Schwerin city centre and castle in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Herrnhut village in Saxony have been given UNESCO World Heritage status.

Schwerin Castle given UNESCO heritage status

Germany’s grand Schwerin Castle has been granted World Heritage status by the UN Educational, Scientific, Cultural and Communication Organization (UNESCO).

Known as the “Neuschwanstein of the North”, the original structure of Schwerin Castle was completed in 973, but major parts of the palace which remain today were built between 1845 and 1857 and survived bombing throughout WWII.

The city of Schwerin, as well as the castle, has been granted special status after the proposal was submitted 10 years ago.

The site is now one of the 54 UNESCO World Heritage locations recognised in Germany, others include Sansoucci Palace in Potsdam, the recognisable Gothic cathedral in Cologne, the gorge of the Rhine River and the city centre of Trier.

Saxony’s Herrnhut village listed as UNESCO World Heritage site

Added to the UNESCO list just days before, the Herrnhut village in Saxony has also been granted heritage status.

A settlement of the Moravian Church, the village was founded by Nicolas Ludwig, Count von Zinzendorf in 1722, who made land available to Protestant refugees from the Margraviate of Moravia, located in today’s Czechia.

According to 1722 records, the village was constituted of 76 houses. Since the mid-19th century, the population has declined while the area which officially makes up Herrnhut has been expanded.

Thumb image credit: Nico Schmedemann / Shutterstock.com