. The young man was accompanied by a titled, so called court master (="Hofmeister"), that wasn't much older. In the Netherlands he visited a number of universities, without actually studying anything, took a look at the military constitution and the courts of local dukes, learned dancing and fencing. Five years later he went back home. Since his elder brother had taken over the farm he had to enroll in military service, so he went to a Bishop in Bremen, where he was hired as an officer cadet. At that time there were no armies, regiments were built, given away for rent, and dissolved when they were unneeded. This way he travelled through Germany, always being promoted in his military rank. When his brother was killed in a duel (see: http://home.foni.net/~adelsforschung for information on the tradition of duels of Northern German aristocrats), and his father died of old age, he went back home to Mecklenburg, and took care of the land. He also became a counsellor and a confidant of the duke, so he also took over an administrative district as the chief officer. Soon thereafter an old wound, that he got during his military service, broke up and became inflamed. None of the doctors could help him, and so he died soon before he turned 40 in the year 1639 on his land.

So or in a similar way was the life of an aristocrat in Mecklenburg in the 17th century, quite privileged but also dangerous, since risking ones life was as perfectly natural as the take-over of free administrative positions in the country. Nationalism was unknown to the aristocracy, as a lieutentant you fought for all parties. A high degree of self-control and class-consciousness was needed, the parents and the family made great demands on the young aristocrats, also on the daughters, that were mostly being prepared for a life as a housewife and mother of a great number of children.

Those who are interested in this topic can read the funeral orations in the "Mecklenburgische Landesbibliothek Schwerin" (State Library of Mecklenburg in Schwerin), and go through the geneological goldmine at the Online-catalogue (Link: www.lbmv.de where there are also many non-aristocratic university graduates from Mecklenburg!

Translation by Daniela Garling