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Georg Adolph Demmler

The architect and Freemason shaped the face of Schwerin

The path between the two slopes leads us to Kapellenweg. If we follow this path, we will soon see the burial chapel of the architect Georg Adolf Demmler. Demmler was born on December 22, 1804, in Berlin. He died on January 2, 1886, in Schwerin. The burial chapel was built in 1864, just one year after the cemetery was opened, according to designs by Demmler for his wife. All decorative elements, such as the pentagram, druid's foot, rose, intertwined border band, as well as the trowel and compass, indicate Demmler's affiliation with Freemasonry. As revealed in a rediscovered master's degree certificate, Demmler held the rank of a Freemason Knight in the Lodge Harpokrates zur Morgenröthe.

Since 1823, Demmler had been employed as a construction conductor for the Mecklenburg Court. Many buildings in the residence owe their existence to his tireless efforts and shape its architectural face. The design of the cemetery at Obotritenring also originated from Demmler's design. On the drawing board, he created not only his own residence on Pfaffenteich but also the facade of the residential building on the north side of Grunthalplatz, the main building of the psychiatric hospital on Sachsenberg, the collegiate building in Schlossstraße, the facade of the old town hall, the Marstall building, the former hospital on Baaderstraße, the arsenal, and other structures. The most impressive creative achievement is undoubtedly the reconstruction and redesign of Schwerin Castle. Not least for this, he was awarded the title of Court Building Councilor. In his youth, Demmler belonged to the restless spirits. His outspokenness on political and social issues put him at odds with his superiors. As a member of the Schwerin Reform Association, Demmler was among the democratic opposition. This also led to his friendship with Fritz Reuter, which became more intense after the founding of the National Association. A workers' housing cooperative named a residential block erected by it in Wismarschen Straße in the late 1920s Demmlerhof. This was to highlight his early commitment to workers' welfare. Inside Demmlerhof stands a bust of the architect. However, despite his merits, Demmler was dismissed from the Court Service during the renovation work at the castle.

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Notable Graves in Schwerin

A Walk Through the Old Cemetery

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Obotritenring 247
19053 Schwerin
An employee at the LOEWE Orthopaedic Technology workshop is working on a children’s wheelchair; in the background is a shelf with tools