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4.4 Lower Saxony

4.4 The Lower Saxony trict of Land Wursten, directly west of the Hohe Wadden Sea Region Lieth, it is bounded by two distinct lines: in the east by the Grauwall canal that was enlarged in by Jan-Joost Assendorp, Doris Böker, Gernot the 1950s, and in the west by the Bremerhaven- Fischer, Elke Först, Falk-Reimar Sänger, Rolf Cuxhaven railway line that runs on the eastern Bärenfänger, Wiebke Dreeßen, Volker edge of the high marsh with its relatively firm Gläntzer, Jörg Eckert, Hermann Schiefer, ground. Gregor Schlicksbier, Wolfgang Schwarz, The first settlement on a major scale on the Friedrich-Wilhelm Wulf; sea walls and surf embankments on the outer Editing: Gregor Schlicksbier, edge of the old marsh took place in the last cen- Jan-Joost Assendorp tury B.C. Although scattered traces of older set- tlements from the iron age were found on the 4.4.1 The land between Elbe and Weser higher parts of the banks, only the uptake of land (Elbe-Weser Districts) from the first century left behind permanent traces in the cultural landscape. As the farms 4.4.1.1 Introduction and villages were first laid out on level ground, The marsh areas between the Weser and the the ever increasing tidal storm surges that were Elbe, which for the most part form part of the running on shore forced the settlers to rebuild Cuxhaven administrative district, may be divided their farms and eventually whole villages on into three different geographic and cultural dwelling mounds that had to be thrown up high- units. In the north, the line of the terminal er and higher. In the district of Land Hadeln, Lüd- moraine of the Hohe Lieth, the so-called Wurster ingworth and the adjacent sea mounds are Heide, separates the Wurster Marsch on the impressive examples of the dwelling mounds Weser mouth in the west from the district of constructed along the Elbe during the Roman Land Hadeln on the Elbe mouth. To the south of empire. In the district of Osterstade, Aschwarden Bremerhaven the districts of Landwürden and and Wurthfleth were developed along the Weser. Osterstade lie along the Weser. Their geological The examples that have been most thoroughly genesis as well as the histories of their settle- investigated in the district of Land Wursten are ment until the High Middle Ages are very similar the line of village mounds set up in the first cen- in their essentials, so that these can be described tury and abandoned in the time of the migration together. of the peoples: starting from Dingen in the The marshes were formed under the influence south, through Mulsum and Dorum as far as of the rise in the sea level after the last ice age Alsum in the north. The three big dwelling and for the most part are barely raised above the mounds in the southern district of Land Wursten, mean sea level. Apart from the varied composi- the Barward, Fallward, and Feddersen Wierde, tion of the soil, it is the difference in level still lie vacant in the area today. The excavations between the recent (high) marsh and the old of the Feddersen Wierde have produced an (low) marsh that plays the decisive role for the impressive amount of evidence on the genesis of settlement and the utilization of the marsh. Due settlement on the surf embankment from the to differing conditions for sedimentation before late iron age. The extensive finds from Saxon the dykes were built, the marshes are subdivided graves from the Fallward emphasize the eco- into highlands with sandy, chalky soils, near the nomic appeal of the marsh settlements. Height- coast or the river banks, and the Sietland behind ened storm surge activity nonetheless led to the them which is lower lying as a result of the short settlement region being abandoned in the fifth supply of sediment, has soils rich in clay, and century. especially on the geest edge is mostly made bog- A few centuries later, the strings of dwelling gy from being saturated with water and is there- mounds again formed the starting point for the fore inimical to settlement. In the whole region, renewed acquisition of land by settler groups the Sietland was only put under cultivation very that then began afresh in the 7th and 8th cen- late and with little success. Where it was sys- turies. In the district of Land Wursten these tematically drained, the boggy subsoil shrank so came from outside for the first time, from the that in the long run there was hardly any west Frisian North Sea coast (in the Late Middle improvement. These days the old marsh lies in Ages this was to become much more common front of the higher, sandy geest in the form of with the colonization of the marshes by Hollan- virtually unsettled strips of grassland. In the dis- ders, as the west Frisians were known at the

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166 Chapter 4.4 The Lower Saxony Wadden Sea Region ጮጹ ȫጩጬጯጭጥጴጥጲጳ ȒȐ ȑȕ ȢጯጲጤጥጲȀጯጦȀጴጨጥ ጳጵጲጶጥጹȀɁጲጥɁ ȑȐ ȕ Ȯ ȬȡȮȣȥȷȡȤȀȰጲጯጪጥɃጴȍȮጩጥጤጥጲጳɁɃጨጳጥጮ ȢጥጺጩጲጫጳጲጥጧጩጥጲጵጮጧȀȬᎼጮጥɂጵጲጧ ȢጥጺጩጲጫጳጲጥጧጩጥጲጵጮጧȀȷጥጳጥጲȍȥጭጳ ȳጯጵጲɃጥȀጯጦȀጴጯጰጯጧጲɁጰጨጹȀጤɁጴɁȚ ȴȫȒȕȍȲɁጳጴጥጲጤɁጴጥጮȀጤጥጲȀȬȧȮȀȍ ȬɁጮጤጥጳጶጥጲጭጥጳጳጵጮጧȋȀȧጥጯɂɁጳጩጳȍ ጩጮጦጯጲጭɁጴጩጯጮȀȮጩጥጤጥጲጳɁɃጨጳጥጮ

