Excursion Stop 1

Edited by Steffen Wolters Dirk Enters Copyright © Niedersächsisches Institut für historische Küstenforschung, Wilhelmshaven 2010. Schedule: 08:30 Departure in Wilhelmshaven 09:15 Neuenburger Urwald 11:00 East Frisian Central Bog / Stapeler Moor 12:30-13:30 Lunch break (Urwaldhof Neuenburg) upon request the bus stops at Varel train station (departure of train to Bremen via Oldenburg 14:02, reaching Bremen central station 15:05) 14:00 Sehestedter Moor / Jade Bay 16:00 Wurt Sillens 17:45 Departure of ferry Eckwarderhörne – Wilhelmshaven, arrival 18:30 Participants have the option to return by bus to Wilhelmshaven (arrival 19:00) (possible stop at Varel train station with departure of train to Bremen via Oldenburg 19:02, reaching Bremen 20:41) 1 Detailed Map of the Jade Bay. The four excursion stops are indicated. 2 INTRODUCTION Main landscape units in the coastal region Karl-Ernst Behre Though the North German Lowlands are flat divide the freshwater-influenced areas on the and have a rather uniform appearance over landward side from the salt marshes wide areas, there are subtle but significant seasides. The present day sharp demarcation and, at times, pronounced differences in of these two systems is, of course, artificial. landscape due to differences in the history of During transgression phases the Clay its various component parts. Furthermore, if District was a tidal flat, a feature still to be one examines the cultural landscape more seen today in the vast area of the Wadden closely, it becomes evident that its different Sea where it occupies a wide strip in front of forms have developed as a consequence of the salt marshes and below the mean high and in response to the natural character of water level. About 8 km north of the coast the various components. there is a string of islands – Ostfriesische The sandy old moraine landscape, called Inseln – which also belongs to the dynamic Geest in NW Germany, represents the oldest system of the North Sea coast. These islands part of the coastal region. West of the river are a continuation of the Dutch coastal Weser a broad ridge, the Oldenburgisch- barriers and are covered by dunes. They Ostfriesische Höhenrücken, stretches from therefore look rather strange in contrast to south-east to north-west and forms the back- the tidal flats which they shelter. These dune bone of this region, sloping to the north, east islands have excellent beaches which are and west beneath younger sediments. very popular in summer. Between the rivers Weser and Elbe there are The final major landscape type consists of smaller ridges, mainly former end moraines raised bogs, which in former times covered and Geest-plates, subdivided by small rivers extensive areas of the Geest or Pleistocene and creeks. There are only two places where ground. This landscape unit has been more the Geest reaches the coastline: at Dangast profoundly changed than the others in mod- in the southernmost part of the Jade Bay and ern times as a result of peat cutting and at Duhnen, close to Cuxhaven. Both areas cultivation. Only a few small fragments have today have well-known beaches. been protected as nature reserves. The second great landscape unit is the Clay The character of the vegetation and land use District – Marsch – deposited along the in much of the region are determined by the coast and the rivers during the Holocene. acidic sandy soils of the old moraine land- Even if it is not easy to recognize, the Clay scape and by the low nutrient soils of the District has also a characteristic relief that is former raised bogs areas. Only parts of the very important for the vegetation as well as Clay District, mainly the younger Clay for the pattern of habitation and land use. deposits, have fertile soils and are excellent Nowadays, the Clay District is protected agrarian areas. against floodings by dikes; these sharply 3 Main landscape units of northwestern Germany Schematic illustration of deposition and occupation in the German Clay District (Marsch) 4 EXCURSION STOP 1 The Neuenburger Urwald – an outstanding historic woodland in Lower Saxony Karl-Ernst Behre During Medieval and early Modern Times woodland that has been utilized and trans- almost the entire Pleistocene region in NW formed by man for many centuries. Germany was covered with heaths; only in In addition to this old wood large parts of very small areas woodland existed then. One the former heathland around have been of these places was the Neuenburger Urwald afforested within the last 150 years, mainly west of Varel, which nowadays is of course with conifers, which are introduced. no primeval forest as the name suggests, but Last impression of the former grazed forest The Neuenburger Urwald is situated on the repopulation in the Early Middle Ages relatively good soils: Lauenburg clay of Late there existed several settlements in this area Elsterian origin is covered by a thin layer of and their fields, manured with plaggen, Saalian (Drenthe) till. There are no pollen could be traced in the wood. diagrams from the forest area, but the recent “natural” development shows the climax vegetation or at least the potential natural vegetation of nowadays. It comprises mainly three forest communities: oak-hornbeam- forest (Stellario-Carpinetum), beech-oak- forest (Fago-Quercetum) and wood millet- beech-forest (Milio-Fagetum). This forest has been used in many ways since the Middle Ages and there are many Soil map of the Neuenburger Urwald. White: sandy written and other sources about this. After soils; yellow: loamy soils, green: old fields. 