The North of East Germany

Where contested histories continue to clash

I’ve just returned to Merrie England from another somewhat rushed tour through eastern Germany. This trip was quite special in that it took me from the far north of what was once East Germany to its southern border with Bavaria.

The trip began with a bit of unexpected fun when Sixt handed me the keys to a bright red Fiat 500 convertible. Driving it up the treelined avenues north of Berlin, out of the state of Brandenburg and into Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, I took the scenic route up to my first destination of Neubrandenburg.

I had never been to this characterful city, which seems to have preserved an intriguing combination of medieval and East German architecture while also boasting extensive parklands and huge lakes. As I would later find out, it is also a place of deeply contested histories that still affect and move its residents today.