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Fig. 4.57: Survey area Lower Saxony

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Chapter 4.4 The Lower Saxony Wadden Sea Region 167

time). The silting up of the mud flats, however, Hanover and Prussia. Regrettably, neither in made it possible for the higher, fertile unculti- Hadeln nor in Wursten have the historic dykes or vated land to be settled quite soon. The two vil- their remains been recorded by an archaeologi- lage mounds of Wremen and Misselwarden in cal inventory. the district of Land Wursten attest to this uptake As far as the harbor installations, sluices, of land, as do Altenbruch, Otterndorf or Belum in floodgates or pumping stations are concerned, the district of Land Hadeln. however, no objects of historical value in the dis- The process of establishing settlements on the trict of Land Wursten have been preserved. In newly reclaimed land is related to the building of the district of Land Hadeln, in contrast, the mea- the early dykes in both the districts of Land sures for controlling the water are clearly visible Wursten and Land Hadeln. We are particularly in many examples in the area (ditches, canal sys- well informed about the complexity and the tems up to the Hadeln canal of 1853 and the chronology of dyke building in the district of pumping stations from the 20th century). The Land Wursten. The dyking was carried out along stone sluice head from Rechtenfleth has been the three main lines of Oberstrich (upstream moved to Osterstade and is preserved there. dyke), Niederstrich (downstream dyke) and Dyke construction and drainage of the land Altendeich (old dyke) which run from south- facilitated the increasing settlement and culti- south-west to north-north-east, with ribbon- vation of the land from the 12th century. In shaped meadows arranged in perpendicular Hadeln, settlers from Holland were brought into fashion, and with a drainage canal for each dis- the land by the provincial administration. Under trict, all of which together characterize the dis- their influence, the elongated ribbon or strip vil- trict of Land Wursten between Solthörn in the lages such as Bülkau were developed. The south and Deichsende (dyke’s end) near Nord- improvement and stabilization of the natural holz. conditions of the area, culminating in dyke The first completed line of dykes in the district building, led to a clear increase in the economic of Land Wursten, the upstream one, is probably welfare of the whole marsh region, which may a summer dyke, on the inner side of which most still be seen today, especially in the many of the dwelling mounds today lie deserted. Since churches that have been preserved from the the creation of the oldest living levels in the Middle Ages. 12th and 13th centuries during the Late Middle The stone churches from the 12th to the 14th Ages, they were thrown up to a height of about centuries form the outstanding type of historic 4 m above sea level. The foreshore that was sub- monument in this region because of their num- sequently formed was protected by the down- ber and quality. More often than not, their fur- stream dyke, erected in the 14th and 15th cen- nishings are also of great cultural-historical sig- turies as a winter dyke. Therefore the row of nificance. Thus the parish churches of Dedesdorf dwelling mounds accompanying it reach only a and Cappel possess valuable Arp Schnitger relatively small height. Today only a few frag- organs and in Sandstedt there are wall paintings ments of this dyke remain. Its line is followed by from the 15th century. In the district of Land the old dyke, also from the Middle Ages, recog- Wursten, the series of important church build- nizable in many sections as an earthen embank- ings begins in the south with Imsum (Ochsen- ment from one to two meters high. turm) and continues through Wremen, Mulsum, With the existing line of the sea dyke, recog- Dorum and Cappel (classicist new building in nized as a cultural monument, the development place of its predecessor from the Middle Ages) to of the land in early modern times reached its Spieka. To the west lie Misselwarden and Pad- conclusion. The building of the present main ingbüttel, and to the north Midlum. The plain dyke was begun in 1618. After the storm surges rectangular hall, covered by a ceiling of wooden of 1717 and 1825 the dyke was made higher and beams and with a rectangular or square choir wider. added, was established as a standard type of the Because of their significance for the coastal massive building being carried out in the 12th region, the dykes represent an outstanding cul- century. The choir is joined to the nave by a low tural-historical document. To a great extent, arch and usually vaulted only afterwards. The they contain the construction materials of their ratio of the length to the width in the Wursten predecessors in their core and in their present churches is typical of the churches in the settled course they are largely in agreement with that region of Frisia. The same is true for the arrange- recorded in the land surveys by the Electorate of

