The History of the Müritz National Park
End of the ice age
Everything that had lived here before the Ice Age had migrated south or even became extinct. The climate became warmer again about 12,000 years ago, and the glaciers gradually retreated to the north. The ice desert was followed by a meager tundra with mosses, lichens and the first birch and pine trees. Mammoth, giant deer, reindeer and aurochs fed on this sparse vegetation, and they were occasionally followed by nomadic tribes of Stone Age hunters.
About the forest land
The milder the climate became over thousands of years, the more the landscape changed into forest land, to which increasingly people settled. Forests had to be cleared to make way for settlements, fields and pastures. People brought new plants and animals with them, consciously and unintentionally at the same time.
Migration
In the 6th and 7th centuries, something happened that still cannot be explained today: A migration of tribes began, in which Germanic settlers emigrated and Slavic tribes followed them into the deserted land. There is a lot of evidence of the Slavic settlement in the Müritz region, e.g. ramparts of former refuge castles.
Cities emerge
In the 12th century, German settlement of what is now Mecklenburg began again, which became evident in land use: While the Slavic inhabitants lived rather from hunting, fishing and occasional farming, the German settlers pursued intensive land development. The land was divided into estates, new villages and the first towns were built. Christian orders founded monasteries and built churches. New technologies, such as the construction of mills along waterways, were introduced into the country.
Wood becomes scarce
All this required land and a lot of wood for building and heating. The forests were destroyed more and more, until inevitably the first building material and energy crises occurred. This happened particularly quickly on the outwash plains. The fine-grained sands are very poor in nutrients and the humus was quickly used up. The settlers soon moved on and left the land to the returning forest. Until someone cleared it again.
Manor villages
In the 18th century, manors were created, which intensified agriculture. Therefore, the villages of the region often have beautiful manor houses, accompanied by the houses of farm workers. But poor soil remains poor soil, so in today's national park area agriculture could have never led to wealth.
Heath
The dramatic destruction of the forest occurred in the 19th century, when glassworks and charcoal kilns with an extremely high demand for wood were established. What remained were heaths, which today accompany old stories and images as an idyll. This is deceptive, because the truth is an overuse of the landscape and bitter poverty of the people.
Hunting
Before domestic animals were kept, hunting wild animals was essential for obtaining food. With the emergence of agriculture, people had to protect themselves from the hungry mouths of wild animals - little deer was the farmer's favorite. Hunting increasingly became a luxury of the lords. From 1833 to 1918, the area around Serrahn was the court hunting ground of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which he fenced off in 1848 to avoid coming into conflict with the surrounding farmers. In the 1920s, the Leipzig businessman Kurt Herrmann bought large areas on the eastern bank of the Müritz for the purpose of hunting. He built himself a noble hunting residence in Speck, fenced in about 7,000 ha and released exotic deer species in this "hunting park". With his excellent relations to the Hitler government he even procured hunting rights in the nature reserve Müritzhof at that time.
Forest fire and military training ground
In the summer of 1934, a shepherd near Klockow tapped out his pipe and a huge forest fire raged. The dry pine forests went up in flames and a wave of fire threatened villages and people. Finally it came to a halt in front of the marshy Havel lowlands. The Reich Labor Service cleared the areas and began new reforestations. The 2nd World War stopped this work and after the war the Soviet Army took over the forest-free areas as a military training ground.
Nature reserves
In 1931 the nature reserve "Müritzhof" was established on 300 ha. In 1949 it was extended to the 5,000 ha nature reserve "Ostufer der Müritz" (Eastern shore of the Müritz). In 1954 Karl Bartels and Kurt Kretschmann founded the Central Educational Center for Nature Conservation in the Müritzhof. In 1971 the nature reserve "Serrahn" was established.
State hunting
The GDR government established so-called "state hunting areas" from 1969. The first was the one on the eastern shore of the Müritz and included the largest nature reserve in the GDR. It became the personal hunting ground of the GDR's prime minister, Willi Stoph. In 1986, another state hunting ground was established around Serrahn.
Political change
In 1989, citizens of Waren demonstrated for the abolition of state hunting and the establishment of a national park. The idea for a national park at the Müritz already originated in the 1950s. It became reality after a short period of preparation during the reunification of the two German states in October 1990.
Foundation of the Müritz National Park
On September 12, 1990, after an indescribable race against time, the Council of Ministers of the GDR decided at its last session to establish 5 national parks, 6 biosphere reserves and 3 nature parks. On October 1, 1990, these decrees came into force. This day is considered the founding date for the Müritz National Park.