Oldendorf (Celle district)
Encyclopedia
Oldendorf is a village in the parish of Hermannsburg
in the northern part of Celle district in Lower Saxony
, Germany. It lies on the western edge of the Southern Heath Nature Park, on the Lüneburg Heath
, about 2 km south of the main village of Hermannsburg and currently has about 640 inhabitants. In 1973 Oldendorf was incorporated into Hermannsburg
as part of the Lower Saxony regional and administrative reforms.
s that have been unearthed here, it can be concluded that the area around Oldendorf was settled as early as the Stone Age
(8000 to 2000 BC). Oldendorf was first mentioned in the records in a document dating to AD 968 by the Saxon duke, Hermann Billung. At that time, a protective castle
was built in Oldendorf, which was razed by the Wend
s in 959 and finally demolished in 1345.
In 1620 the first school was established in Oldendorf.
On 28 May 1785 a large fire broke out. As the houses of the time had thatched roofs and were built of wood, the fire spread very quickly. Within half an hour a total of 14 buildings fell victim to the blaze.
On 20 April 1820 a second major fire broke out in Oldendorf. Nine farms and all their outbuildings burned down. The character of the village changed significantly as a result.
On 10 August 1975 the largest forest fire
in the Federal Republic of Germany broke out between Oldendorf and Eschede
. Not until a whole week later, on 17 August 1975, was the fire extinguished.
The River Örtze flows through the town in a north-south direction. The original village lies on the west bank of river. This is where the first three free farms in Oldendorf are supposed to have been.
In the 1960s, a gravel works was built. First, only gravel from the old fish pond
s on Schlüpker Weg was extracted, but later the operation was continually expanded towards Eschede
. By autumn 2007, large-scale gravel extraction was under way. In 1986 a holiday home development of 32 small houses was established on the site of the first gravel pit
s to be exploited and subsequently abandoned. 400 houses had initially been planned, but were not approved. The gravel mines created large areas of water (the flooded gravel pits) which after a very short time provided a haven for many, sometimes rare, birds. The Great Crested Grebe
, Coot
and Greylag Goose
breed here. Woodlark
, Goldeneye
, Little Ringed Plover
, Redwing
, Marsh Harrier
, Reed Bunting
, Reed Warbler
, Teal
, Shoveler
, Pintail
, Wigeon and Tufted Duck
can all be observed here; on rare occasions, Osprey
may be seen. Sand Martin
s have created nesting holes in the banks.
Today Oldendorf is dominated by agriculture
and tourism
.
. In 1788 Field Marshal
Johann Wilhelm von Reden was given the fief of Hermannsburg-Oldendorf by George III
, prince-elector of Hanover and King of England, for his service as a soldier. He secured the field marshal's services particularly during the Seven Years' War
(1756 to 1763) during which he was promoted from lieutenant colonel
to lieutenant general
. Johann Wilhelm von Reden died childless. He had, however, willed the fief during his lifetime to his two nephews, Friedrich Otto and Franz. On 5 November 1840 his heirs divided the fiefdom of Hermannsburg and Oldendorf between them. Each property was then about 500 ha in size.. The estate is still owned by the von Redens today.
When the son and heir Traugott Kothe fell in the First World War, his father sold Beutz Farm in 1917 for 440,000 marks to a judge, Wilhelm Meyer, from Hanover. Judge Meyer was head of the Ilsede Ironworks (Ilseder Hütte) and Peine Mills (Peiner Walzwerke). He designated his wife, Anna Meyer, nee Glenck, an actress, as the owner. In 1926, a turbine house was built on her premises which produced electricity for her own use from a water-driven turbine until the 1950s. The mill, that had previously been working, was closed.
In 1933, Judge Meyer died and his wife sold the farm to Mr. Bertram, the Director of Hannover-Döhren Wool Washing, for 350,000 marks. In 1945 a children's home was established in the manor house of the farm by the Lobetal Institute, in which children, mainly orphans, of school and pre-school age, some seriously handicapped, were taught. In 1954 the orphanage
closed in Beutz and moved to Stübeckshorn. On 1 October 2007 the St. Paul Academy (ASP) rented the former manor house. Chairman of the Beutz Farm board of trustees (Johanneshaus Beutzen) is Prof. Dr. Paul Imhoff, who is also director of the ASP. The academy has since given the building up and it is now a spa house (Kurhaus).
