A capital is defined by its role.
The capital question does not ask for a ranking by population, port activity or fame. It asks for the federal state’s political centre. For Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwerin is the association to remember.
Schwerin Castle is more than a historic building: it houses the state parliament. Its seat is expressly set out in Article 20(3) of the state constitution. The State Chancellery supports the head of government and is a different institution from the Landtag.
The other three answers
The other city names do not answer the capital question.
Greifswald
Greifswald is not the state capital. A familiar city name is not enough; the required answer is Schwerin.
Rostock
Rostock is Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s largest city. Size and the capital role belong to different cities here.
Wismar
Wismar is not the state capital either. A city’s fame does not automatically make it the seat of the state parliament.
Distinguish parliament, state government and city administration.
Meeting in a castle does not make Mecklenburg-Vorpommern a monarchy. Article 2 of the state constitution describes it as a republican and democratic state governed by law. A historic building can serve a democratic institution today.
Being the capital does not mean every state authority must be located there. Schwerin’s city administration must also be distinguished from the state government: one serves the city, the other the federal state.
State capital · State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ↗Mecklenburg-Vorpommern → Schwerin → Landtag in the castle.
Rostock is larger; Schwerin is the capital.
Three words for this question
- die Landeshauptstadtstate capital
- The capital of a federal state.
- die StaatskanzleiState Chancellery
- The authority supporting the state’s head of government.
- der Parlamentssitzseat of parliament
- The place where parliament is based.