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168 Chapter 4.4 The Lower Saxony Wadden Sea Region

ment of the portals on the long sides, which are farmers migrating from the geest into the marsh often offset in a westerly direction. in the middle of the 18th century. It is true for all In the district of Land Hadeln, a type of build- the marsh districts, though, that the historic ing developed from the 12th century, construct- architecture consists above all of 19th century ed by means of field stone masonry and consist- buildings. ing of a rectangular hall with a square choir Completely preserved brick buildings have added and a flat ceiling of wooden beams. come down only from the 18th century and they Churches constructed in this fashion may still be are of significant dimensions. The upper half of found in Altenbruch, Belum, Ihlienworth, Lüd- the steep gable is made of boards and, in the dis- ingworth and Nordleda. There are wooden bell trict of Land Wursten, they are usually painted towers in Altenbruch, Bülkau, Ihlienworth, Khed- green. Over the whole region, as a rule, the roof ingbruch, Odisheim, Oppeln and Steinau. was thatched - and this is still the case in parts The field stone found on the geest served as up to the present. The form of the gables of the building material; almost rectangular stones main building and the large outbuilding, devoid were dressed from larger erratic granite boulders of any decoration, was maintained during the and used to form the corners of buildings as well first half of the 19th century. The only features as window and portal walls (Midlum, Mulsum, livening up the wall surfaces are wall supports of Padingbüttel). In addition to the field stone wrought iron, or a small sandstone slab above available in the region, sandstone imported from the hall entrance with the building owner’s the Weserbergland region was used. During the name and the date of construction. Since the 12th century, tuff originating from the Eifel fifties of the 19th century the verges have been region was used increasingly. Occasionally its accompanied by stepped brick friezes. In the lat- use was restricted to single parts of the building ter part of the 19th century it was customary to (see Midlum, Mulsum). Alone among the church- erect the principal building in the form of a hall- es, the Wremen church displays a complete fac- house with four supports. ing of tuff. The first church building made com- Essential changes to the cultural landscape pletely of brick in the district of Land Wursten is took place only in modern times. These were pri- Misselwarden (end of the 13th century). marily due to the greatly accelerated extension Except for the Hamburg tower at Neuwerk, of the road network and the provision of energy erected in order to control the waterways on the in the last century. The development of the Elbe, no castles or fortified buildings remain in region by the Bremen-Cuxhaven freeway and the the marsh regions. The sole historic town hall extension of the federal and country roads have was erected in Otterndorf in 1583. Also worth permanently changed the perception of the mentioning are several administrative buildings landscape as have the developments in settle- like the ones in Neuhaus (1723) and Otterndorf ment and infrastructure, which are closely linked (1771) and the customs house of Dedesdorf to the changing traffic patterns. In very few cas- (1811/1813). es, settlements of new buildings blend organi- Only a small number of rural building struc- cally into the existing structures (e.g. Lüding- tures of historical value are preserved on farm worth). What is more, they often obscure the establishments. The farms lined up along the views onto the original sights of the locality (e.g. various strips of settlement in the district of Dorum and Otterndorf). Land Wursten consist of a main house, which is It goes without saying that considerable alter- oriented with the working gable towards the ations to the landscape can also come about in west or north-west, and of several outbuildings. connection with tourism. This is true not only for The cobbled farmyard in front of the living and districts that are exposed to a particularly high working quarters mostly has on its perimeter level of tourism, such as Cuxhaven (which will not two (cattle) barns, of double upright construc- be discussed any further in this regard), but also tion, with the direction of the roof ridges at right for smaller sites, such as the Otterndorf bathing angles to that of the main house. Unlike in the lake. Some dwelling mounds from the Middle Ages Hadelner Marsch, in this area brick construction, have been integrated into this setting in „a very which has been shown to have been in use in the special way“. secular field even before 1612, was dominant Numeros wind energy installations have already both for main buildings as well as for the out- been erected in both the districts of Land Wursten buildings. The few half-timbered buildings tend and Land Hadeln, and more are under construction to be constructions that were transplanted by or are being planned. The main dispute is over the

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question of scale - how many wind turbines can a 4.4.1.2 Land Hadeln landscape bear? The fact is that the impression of a marsh landscape, flat as a pancake and seem- The district of Land Hadeln is approximately coex- ingly endless, with an extremely small number of tensive with the area of what is today the Hadeln relatively small vertical elements (e.g. church tow- and Sietland association of municipalities (Samtge- ers) has been changed drastically as a result of meinden), with the exception of the town of Cux- these installations. Today the high, slowly turning haven. Two geest ridges, the Hohe Lieth and the wind turbines belong to the modern cultural land- Lamstedter Geest with the Wingst, run from north scape in just the same way as do the silhouettes of to south and attain maximum heights of 38 m and the harbor industry of Bremerhaven or the hotels 74 m. The remaining area is flat marshland lying of Cuxhaven-Duhnen. There are no instances between these geest ridges. This so-called highland where the individual installations were erected reaches a height of about 1.5 m above sea level directly on cultural historical monuments, such as close to the sea. The old river embankments of the dwelling mounds or old dyke lines, and in general Elbe (from Lüdingworth to Belum), the Medem and they keep a reasonable distance from the individ- the Oste are built to this same height. The sandy ual monuments. The face of the landscape, how- marshland, enriched with calcium by repeated ever, especially in the marshlands, has been radi- deposition, is of outstanding fertility. In contrast cally changed in some districts, and this has the Sietland, situated further inland, lies 0.5 m occurred within just a few years. below sea level and is rather waterlogged.

