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The Baltic Sea Coast at Zinnowitz at sundown. Photo taken in 2011
And now the answers to the Germany Quiz on Mecklenburg-Pommerania. There are many reasons why the state is so special to Germans. It is the state where many people growing up before and after 1990 went to for their vacation, both while growing up as well as while having families. For many foreigners and expatriates, it is a jewel where nature and history go hand in hand. Much of the state was not affected by World War II and the bombings that devastated much of Germany. And lastly, as you will see in the answer sheet to this quiz, there are many places to visit if you have not been there yet. So without further ado, lets look at the reasons why we should visit the northeastern most state in the Bundesrepublik, shall we?
MATRIX:
Image may be NSFW.
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1. What is the capital of Mecklenburg-Pommerania? ANS: Schwerin
2. What is the largest city in Meck-Pomm? ANS: Rostock
3. Which of the places in the matrix are islands? ANS: Usedom and Rügen
4. Which of the places in the matrix is a lake? ANS: Müritz
5. Name two cities whose respective universities are among the oldest in Europe. ANS: Rostock and Greifswald FAQ: The University of Rostock was founded in 1419, while the university in Greifswald was established 37 years later.
5a. Which other cities have colleges? ANS: Güstrow, Schwerin, Stralsund, Neubrandenburg and Wismar
6. Prior to 1945, Pommerania was considered one of the states belonging to first the Prussian kingdom and later the German Empire. The eastern half was given to Poland through the usage of the Oder-Neisse border implemented by the Soviets in 1946 and respected by Helmut Kohl in 1990 at the time of German Reunification. There are six former German cities that belong to the Polish part of Pommerania. Which ones are they?
ANS: Stettin, Swinemünde, Pyritz, Bütow, Rummelsberg and Greifenberg
7. Which town (mythical, according to sources) sank to the bottom of the Baltic Sea because of a major tide?
ANS: Vineta (Note: A separate article is in the works…..)
8. The Störtebeker Festival, the largest and most popular open-air action festival in Germany, can be found on which island?
ANS: Rügen
9. The Ozeanum, a large maritime museum that also engages in marine reasearch, can be found in this city?
ANS: Stralsund
10. A museum, devoted to the works of Caspar David Friedrich, can be found in which city?
ANS: Greifswald
11. Which two towns on Usedom Island are known for its mass tourism? Hint: One are located close to the Polish border.
ANS: Ahlbeck and Heringsdorf. Ahlbeck is at the Polish Border and is known for its border shops. Wild card is Trassenheide, but it is located on the western end of the island.
12. The _______________, Germany’s lone narrow-gauge railroad, can be found on this island?
ANS1: Rasender Roland ANS2: Rügen
13. Which two places in Meck-Pomm can you experience the Slavic way of life? (Note: The Slavic tribes settled in the eastern part of Germany between the 9th and 12th Centuries before being driven away by Germanic tribes).
ANS: Arkona and Neustrelitz
14. Mecklenburg Pommerania is the only state in Germany (and one of only a handful of states left in the world) that has all three types of movable bridges left standing (Swing Bridge, Vertical Lift, and Bascule). Where are they located? (Hint: please click on the highlighted links to know more about what they are and what they look like)
ANS:
The Peenebrücke in Wolgast, built in 2000 and nicknamed the Blue Wonder, is a single leaf bascule bridge that serves rail and road traffic between the main land and the island of Usedom. It replaced a draw bridge that was destroyed in World War II.
The Hubbrücke at Karnin was built in 1908 and featured a vertical lift main span and several through truss spans. The bridge was substantially damaged in World War II resulting in all but the vertical lift span to be removed by the 1960s. That remaining span still exists today and is considered a historic monument. Plans are in the making to revive the rail line which also goes to Usedom from Ducherow. This includes either restoring or replacing the bridge.
The Hubbrücke at Plaue is another vertical lift bridge that is in service. Built in 1916, this bridge, which features a deck plate girder span, can rise to 1.86 meters above the street, making it the highest functioning vertical lift bridge in the state. Prior to its construction in 1916, a double leaf bascule bridge once existed.
The Wieck Bridge in Greifswald, built in 1887, is one of the oldest functioning double leaf bascule bridges in Germany and the oldest in Mecklenburg Pommerania
Meiningen Swing Bridge, built in 1912, is located in Bresewitz. It is the lone functioning swing bridge in the state and features several Warren pony truss approach spans, a polygonal Warren through truss span and a swing span resembling a cantilever Warren through truss span.
