Mecklenburg
September 1996
Our trip began in Berlin, from here we headed northwesterly to the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern area of Germany. As this trip was in part a gift to our mother for all her hard work on the research, we surprised her by heading to the Mecklenburg area. This is the area where her Grandfather came from.
On the way from Berlin, we began to see the aftermath of the years under communism, very large collective farms empty, vacated. But yet all around us was the influence of the West German money being poured into the area for reconstruction. It seemed like every direction one looked there were construction derricks and new buildings going up or old ones being rebuilt.
Our first stop was in Sommersdorf. What we expected to find was there around the church, a cemetery with markers. We did, but as land around churches is at a premium, the grave space is reused every 50 years or so. Sooo--if your looking for someone who died a hundred years ago it is unlikely that you will find the grave.
This area of Germany is very much like Wisconsin or Minnesota a beautiful area, somewhat recreational, with small lakes, wooded areas, and rolling fields that are being farmed.
Other villages we visited in this area were Grabowhöfe, Jabel and Vielist.