5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 7 75ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 7 7 7 7 7 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 75ƒ 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 7 7 5ƒ 7 7 7 7 5ƒ7 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ7 5ƒ 75ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ Fig. 4.58: hwelling2moundG2ilev—ted 75ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 7 5ƒ The elongated ribbon or pl—™e2of2residen™e2@—ll2typesA5ƒ 75ƒ5ƒ 7 H I P Q uilometers strip villages Osterbruch, 7 5ƒ ristori™—l2˜uilding2or2monument Kehdingbruch and Bülkau 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ Source: LGN

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The name of the district of Land Hadeln is ing stations being built in Hadeln, the largest of derived from that of the old Saxon district of which also happens to be the biggest in Ger- Haduloha (battle wood). The district’s conquest many. by Charlemagne led to what may be its first From the 12th century, the dyke building and mention in the archives. At that time Hadeln drainage of the district facilitated increased set- apparently designated the whole region below tlement and cultivation of the land. The powers the geest ridges from the Weser to the Oste. that drove this activity and which set the direc- Evidence has been found of a first settlement tion were the dukes of Saxony and the archbish- on the Medem dating back to the 4th/3rd centu- ops of Bremen. A principal measure was the ry B.C. The rise in the sea level slowed down from drafting of settlers from Holland who contribut- the first century B.C. at the latest, so that a per- ed their expertise in the field of building dykes manent settlement of the marsh became possi- and canals. Under their influence the elongated ble, starting from the higher river banks. About row or strip villages were now developed on lev- two centuries later the settlements on the flats el ground. Bülkau may serve as an example out had to be raised to protect them from the water. of many. At the same time, the communal work This first phase of mound construction resulted of maintaining the dykes and watercourses fos- in some impressive examples, such as Lüding- tered the independence of the farmers, who at a worth and the sea mounds lying further to the very early stage became masters of their own east, where dwelling places were raised signifi- land. However, there were setbacks too. The cantly until the 5th century, when the settle- storm surge of 1717, by no means the only one, ments had to be given up after all. Successful broke through the dykes and caused great losses settlement of the region commenced again in in terms of human lives, cattle and buildings. the Early Middle Ages, in the 7th and 8th cen- Nevertheless, on the whole it was a positive turies. Once again it started out with settlements development. As early as 1600 Hadeln was on the flats of the marshes, now silted up even described as the most fertile region of Germany higher, to the north of the old dwelling mounds. that grew the most grain. About 1750 an abso- From the High Middle Ages onwards these set- lute high point was reached in terms of arable tlements also had to be made higher. Altenbruch, land and the cultivation of grain, a fact that is Otterndorf and Belum should be mentioned as impressively documented by the records of the large village mounds. More recent mound settle- land register of the Electorate of Hanover. ments, probably no older than the early dyke Hadeln then achieved remarkable surpluses in building activities in the region, may be recog- grain harvests, supplied the big cities such as nized by having names ending in „-büttel“. Hamburg and Bremen and exported quantities of The birth of the present cultural landscape of grain to Holland, England and Scandinavia. Hadeln is connected to the erection of a com- The completion of the line of dykes and the pleted line of dykes - an operation that is insep- positive economic development made possible arably linked with the draining of the interior. by this also led to an increase in construction According to our present knowledge the first activities, which found expression in the register dyke that supported settlement was built in the of cultural historic monuments and heritage 12th century. At the same time draining began buildings. From the 12th century onwards there by means of ditches, canals (Wettern) and was an increase in church building activity, sluices (allowing water to pass through the which was now carried out in the massive or sol- dyke). In this region this kind of work is ongoing id style. In the district of Land Hadeln a type of and is still being carried out today, with stan- building was developed which featured field dards improving continually. The work reached stone masonry and consisted of a rectangular its peak in 1853 with the construction of the hall with an added square choir or chancel. A flat Hadeln canal, which had become necessary as a ceiling of wooden beams enclosed the space at result of the silting-up of the beds of the Oste the top. Churches built in this style can still be and Medem rivers. This measure also succeeded found today in Altenbruch, Belum, Ihlienworth, in ridding the Sietland of its surface water - but Lüdingworth and Nordleda. Among them, the as a consequence of this the clayey and boggy western building in Altenbruch is of a special subsoil shrank and the Sietland subsided further, nature, and it has at times been understood as a so that the advantage gained by drainage was symbol of the power exercised by dukes of Sach- largely lost again. In 1926 the cultivation works sen-Lauenburg. Towers were frequently added reached another peak, with a total of 28 pump- on to a building at a later stage, as was done in