5 As a consequence of the Black Death in the During the Danish period of Oldenburg 14th century, these fields as well as some (1667-1773) the forest was severely ex- settlements were abandoned and the count of ploited and several farmers from the Oldenburg took possession of the area which neighbourhood acquired small private plots became wooded more or less naturally. in the forest as pastures, the boundaries of However, the farmers around maintained the which can still be seen as slight banks and rights of forest grazing. ditches in the Urwald. During the early Modern period the shortage of timber increased considerably, mainly due to ship building and the demands of the treeless Clay District to the north. Therefore Anton Günther, the famous count of Olden- burg, initiated in the 17th century a large scale afforestation of this area with almost exclusively common oak (Quercus robur) because of its high prices. So this was by no means natural woodland but a timber forest, grazed by cattle. Boundary of an old private plot Detail of the first map of the Neuenburger Urwald from 1782 After this period a complete reconstruction beech and hornbeam. Often two or more of the forest took place. In this connection a seedlings were planted together in one hole precise forest map was produced 1782, in order to have at least one tree that grows probably one of the oldest of this kind in up. However, in many cases two or even northern Germany. Now new plantations more developed, forming twins or even were made in the large clear cut areas, how- bunch trees, which are still now frequent in ever, not only with oak but now also with the Urwald (see plate 1). 6 Map by LECOQ, showing the few forests at 1805 From this time the Urwald has been used not Forest grazing around 1870 (J. PRELLER) only for timber but for many other purposes. Many written sources tell us that the humic soil surface was removed to manure the fields, the litter was used for the cattle and pollarding as well as lopping were practised, too. But the most important factor that trans- formed the wood into a semi-open area was forest grazing. The farmers around the forests owned grazing privileges and a very sophisticated system was practised to answer the various demands of exploitation. According to a chronicle of 1792, 284 horses, 861 heads of cattle, 660 pigs and 1292 geese were driven into this forest. Before this also goats had been allowed. Numerous oaks were protected as mast trees, but everything else – sprouting trees and shrubs as well as herbs were eaten by the domestic animals, which caused high pres- sure upon this ecosystem. Thus a park-like open forest, dominated by oaks, with a green floor mainly of grasses developed, which is documented in several paintings from the 19th century. From 1850 the government tried to ban forest grazing but with little Oak, capped in order to get a wider crown for success, so the wood pasture continued up to more mast the 1920ies. 7 Plate 1 Shredded hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) Pollarded hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) Bunch hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) Oak and beech – twins, planted together (Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica) 8 Plate 2 Oak dead wood Tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) on beech Tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) in detail Heartwood affected by blight Sapwood (oak) 9 On the other hand, already in the middle of Around the protected area the forest is still the 19th century the public interest in the today endangered by the activity of the brick beauties of this old forest started and as a industry which for centuries has been using consequence the central part, the Urwald the weathered uppermost 2 m of the Lauen- area, was protected in the way that any utili- burg clay for bricks of excellent quality. zation apart from grazing was forbidden. Now also recreation became a topic for the society and the middle classes discovered a passion to promenade, for which this old forest with its bizarre oaks and beautiful tree ensembles became a favourite target.

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