▁Me ck len burg ▁could ▁be ▁quite ▁har sh . ▁ ▁Pract ices ▁such ▁as ▁having ▁to ▁ask ▁for ▁permission ▁from ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁to ▁get ▁married , ▁or ▁having ▁to ▁apply ▁for ▁permission ▁to ▁em igr ate , ▁would ▁l inger ▁late ▁into ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Me ck len burg ▁( i . e . ▁ 1 9 1 8 ), ▁long ▁after ▁such ▁practices ▁had ▁been ▁abandoned ▁in ▁other ▁German ▁areas . ▁ ▁Even ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁the ▁later ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁personally ▁owned ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide . ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁Duke ▁ab dic ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁as ▁monarch ies ▁fell ▁throughout ▁Europe . ▁ ▁The ▁Duke ' s ▁r uling ▁house ▁re igned ▁in ▁Me ck len burg ▁un inter rupted ▁( except ▁for ▁two ▁years ) ▁from ▁its ▁incorpor ation ▁into ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁the ▁duch ies ▁were ▁free ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁We imar ▁Republic . ▁ ▁Trad itionally ▁Me ck len burg ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁poor er ▁German ▁areas , ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁poor er ▁of ▁the ▁provinces , ▁or ▁L änder , ▁within ▁a ▁un ified ▁Germany . ▁ ▁The ▁reasons ▁for ▁this ▁may ▁be ▁varied , ▁but ▁one ▁factor ▁stands ▁out : ▁agricult ur ally ▁the ▁land ▁is ▁poor ▁and ▁can ▁not ▁produce ▁at