Lecture by Dr. Bernd Schattinger at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Library
To mark the 150th anniversary of his death, the State Library is honoring the writer and democrat Adolf Glaßbrenner (1810–1876). Dr. Bernd Schattinger, a specialist librarian from Schwerin, will take the audience on a journey through Mecklenburg-Strelitz from 1840 to 1850 in a richly illustrated lecture.
The poet and satirist, known for his literary characters the “Guckkästner,” the street corner figure Nante, and the pensioner Buffey, wrote the poetry collection *Verbotene Lieder* (1844) and the animal epic “Neuer Reineke Fuchs” (1846) during his “exile” in Strelitz. Both, like almost all of his works, were immediately banned throughout Germany. As the “Zille of the Word,” Glaßbrenner skillfully used his sharp pen to criticize, above all, the monarchy, aristocratic rule, the military, and bureaucratic administration. A recently discovered manuscript of a speech delivered in 1847 at the Neustrelitz Trade Association casts Glaßbrenner in a new light. As a board member of the Neustrelitz Reform Association, he was among the political reformers who advocated for civil liberties, a parliamentary democracy, and the unity of Germany. As a result of his political activities—particularly as a speaker at public assemblies—Glaßbrenner was expelled from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1850.
Bernd Schattinger has published these new findings on Glaßbrenner—and thus on the history of democracy in Mecklenburg-Strelitz—in the Neubrandenburg Regional Museum’s publication series (No. 63). On September 23, 2026, he will speak at 7:00 p.m. at the State Library. Admission to the lecture is free. No advance registration is required.
The Günther Uecker State Library of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern traces its origins to the Ducal Government Library, founded in 1779, and, as a critical infrastructure, preserves significant historical collections as well as a large collection of works from and about Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has legally mandated the State Library in Schwerin to collect, catalog, and archive the state’s current printed works for the future. According to state law and the ordinance on the deposit of printed works, all printed materials published in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern must be deposited with the State Library free of charge within one month of publication. The State Library acquires titles about Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that are published outside the state. The State Library is a department of the State Office for Culture and Historic Preservation. The historic building at its location on Johannes-Stelling-Straße is now part of Schwerin’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
