Mecklenburg and the Third Rome — the Evocation of Empire

Abstract

This article examines the scale of the propaganda for the Russian Empire in Mecklenburg. For many years, the Duchy in the north-east of the Holy Roman Empire had been one of the leading powers in the southern Baltic region. And although the political significance of Mecklenburg steadily faded after the Thirty Years’ War, the dukes continued to act on the European stage. In the 18th Century in particular, many and varied contacts arose between the Russian ruling house and that of Mecklenburg. Both the Tsars and the dukes were united in their efforts to prove their rank in the nobility and make themselves known to the outside world. In exploiting their dynastic relationships, very different media were used to present royal power. In this way, a Russian Imperial decoration might become the starting point for other representations of power. The Mecklenburg royal family were particularly concerned with emphasising the imperial rank of their allies. Undoubtedly, this involved associating the empire with Rome and its successors (“translatio imperii”), and references to a “Third Rome” which were also clearly made in Mecklenburg.