Mecklenburg-Güstrow

Mecklenburg-Güstrow was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in Northern Germany, that existed on three separate occasions ruled by the House of Mecklenburg at Güstrow.HistoryA first short-lived predecessor existed after the death of Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg, in 1477 and the partition of the land among his sons in 1480, when Albert VI received the estates of the former Lordship of Werle around Güstrow. Nevertheless, Albert died without issue in 1483 and his lands were again inherited by his younger brother Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.When Magnus died in 1503, his sons Henry V and Albert VII at first ruled jointly over the entire Mecklenburg duchy until its renewed division by the 1520 Neubrandenburg Treaty. Albert, a fierce opponent of the Protestant Reformation, had insisted on the partititon and became duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, while his brother Henry retained Mecklenburg-Schwerin. However Mecklenburg de jure remained undivided, both brothers held the title of Duke of Mecklenburg and, as Henry only left one insane son when he died in 1552, the Schwerin lands fell back to Albert's sons Ulrich III and John Albert I.