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Nordleda, for instance. Wooden bell towers can to as farmers’ cathedrals, still bear witness to the be found in Altenbruch, Bülkau, Ihlienworth, former prosperity of this region. Khedingbruch, Odisheim, Oppeln and Steinau. After the Thirty Years War the churches in 4.4.1.3 Land Wursten Altenbruch, Ihlienworth and Otterndorf were renovated to an extraordinarily opulent stan- On the right bank of the outer Weser, the dard, with the work being funded through dona- Wurster Marsch, which forms part of the Cux- tions from farmers. A new phase of construction haven administrative district, extends to the began as a consequence of the agricultural west of the terminal moraine of the Hohe Lieth, boom in the 18th century and this brought forth the so-called Wurster Heide. This is a belt of salt the churches in Bülkau and Osten - the latter marsh about 30 kilometers in length, spanning being particularly lavish. Imsum to Deichsende (dyke´s end) and Berensch, Castles or fortified houses were on the decline which - at Dorum - reaches its maximum width in the district of Land Hadeln as early as the of 9 kilometers. While this area was used for Middle Ages. The only historic town hall was agriculture in many places (especially on the built in Otterndorf in 1583. Administrative build- high marsh), due to structural changes since the ings were erected following the style of the end of the 19th century it is characterized today baroque manor house, which is not to be found by pasture land. in the district of Land Hadeln. The extravagant Because they were created relatively recently administrative building of 1723 in Neuhaus and under the influence of Holocene tides, the the rather unadorned administrative building of marshes are higher than two meters above sea Otterndorf from 1771 are good examples. level in only a few spots. Apart from the varied The district of Land Hadeln falls within the composition of the soil, it is the difference in area of distribution of the Low German bay hall level between the new (high) marsh and the old house, more than a hundred of which are listed (low) marsh that plays the decisive role for the in the register of historical monuments. They settlement and utilization of the marsh. Due to were predominantly built using a double-joisted varying conditions of sedimentation before the structure, most commonly based on the ground dykes were built, the marshes are subdivided into plan of a bay hall house with a large passageway highlands with sandy, chalky soil (good for the and a loft. As a rule, the framework is lined with cultivation of demanding crops), which is 1-2 km brick masonry, often featuring thatched roofs. wide at the Weser, and the Sietland behind them The large houses of marsh farmers can have a which lies lower as a result of a smaller supply of length of up to 40 meters, with hallways reach- sediment. The Sietland has soil rich in clay (and ing a width of eight to ten meters. To provide the is therefore primarily used as pasture land) and, additional storage space required by good har- especially on the geest edge, is mostly boggy as vests, the roof beams can project up to two a result of being saturated with water, and is meters beyond the row of upright supports. therefore unfavorable for settlement. The latest The period of occupation by Napoleon’s troops layers of sediment were deposited in the north- with all its negative repercussions caused this ern section of the Wurster Marsch, near once flourishing countryside to experience a Dorumer, Spiekaer and lastly Cappler Neufeld. harsh setback. The economy then suffered fur- The old marsh in the district of Land Wursten ther blows as a result of falling grain prices is a 1-2 km wide strip of virtually uninhabited starting in the 1820’s. From the middle of pasture land immediately to the west of the the19th century wages rose as a result of the Hohe Lieth, which is bordered by two prominent beginning industrialization and towards the end features of the landscape. To the east is the of the same century large numbers of people Grauwall Canal, completed in the 1950s, which began moving away into the larger towns and goes back to the Grauwall (ditch wall), first men- cities, and many emigrated overseas. As a tioned in 1312, an inland dyke drained by ditch- counter movement, farmers in the district of es protecting the marsh from the intruding geest Land Hadeln gradually moved into cattle raising, water. To the west lies the Bremerhaven-Cux- which was less labour-intensive. Where there haven railway line, which opened in 1896 and had once been rich cultivated fields, grassland whose route passes the high marsh on the east- gradually took over again. ern edge on relatively solid ground. The westerly However, the splendid houses of the farmers area of the old marsh, cultivated from the old and the beautiful churches, sometimes referred village mounds, shows irregular block fields,

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Fig. 4.59: 5ƒ5ƒ The dwelling mounds and dykes in the north of the 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ Wurster Marsch 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ Source: LGN, NLfB 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 6„5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 6„ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 hwelling2moundG2ilev—ted 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ pl—™e2of2residen™e2@—ll2typesA 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 egr—ri—n2˜uilding 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 6„ ghur™h 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ hyke 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ w—rsh2—re— 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ qeest2—re— 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ €e—t2—re— 5ƒ 5ƒ H 6„6„5ƒ 7P R uilometers 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ is™h2—re— 5ƒ 7 7 7

while the eastern section, which was cultivated the north. The three big dwelling mounds in the later, has land strips of differing width along the southern district of Land Wursten, the Barward, Grauwall. The layout of fields from the earliest Fallward, and Feddersen Wierde, still lie vacant marshes settled in modern times is also charac- today. Excavation of the Feddersen Wierde has terized by wide strips. Only two thoroughfares produced an impressive amount of evidence on cross the old marsh in an east-west direction. To the beginnings of settlement on the surf the south the road K 66 from Wremen to Siev- embankment since the Late Iron Age. Villages ern, which is lined on both sides by a wind park which had originally been laid out on the flats directly west of the Grauwall Canal, and further had to be raised on mounds to guarantee their north the road L 119 from Langen to Dorum. An continued existence, starting in the 1st century. additional wind park south of this road is an eye- Richly adorned old Saxon graves from the Fall- sore on this flat land. More wind parks are locat- ward underscore the wealth of the settlements ed around Wremen and in the Dorumer and and the economic appeal of the marshes in Spiekaer Neufeld. Roman times. In the course of the 5th century Village mounds, thrown up in the 1st century increased tidal flooding led to the abandonment and abandoned during the migration of the peo- of the area. ples, spread in a line to the west of the old In the 7th/8th centuries, the chain of mounds marsh, starting from Dingen in the south, from Roman times formed the starting point for through Mulsum and Dorum as far as Alsum in renewed settlement in the old marsh - this time

