Collection of Mecklenburg official seals from the modern era

• sealing wax, 18th/19th century

In 1987 the Mecklenburg Foundation acquired a comprehensive collection of seals from the granddaughter of a private collector. The grandfather was believed to have been the “head chef” for Viktoria Luise (1892–1980), the daughter of Emperor Wilhelm II. and later Duchess of Braunschweig. Yet the collection was created around 1860. The composition suggests that it was arranged without any academic or documentary purpose.

Most of the approximately 850 items came from the grand duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The thematic diversity of the items reflects the entirety of public life in the 18th and 19th century. Alongside the seals of towns / cities, authorities, insurance companies and churches there are also seals of customs and tax authorities, public and private institutions and guilds.

135 of the exhibits are seals of noble Mecklenburg families. There are also seals from noble courts, in accordance with the patrimonial jurisdiction of noble lords of the manor that applied in Mecklenburg until the 20th century. Yet in the classification of the collection they are improperly mixed up with the seals of the grand ducal authorities and towns / cities. Among the 40 examples of royal and state seals there are around one third of the symbols of authentication used by Mecklenburg lords of the manor.