Schwerin Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint John, was built following the move of the seat of the Bishopric of the Abodrites, established by Henry the Lion, to Schwerin from Mecklenburg in the late 12th century. At first a timber construction served the city as a place of worship. The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid in 1172. After a construction period of seventy-six years, the cathedral was consecrated in 1248.
