Beckedorf (Celle district)
Encyclopedia
Beckedorf is a village in the municipality
of Hermannsburg
in northern Celle district in the German state of Lower Saxony
. Situated on the western edge of the Southern Heath Nature Park in the Lüneburg Heath
, about 1 km southwest of Hermannsburg itself, it currently has about 610 inhabitants. The name means "village on the Beke" (i.e. the stream). In old records it can be found as Beketorpe,Bekendorpe or Beckedorp. In 1973 Beckedorf was incorporated into the parish of Hermannsburg as part of Lower Saxony's territorial and administrative reforms.
, discovered a settlement of the Beaker culture
(ca. 4200-2800 BC) northwest of Beckedorf on the Lührsberg, a low hill 77 metres above sea level and 500 metres wide. Of the original settlement, 30,000 square metres in area, numerous post- and settlement pits were exposed, as well as several house structures. The houses had a length of about 6 metres and were dug between 0.80 m and 1.40 m into the ground. They had braided walls (Flechtwände) coated in clay
. In addition, arrowhead
s, scrapers, a spearhead and fragments of axes made of flint
were found and shards of pottery excavated. From the discovery of spindle whorls it can be deduced that also wool or plant fibres were also been processed here.
The other partially surviving barrows
in the area, the barrows at Wohlde, the burial site at Bonstorf
and the megalithic grave at Dohnsen
from the Neolithic
age, indicate that there was a settlement here before and during the Bronze Age
.
. Here it mentions that Count Siegfried of Osterburg gave the monastery a few houses that had previously been enfeoffed to the knight, Dietrich of Beckedorpe, who had since died.
). Passenger services were reduced in 1970 and cut entirely in 1976; freight services have reduced considerably. The line to Munster is used primarily for military traffic to Munster Training Area
and the line to Soltau for transport to the Bergen-Hohne Training Area
.
Today there are several farms in Beckedorf. Some of them even have Treppenspeicher
storage barns from the 19th century. A Häuslingshaus has been partly preserved in its original state. Häuslinge were farm workers who worked on the farm and, for a small rent, or even rent-free, were allowed to live in the house.
Through the town flows a small stream, the Hasselbach, which flows into the Örtze
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Hermannsburg
Hermannsburg
Hermannsburg is a municipality in the Celle district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the River Örtze, approx. 15 kilometers east of Bergen and 30 kilometers north of Celle.-Division of the municipality:...
in northern Celle district in the German state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. Situated on the western edge of the Southern Heath Nature Park in the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
, about 1 km southwest of Hermannsburg itself, it currently has about 610 inhabitants. The name means "village on the Beke" (i.e. the stream). In old records it can be found as Beketorpe,Bekendorpe or Beckedorp. In 1973 Beckedorf was incorporated into the parish of Hermannsburg as part of Lower Saxony's territorial and administrative reforms.
Pre-history
In 1936 Dr. Hans Piesker, an archaeologist from HermannsburgHermannsburg
Hermannsburg is a municipality in the Celle district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the River Örtze, approx. 15 kilometers east of Bergen and 30 kilometers north of Celle.-Division of the municipality:...
, discovered a settlement of the Beaker culture
Beaker culture
The Bell-Beaker culture , ca. 2400 – 1800 BC, is the term for a widely scattered cultural phenomenon of prehistoric western Europe starting in the late Neolithic or Chalcolithic running into the early Bronze Age...
(ca. 4200-2800 BC) northwest of Beckedorf on the Lührsberg, a low hill 77 metres above sea level and 500 metres wide. Of the original settlement, 30,000 square metres in area, numerous post- and settlement pits were exposed, as well as several house structures. The houses had a length of about 6 metres and were dug between 0.80 m and 1.40 m into the ground. They had braided walls (Flechtwände) coated in clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
. In addition, arrowhead
Arrowhead
An arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
s, scrapers, a spearhead and fragments of axes made of flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
were found and shards of pottery excavated. From the discovery of spindle whorls it can be deduced that also wool or plant fibres were also been processed here.
The other partially surviving barrows
Passage grave
thumb|250px|right|A simple passage tomb in [[Carrowmore]] near [[Sligo]] in IrelandA passage grave or passage tomb consists of a narrow passage made of large stones and one or multiple burial chambers covered in earth or stone. Megaliths are usually used in the construction of passage tombs, which...
in the area, the barrows at Wohlde, the burial site at Bonstorf
Bonstorf Barrows
The Bonstorf Barrows are the remains of a much larger barrow cemetery on the Lüneburg Heath in north Germany dating to the late neolithic or early bronze age. They are located east of the village of Bonstorf, part of the municipality of Hermannsburg in the Lower Saxon district of Celle...
and the megalithic grave at Dohnsen
Dohnsen-Siddernhausen Dolmen
The dolmen on a low elevation between the villages of Dohnsen and Siddernhausen near the town of Bergen in North Germany, was originally 500 m further north. It was excavated in 1977 and reconstructed in its present location...
from the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
age, indicate that there was a settlement here before and during the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
.
History
The first written mention of Beckedorf dates to the year 1235 in a document which is now in the archives of Walsrode AbbeyWalsrode Abbey
Walsrode Abbey in Walsrode, Germany, is one of the historic monasteries on the Lüneburg Heath in North Germany which are collectively known as the Lüneklöster...
. Here it mentions that Count Siegfried of Osterburg gave the monastery a few houses that had previously been enfeoffed to the knight, Dietrich of Beckedorpe, who had since died.
Economy and Transport
The place was dominated by the railway. The Celle-Soltau railway run by the East Hanoverian Railways runs through the village and branches here; the line to Munster branches off in Beckedorf (see also Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light RailwayCelle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway
The Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway was until 1908 a publicly-owned company run by the district of Celle in North Germany and was originally named the Garßen–Bergen Light Railway ....
). Passenger services were reduced in 1970 and cut entirely in 1976; freight services have reduced considerably. The line to Munster is used primarily for military traffic to Munster Training Area
Munster Training Area
Munster Training Area is a military training area in Germany on the Lüneburg Heath. It comprises two separate areas with different purposes: Munster North and Munster South . The two areas are separated geographically by the town of Munster and several barracks...
and the line to Soltau for transport to the Bergen-Hohne Training Area
Bergen-Hohne Training Area
Bergen-Hohne Training Area is a NATO military training area in the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath, in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It covers an area of , which makes it the largest military training area in Germany.It was established by the German armed forces, the...
.
Today there are several farms in Beckedorf. Some of them even have Treppenspeicher
Treppenspeicher
A Treppenspeicher is the German term for a small barn or secondary farm building used for storage and typical of the Lüneburg Heath area in northern Germany...
storage barns from the 19th century. A Häuslingshaus has been partly preserved in its original state. Häuslinge were farm workers who worked on the farm and, for a small rent, or even rent-free, were allowed to live in the house.
Through the town flows a small stream, the Hasselbach, which flows into the Örtze
Örtze
The Örtze is a river in the North German state of Lower Saxony, which rises north of Munster in the Große Heide and, after , joins the Aller southeast of Winsen.- Source and course :...
.