In the immediate vicinity of the farm is the Bornrieth Moor
nature reserve. Part of this moor also belongs to the farm.
in area, on 11 May 1816, subject to various constraints. Dehning saw this place as suitable for a carter's tavern, because the Old Celle Military Road
, from Hanover
to Celle
ran past here. They called the plot Sandschellen. This was a spot that was unsuitable for farming because it was covered with sandy soil. This name is still in common use by the villagers of Oldendorf today. Later, when newl roads were built that no longer passed by here, the inn was closed. Around 1950 its then owner, Gustav Stucke, built another restaurant, which he called Zur Alten Fuhrmannsschänke ("The Old Carter's Tavern") The property was not connected to mains electricity. In the public rooms and guest rooms the tavern only had gas lights until the 1960s. Later, electricity was produced using a diesel generator set. In 1984 the tavern changed owners. Next a power cable was laid to the Dehningshof and a hotel with a guest house for riders was established. The tavern is still run in this form today, even though the owner has changed again. The E1 European long distance path runs right past the property.
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 the northern part of Celle district in 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...
, Germany. It lies on the western edge of the Southern Heath Nature Park, on 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 2 km south of the main village of Hermannsburg and currently has about 640 inhabitants. In 1973 Oldendorf was incorporated into 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:...
as part of the Lower Saxony regional and administrative reforms.
History
From the knapped flintFlint
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...
s that have been unearthed here, it can be concluded that the area around Oldendorf was settled as early as the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
(8000 to 2000 BC). Oldendorf was first mentioned in the records in a document dating to AD 968 by the Saxon duke, Hermann Billung. At that time, a protective castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
was built in Oldendorf, which was razed by the Wend
Wend
Wend may refer to:* Wends, an ethnic group* WEnd, the marker for the end of a while loop in some computer languages* WEND, a modern rock radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina USA* Wend von Wietersheim , German general...
s in 959 and finally demolished in 1345.
In 1620 the first school was established in Oldendorf.
On 28 May 1785 a large fire broke out. As the houses of the time had thatched roofs and were built of wood, the fire spread very quickly. Within half an hour a total of 14 buildings fell victim to the blaze.
On 20 April 1820 a second major fire broke out in Oldendorf. Nine farms and all their outbuildings burned down. The character of the village changed significantly as a result.
On 10 August 1975 the largest forest fire
Fire on the Lüneburg Heath
The fire on the Lüneburg Heath was a major forest fire in 1975 on the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath in north Germany, with various points of origin near Gifhorn, Eschede and Meinersen. It has been to this day the largest forest fire in the Federal Republic of Germany.- Causes :The fire was...
in the Federal Republic of Germany broke out between Oldendorf and Eschede
Eschede
Eschede is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Situated approximately 15 km northeast of Celle, Eschede lies at the border of the renowned Südheide Nature Park, a protected area of large forests and heaths. Today around 20 small villages are part of the...
. Not until a whole week later, on 17 August 1975, was the fire extinguished.
The River Örtze flows through the town in a north-south direction. The original village lies on the west bank of river. This is where the first three free farms in Oldendorf are supposed to have been.
In the 1960s, a gravel works was built. First, only gravel from the old fish pond
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
s on Schlüpker Weg was extracted, but later the operation was continually expanded towards Eschede
Eschede
Eschede is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Situated approximately 15 km northeast of Celle, Eschede lies at the border of the renowned Südheide Nature Park, a protected area of large forests and heaths. Today around 20 small villages are part of the...
. By autumn 2007, large-scale gravel extraction was under way. In 1986 a holiday home development of 32 small houses was established on the site of the first gravel pit
Gravel pit
Gravel pit is the term for an open cast working for extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may fill naturally with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used either as nature reserves, or as amenity areas...
s to be exploited and subsequently abandoned. 400 houses had initially been planned, but were not approved. The gravel mines created large areas of water (the flooded gravel pits) which after a very short time provided a haven for many, sometimes rare, birds. The Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...
, Coot
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...
and Greylag Goose
Greylag Goose
The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....
breed here. Woodlark
Woodlark
The Woodlark is the only lark in the genus Lullula. It breeds across most of Europe, the Middle East Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations of this passerine bird are more migratory, moving further south in winter...
, Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....
, Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
The Little Ringed Plover is a small plover. Adults have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes with white above and a short dark bill...
, Redwing
Redwing
The Redwing is a bird in the thrush family Turdidae, native to Europe and Asia, slightly smaller than the related Song Thrush.-Taxonomy:...
, Marsh Harrier
Marsh harrier
The marsh harriers are birds of prey of the harrier subfamily. They are medium-sized raptors and the largest and broadest-winged harriers. Most of them are associated with marshland and dense reedbeds...
, Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting
The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
, Reed Warbler
Reed Warbler
The Eurasian Reed Warbler, or just Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
, Teal
Common Teal
The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range...
, Shoveler
Northern Shoveler
The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...