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by groups of Frisian settlers. The silting-up of the 12th century. The choir is joined to the nave by a shoreline mud flats, however, made it possible low arch (Midlum, Wremen, Mulsum, Padingbüt- for the higher fertile land to be settled quite tel and Misselwarden). The chancel choirs of the soon. The village mounds of both Wremen and Wursten churches, with the exception of Midlum Misselwarden (first written reference in the vita (possibly begun before 1200) and Spieka, were of the Holy Willehad in 860) are vestiges of this usually vaulted only later. In 1510 Dorum over- settlement. The results of recent excavations took the other communities as the site of the show that the area north of Mulsum was also largest church by adding the choir hall, taking occupied by an early mediaeval settlement. In the Ottendorfer choir as its model. the northern part of the district of Land Wursten The length to width ratio in the Wurster the filling in of the coastal mud flat area was for churches is characterized by moderate elonga- the first time sufficiently advanced for settle- tion, typical of the churches in the regions set- ment and cultivation of the new marsh areas in tled by the Frisians. The same is true for the the 10th century. Starting with a concentration arrangement of the portals on the long sides, of settlements in the area of the old mound vil- which are often offset in a westerly direction. lages, groups of farmstead mounds were spread Besides the portals, the high rounded arched out to the west on the upper marsh islands, windows represent the only subdivision of the which can also be seen further north around nave that is 3 to 5 window spans long. Stones Cappel and Spieka. available on the geest (granite, gneiss) were used The historic parish of the district of Land as building material. Large granite boulders were Wursten can testify to an unbroken history of worked into almost rectangular stones used to settlement during the Middle Ages, which finds frame the corners of buildings and the walls of its counterpart in ongoing settlement of the vil- windows and portals. Good examples of this type lage mounds down to our day. By the beginning of masonry are the church in Midlum, probably of the 13th century at the latest (a 1238 charter built in the middle of the 13th century and the bearing the seal of Wurster Land) the inhabi- least modified of the Mulsum church, as well as tants of this region had formed a political unit, the granite facing in the lower area of the nave so that de facto sovereignty of Wursten came to and throughout the choir in the church at Pad- be acknowledged based on Frisian common law ingbüttel (probably built in the 2nd half of the until its subjugation by terms of the Peace of 13th century). Stade of 1525. Because of its increasing eco- Sandstone imported from the Weser uplands nomic importance, Land Wursten was reserved a was used throughout the Middle Ages. In the special position (Consitutional Convention of the 12th century, tuff originating from the Eifel Marshland Districts, 1668). Stone churches, built region came increasingly into use. The forerun- following the „second Christianization“ from the ners of the churches in Mulsum, Dorum and 12th to the 14th centuries, bear witness to the Imsum were made of tuff. At times, its use was economic power of the small parishes. Because limited to individual components such as in Mid- of their numbers in this area and the quality of lum and Mulsum. The only church with a façade the relics at each location they make outstand- made entirely of tuff is the Wremer church, built ing historical monuments. The row begins at in the first quarter of the 13th century. The first Imsum (only the Ochsenturm remains as a relict church recorded as having been built using only of the church possibly build in 1218) and contin- brick is the one in Misselwarden (at the end of ues to the 12th and 13th century churches in the 13th century), finally followed by the last of Wremen, Mulsum, Dorum and Cappel (a classical the Wursten churches, the one in Spieka. modern church replaced its mediaeval predeces- In contrast to the ones of the poorer geest sor in 1815/26) up to Spieka (incorporated in parishes, the Wurster church, located mainly on 1319). The churches of Misselwarden and Pad- a mound of its own in the middle of a cemetery, ingbüttel, built in the 13th century, lie to the shows an abundance of furnishings which as a west. Midlum (church dating to the12th/13th rule span a period of several centuries and doc- centuries) had special status as a half geest ument the history and culture of the land with church parish. quality workmanship (e.g. the grave markers The plain rectangular hall, with a ceiling of from the 16th/17th centuries, showing the name wooden beams and a rectangular or square choir of the farmers’ family). There are baptismal fonts added, was established as a standard pattern for from before 1300 in Dorum, Cappel and Midlum, the solid construction being carried out in the and a group of scenes of the crucifixion (Pading-

