Magnus II was very much concerned with the well-being of his
        people. He encouraged trade by sea for which the river Elbe was used;
        lack of money prevented him from extending this trade to Schwerin. In
        1478 he married Sophia of Pommern; who had previously been engaged to
        his elder brother Johann, who had died in 1474 before the marriage had
        taken place. In her grief Sophia had sworn never to marry but Pope
        Innocent VIII relieved her of this pledge. Magnus II and Sophia became
        the parents of seven children.
          He tried to assist the University of Rostock by using church funds
        to pay for its professors. However, in 1487 the people of Rostock
        objected to this and the argument became known as the "Cathedral
        Feud". This feud took seven years before peace was established. The
        University of Rostock had suffered during this period but soon
        re-established its fame in Northern Europe.
            In 1495 the Emperor Maximilian had issued an edict at Worms and to
        fulfil their obligations to protect the peace Duke Magnus II was
        joined by his brother Balthasar and the Dukes of Brunswick and
        Pommern, and in 1498 they signed a treaty at Tempzin. To assist with
        the legal system, Germany was divided in areas and Mecklenburg was
        placed in the area of Lower-Saxony.
            In Mecklenburg there was the very old tradition of annual meetings
        called "Landestag" where the leaders of the community would confer.
        This meeting was traditionally held out in the open, usually by a
        bridge at Sagsdorf not far from Sternberg. The right to appear
        belonged to the religious and wordly leaders of Mecklenburg, bishops,
        abbots, knights and later the leaders of the cities.
            Magnus II died in 1503 from a contagious disease at Wismar and was
        buried at Doberan. Sophia survived him only until 1504.

Source: Leo van de Pas