, Pintail
Northern Pintail
The Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
, Wigeon and Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
can all be observed here; on rare occasions, Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
may be seen. Sand Martin
Sand Martin
The Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
s have created nesting holes in the banks.
Today Oldendorf is dominated by agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Oldendorf Manor (Rittergut Oldendorf)
400 m north of Oldendorf lies the Oldendorf manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
. In 1788 Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Johann Wilhelm von Reden was given the fief of Hermannsburg-Oldendorf by George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, prince-elector of Hanover and King of England, for his service as a soldier. He secured the field marshal's services particularly during the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
(1756 to 1763) during which he was promoted from lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
. Johann Wilhelm von Reden died childless. He had, however, willed the fief during his lifetime to his two nephews, Friedrich Otto and Franz. On 5 November 1840 his heirs divided the fiefdom of Hermannsburg and Oldendorf between them. Each property was then about 500 ha in size.. The estate is still owned by the von Redens today.
Beutzen Farm (Hof Beutzen)
The parish of Oldendorf also includes the farmstead of Beutz. It is 1.5 miles south and was once owned by Julius Kothe and his wife, nee Hartung. This Kothe family also owned the corn mill in Scharnebeck, where they also lived. Scharnebeck Mill lies to the north halfway between Oldendorf and Hermannsburg, on the Örtze.When the son and heir Traugott Kothe fell in the First World War, his father sold Beutz Farm in 1917 for 440,000 marks to a judge, Wilhelm Meyer, from Hanover. Judge Meyer was head of the Ilsede Ironworks (Ilseder Hütte) and Peine Mills (Peiner Walzwerke). He designated his wife, Anna Meyer, nee Glenck, an actress, as the owner. In 1926, a turbine house was built on her premises which produced electricity for her own use from a water-driven turbine until the 1950s. The mill, that had previously been working, was closed.
In 1933, Judge Meyer died and his wife sold the farm to Mr. Bertram, the Director of Hannover-Döhren Wool Washing, for 350,000 marks. In 1945 a children's home was established in the manor house of the farm by the Lobetal Institute, in which children, mainly orphans, of school and pre-school age, some seriously handicapped, were taught. In 1954 the orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
closed in Beutz and moved to Stübeckshorn. On 1 October 2007 the St. Paul Academy (ASP) rented the former manor house. Chairman of the Beutz Farm board of trustees (Johanneshaus Beutzen) is Prof. Dr. Paul Imhoff, who is also director of the ASP. The academy has since given the building up and it is now a spa house (Kurhaus).
In the immediate vicinity of the farm is the Bornrieth Moor
Bornrieth Moor
The Bornrieth Moor is the remains of a raised bog in the German district of Celle and belongs to the Südheide Nature Park. It has an area of . The bog, which has had most of its peat extracted, was reflooded and placed under nature conservation protection in 1988. The moor was also designated as a...
nature reserve. Part of this moor also belongs to the farm.
Dehningshof
3.5 km southeast of Oldendorf lies Dehningshof farm. The name comes from Peter Heinrich Dehning (1781-1832), a carter (Fuhrmann) from Oldendorf, who had been looking for a place to set up a staging inn at this spot as early as 1804. After twice being rejected by the farmers from Oldendorf who had wood grazing rights there, he was granted a site, four morgensMorgens
Morgens, Morgans or Mari-Morgans are Welsh and Breton water spirits that drown men. They may lure men to their death by their own sylphic beauty, or with glimpses of underwater gardens with buildings of gold or crystal. They are also blamed for heavy flooding that destroys crops or villages...
in area, on 11 May 1816, subject to various constraints. Dehning saw this place as suitable for a carter's tavern, because the Old Celle Military Road
Heerstraße
Heerstraße is German for:*a military road that was built in order to enable the rapid movement of armies overland.*specific roads built for this purpose including the:** Aachen-Frankfurter Heerstraße** Bernauer Heerstraße** Georgische Heerstraße...
, from Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
to Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
ran past here. They called the plot Sandschellen. This was a spot that was unsuitable for farming because it was covered with sandy soil. This name is still in common use by the villagers of Oldendorf today. Later, when newl roads were built that no longer passed by here, the inn was closed. Around 1950 its then owner, Gustav Stucke, built another restaurant, which he called Zur Alten Fuhrmannsschänke ("The Old Carter's Tavern") The property was not connected to mains electricity. In the public rooms and guest rooms the tavern only had gas lights until the 1960s. Later, electricity was produced using a diesel generator set. In 1984 the tavern changed owners. Next a power cable was laid to the Dehningshof and a hotel with a guest house for riders was established. The tavern is still run in this form today, even though the owner has changed again. The E1 European long distance path runs right past the property.