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büttel, Dorum, Spieka) from the Late Middle a few fragments of this dyke remain. It is also Ages. Oldenburg and Bremen were the primary followed by the mediaeval Altendeich (preserved, cultural centers of influence for most of the built before 1518), which is up to two meters Wesermarsch. The cast iron works in the district high and bordered by several so-called Wehle of Land Wursten for instance can be traced back (pools formed behind dykes). Moreover, a street to foundries in Bremen. Here, the numeros works runs along its crest. Niederstrich and Altendeich by the Klinghe family should be mentioned, as are distinguished by tree-lined avenues that fol- well as the Late Gothic sacrament house in low them over wide distances across the even Dorum. Decoration systems from the 13th to the landscape. early 16th century, showing how colorful the With the existing line of the sea dyke, recog- churches once were, can be found in Midlum, nized as a cultural monument, the development Mulsum and Dorum (the representation of the of the land in early modern times reached its Last Judgement is especially memorable here). conclusion. Cappeler-Neufeld represents the last The pews at Misselwarden and Mulsum are reclaimed land. The building of the present main examples of fine carving from the 16th century. dyke was begun in 1618. After the storm surges An economic boom in the 17th century led to of 1717 and 1825 the dyke was made higher and the founding of numeros charities for furnishing wider. Due to their significance in the settlement the churches. It was at this time that important and economic history of the coastal region the local artists first appeared. Their works (altars, dykes represent an outstanding document in cul- pulpits, epitaphs) have left a considerable mark tural history. No hydraulic systems (ports, on the churches’ use of space. Two Ottendorf sluices, locks, pumping stations) worthy of pro- woodcarvers, Michael Ringkmacher from the tecting have been preserved in the district of first quarter of the 17th century and Jürgen Hei- Land Wursten. dtmann from the second half merit special men- Because construction measures followed the tion. An instrument built by Arp Schnitger is new dyke, Oberstrich shows the least (lacking probably the most significant organ in the even monuments) and Altendeich the most signs region. It is located in the Cappel church, for of settlement. These consist of farmsteads which it was purchased in 1816. together with residential blocks mostly built The chronology of continued settlement on after the Second World War. The Niederstrich, on newly reclaimed marshland west of the village which the individual mounds particularly shape mounds can be read from the outlying farmstead the landscape, primarily bears the stamp of the mounds placed in the form of rows, which were farming complexes located east of the present created in conjunction with the construction of district road 68, which reflect the agricultural early dykes. The dyking was carried out along the emphasis of the region. three main lines of Oberstrich (upstream dyke), Only a small number of structures of histori- Niederstrich (downstream dyke) and Altendeich cal value are preserved on the farmsteads. The (old dyke) which run from south-south-west to farms lined up along the various strips of settle- north-north-east, with ribbon-shaped meadows ment consist of a main house, with the working arranged in perpendicular fashion, and with a gable towards the west or northwest, and sever- drainage canal for each district, all of which al outbuildings. The cobbled farmyard in front of together characterize the district of Land the living and working quarters mostly has two Wursten between Solthörn in the south and (cattle) barns with two posts in the cross-sec- Deichsende (dyke´s end) near Nordholz. tion on its perimeter and the direction of the The first completed line of dykes in the district roof ridges at right angles to that of the main of Land Wursten, the upstream one, is probably house. a summer dyke, on the inner side of which most Unlike the Hadelner Marsch, in the Wurster of the mounds lie deserted today. Since the cre- Marsch brick construction, which has been in ation of the oldest living levels in the 12th and use for secular buildings even before 1612, was 13th centuries during the Late Middle Ages, they dominant both for main buildings and for out- were thrown up to a height of about 4 m above buildings. The few half-timbered buildings tend sea level. The foreshore that was later formed to be constructions that were transplanted by was protected by the downstream dyke, erected farmers migrating from the geest into the marsh in the 14th and 15th centuries as a winter dyke. in the middle of the 18th century. Historical As a result, the row of mounds accompanying it architecture consists primarily of brick buildings reaches only a relatively small height. Today only from the 19th century.

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Completely preserved brick buildings have come Misselwarden-Engbüttel, a two-storey brick down only from the 18th century, and they are building from 1764. of significant dimensions (e.g. the main building at the Cappel farmstead, Niederstrich no. 17: An 4.4.1.4 Landwürden and Osterstade ensemble of two barns with two posts in the cross-section, a baking house and a pig sty). The The cultural landscape of Landwürden and gable is dominated by a basket arch-shaped Osterstade takes in the marshland on the right entrance door with side windows. The manure bank of the Weser river between Bremen and canal doors are also basket arch-shaped. The Bremerhaven. Viewed from the center of the slanting sides of the gable triangle enclose region, the urban skylines of the suburbs of these embedded keeled triangular layers, so-called two cities form its southern and northern Dutch triangles, which were still to be found boundaries. The wooded slopes rising up to the here during the first half of the 19th century. The geest mark out the eastern margin, while the upper half of the steep gable is made of boards Weser dyke with its string of small villages and which are usually painted green in the district of their stands of trees forms the boundary in the Land Wursten. The roof was generally thatched - west. and in some places (e.g. Midlum, Nordermarren As a result of different sedimentation condi- no. 5, built in 1790) this is still the case even tions before the dykes were erected in the 12th today. The windows, with straight lintels closing century the marshland is divided into two parts. the gable, cover up supporting arches. One section, the so-called highlands, lies close to The form of the gables of the main building the river bank, is raised by about one meter, is and the large outbuilding, devoid of any decora- one kilometer in width and has sandy, chalky tion, was maintained during the first half of the soil. The other section, the so-called Sietland, 19th century. The only features livening up the has soil rich in clay and lies somewhat lower as wall surfaces are wall supports of wrought iron a result of having less sediment deposited on it. (e.g. Wremen, Wremer Specken no. 7, dated It is mostly rather boggy, especially on the edge 1815), or a small sandstone slab above the hall of the geest. This manifests itself in the scenery entrance with the building owner’s name and through the fact that the embankment is settled the date of construction (e.g. Midlum, Süder- more densely, whereas the broad, rectangular marren no. 29, dated 1849). Since the fifties of field allotments are used for farming and have a the 19th century the verges have been accom- more substantial cover of vegetation, mainly panied by stepped brick friezes, the upper half of consisting of trees and bushes. The prevailing the gable is still boarded (e.g. Misselwarden, natural conditions resulted in the development Engbüttleler Straße no. 4, dated 1857). Build- of self-contained villages on the embankment as ings from the 1860s, however, have steep gables the typical form of settlement since the 12th with tiles, as well as friezes on the verges and century. These villages relied upon Dedesdorf and additional windows staggered in the roof area, Sandstedt as administrative centre and market each closed with a round window at the top of town respectively. The Sietland, by contrast, was the gable (e.g. Nordholz, Südermarren no. 30, not settled until the 18th century, and even then dated 1862; Dorum, Strichweg no. 16, dated only in the form of a few individual farms. 1867). The landscape is virtually devoid of any build- In the latter part of the 19th century it was ings of historical significance. There are the customary to erect the principal building in the church tower of Sandstedt and, somewhat less form of a bay hall house with four posts. How- imposing, the church tower of Dedesdorf, two ever, buildings from the end of the 19th century windmills in Dedesdorf and Aschwarden and five (e.g. Dorum, Altendeich no. 14) have retained a navigational lights on the Weser dyke. For this relatively modest gable design, doing without reason the modern structures have strong visual horizontal cornices and anchor block arrange- impact on the landscape. The principal ones are ments, whose appearance is enhanced only by six wind energy installations near Stotel in the windows on the wide surfaces of the steep gable east, the Brake nuclear power plant with its wind wall. energy installations and associated power trans- The smaller structures in the Wurster Marsch mission towers in the west, as well as the city’s are of no historical value. An exception to this, harbor facilities. A high-voltage power line cuts even in the rest of the district, is the brick ware- through the entire district running from north to house on the plot Engbütteler Straße no. 4 in south.