15. Which town in Meck-Pomm once had the longest multiple span bridge in Germany, with 20+ spans? (Today, only eight of these spans exist along the River Elbe)
ANS: Dömitz. The Dömitz Bridge spanned the Elbe River and was once owned by the German Railways. Five of the spans were either damaged or destroyed in World War II. During the Cold War, in an attempt to halt any attempts of escaping to the west, the East German government tore down their half of the remaining spans leaving the western half under jurisdiction of Lower Saxony, which preserved it as a historical monument. The remains of the bridge is now privately owned.
16. One of the major attractions that is a must-see is one of the largest submarines ever built in Germany. This exhibit and museum is located in this city?
ANS: Sassnitz
17. The Mecklenburg Festival, which is devoted to classic music, can be found in this city?
ANS: Schwerin (as its main location), yet other concerts take place in churches and castles throughout the state.
18. The Swedish Festival, which commemorates the conquest of the Swedes in the 1700s, can be found in which city?
ANS: Wismar.
FAQ: The city was taken by the Swedish kingdom twice: 1632 and held until 1648 and through the war with the Danish Kingdom in 1712. The kingdom held control of the city until 1903, when it was returned to the German empire.
19. The widest beach in Germany (measured as 3 km from the sea to land) can be found in the area of this city? Hint: You can see the teapot lighthouse as well as one of the oldest active lighthouses along the Baltic Sea in Germany.
ANS: Rostock- specifically in Warnemünde.
20. You can enjoy a fish sandwich and cheer for your favorite soccer Bundesliga team in this city? (Also identify name of the soccer team). ANS: Rostock and the team: FC Hansa Rostock
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Herringsdorf.
MIX:
1. How many castles does Mecklenburg-Pommerania have? Can you name at least three of them?
ANS: You won’t believe this but: nearly 2000 castles, palaces and manors exist in the state. There are too many to name, but one can find palaces in Rostock, Wismar, Schwerin, Greifswald, Neustrelitz, Neubrandenburg and the Island of Rügen
2. Schwerin is located in the area known as the Seven Seas. True or False?
ANS: True. Seven lakes can be found in and around Schwerin, three of which surround Schwerin Castle, a popular tourist attraction and the place where the state government carries out their daily duties.
3. Which cities in Meck-Pomm have zoos and other animal parks and can you name at least one of them?
ANS: There are plenty of possibilities to visit the animals at zoos in Stralsund (3x), Schwerin, Neustrelitz, Rostock and Wismar.
4. Rote Grütze is the German version of Jello and is the main desert in Meck-Pomm. True or False?
ANS: False.
FAQ:Jello is an American form of gelatin that is wobbly when made. You don’t find that in Rote Grütze as it features fruit pudding (that is NOT wobbly) coated in vanilla creme.
5. The main delicacy in Meck-Pomm is fish. True or False? ANS: If someone says FALSE, then he doesn’t know the state. Image may be NSFW.
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FISH is the flagship of the state’s delicacy- regardless of type and how they are fried, smoked, or cooked. Answer is TRUE!
6. The main fruit in the state, with which you can make juice or marmalade is….
a. Strawberry b. Sandorn c. Peach d. Wildberries e. Gooseberry
CAN YOU SPEAK PLATTDEUTSCH? Guess which word is Plattdeutsch, the local language of Meck-Pomm and other parts of northern Germany. An English equivalent is provided. NOTE: Answers are in bold and italicized print
1. Frau (EN: Lady/Woman)
a. Fräulein b. Fru c. Frilein d. Free
2. Zeit (EN: Time)
a. Tied b. tiid c. tea d. tut
3. Haus (EN: House)
a. Houd b. Hiess c. Huus d. Hoose
4. Freund (-in) (EN: Partner)
a. Uhiesscher b. Macker c. Freon d. Froin
To close things off with this quiz, I would like to finish the quiz with a song sung in low German (Plattdeutsch) entitled Mein Heimat. Sung near Warnemünde near Rostock, the a group of sailors provide you with an example of how Platdeutsch is spoken. You can find the lyrics here. Enjoy! Image may be NSFW.
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Blackheaded Seagull, typical bird to be found along the coast of Mecklenburg-Pommerania.
