Menzendorf: Settlement Patterns and Lübsee Church

If you are interested in historic village landscapes, Menzendorf offers a cultural and historical focus: different settlement patterns, Lübsee Church, and traces of the Siemens family. The village is a green village with a through road. In the southern half, the layout of a farming village has been preserved; the buildings there are arranged radially in the style of a Rundling.

Settlement Patterns in Menzendorf

Lübseerhagen is a Waldhufendorf, a village that developed on cleared forest land, and is considered the only village of its kind. Its fields are almost square and divided into eight long strips that run across the road. This makes it possible to consider the village’s origins and the division of its fields together.

Rottensdorf is the remnant of a small Rundling on the shore of Lake Menzendorf. Here, you can encounter different village landscapes: the radially arranged buildings in southern Menzendorf, the Waldhufen layout of Lübseerhagen, and the small Rundling by the lake. Anyone wishing to compare historic village structures can use these specifically described features as a guide.

Lübsee Church: Building History and Paintings

Lübsee Church was built between 1236 and 1263 in the Romanesque style with Early Gothic elements. It was constructed of brick on granite foundations. It was first mentioned in 1263; the church was restored in 1874. The construction period and the first mention are two distinct historical details.

Four layers of wall and vault paintings have been preserved inside, including extensive uncovered remains. During restoration work, wall paintings dating from the 13th to the 17th century were discovered and uncovered. The former carved altar is now in the Staatliches Museum Schwerin. The church’s history therefore encompasses its construction, paintings from several centuries, and the story of a former furnishing.

Churchyard and the Siemens Family

Natural paths in the churchyard wind beneath lime trees, past stone crosses and faded inscriptions. Werner von Siemens’s parents are buried on the northwest side of Lübsee Church; there is also a Siemens family grave in the cemetery. The Siemens family lived in Menzendorf as tenants of an estate. Their connection to the village thus brings together family history and the burial sites at the church.

Menzendorf and its districts are considered an area for recreation and walks. If you are primarily interested in architecture and furnishings, Lübsee Church offers a particular focus; when comparing historic village structures, the different settlement patterns take center stage.

Northwest Mecklenburg in the Wider Landscape

On a broader scale, northern Northwest Mecklenburg encompasses the Northwest Mecklenburg hill country with Wismar Bay, while the West Mecklenburg Lake District with Lake Schwerin lies to the south. The district’s landscape is shaped by terminal moraine ridges, gently rolling ground-moraine plateaus, stretches of steep and flat coastline, meltwater and drainage channels, and outwash plains. These landscapes describe the district of Northwest Mecklenburg as a wider travel destination.

Discover more destinations: Roduchelstorf, Dassow, Papenhusen, Lockwisch, Groß Siemz, Lüdersdorf, Selmsdorf, Niendorf

Back to the main travel overview: Amt Schönberger Land.