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The first known settlement in the region is dates likely to have been a vault construction original- back to the Late Iron Age, consisting of settle- ly, was built in the second half of the13th cen- ments on the flats near Aschwarden and Wurth- tury. There were, however, buildings that preced- fleth. Settlement was suspended at the time of ed it on the church mound (possibly from the the migration of the peoples. Permanent settle- middle of the13th century). In 1838 the chancel ment of the region got under way in the Early (i.e. the choir) was renovated, and the old tower Middle Ages with the establishment of mound was replaced in 1870. The church also features settlements (Rechtenfleth about 860, Sandstedt the most significant item of ecclesiastical her- about 1050). The most impressive dwelling itage in the region, an Arp Schnitger organ from mound, no longer occupied today, is near 1697/98. The most important church building Aschwarden. The dyke built in the first half of apart from Dedesdorf is the church of St. the 12th century is the most outstanding histor- Johannes in Sandstedt, the main town of the dis- ical monument of this cultural landscape: it was trict of Osterstade in the state of Bremen. There this dyke that allowed permanent settlement to was an earlier building on that site, built after succeed. The slight changes in alignment of 1043, and subsequently another was built about 1625 and 1717 remain largely preserved until 1420, and this one was later integrated in the today, even though the dyke is now considerably rectangular hall erected here in 1609-1613 and higher, and with gentler slopes than in the past. still in existence today. The west tower originat- A section about 300 meters long near the village ed in 1613 and characterizes the scenery of this of Auf der Jührde still retains the old propor- place with its high helm roof. The oldest wall tions. paintings in the region (15th century) have Canals passing through the dyke, called remained preserved in Sandstedt. This church sluices, were used to drain the Wesermarsch. also has a valuable organ (1671, B. Huß, the Originally they consisted of wood, but were apprentice master of Arp Schnitger). There are made out of stone from the 18th century on. The smaller church buildings, such as the chapels of stone head from one such sluice, the Drepte Büttel (hall church with polygonal end from sluice near Rechtenfleth (1726), remains in good before 1506, tower from 1971) and Bruch (late condition, even though it was moved on to the Gothic hall church including a chancel, remnants dyke above the water passage which is now of the preceding building from about 1200, bell closed. The greatest changes to the region in tower formed by three parallel walls, remains of terms of hydraulic works were brought about by murals). The chapel of Wersabe is also mediaeval the dyking of the so-called Luneplate, of the in its origin, even though its present appearance lower reaches of the river Lune (1921-25), and has been shaped by more recent building phases the realignment of the course of the river in the (hall church, built in 1769, west tower consisting years 1985-1987. The dredging work to make of three parallel walls, renovated in 1898). The the shipping canal of the Weser deeper was car- cemeteries which cover the surface area of the ried out in the years from 1887 to 1895. Five church mounds also form part of the visual navigational lights, which once marked out the impression presented by the churches. All of the shipping canal at night (upper beacon in Sand- cemeteries feature old headstones from the 17th stedt as well as two each of the upper and low- and 18th centuries, with a particularly large er beacons on the Harrier sandbar to the south- number in Dedesdorf. A cemetery from the mid- west of Sandstedt) have been preserved and dle of the 19th century is located in Rechten- remain as built testimony to this operation. fleth, although not on the historical site. These beacons consist of a cylindrical upper lev- Until about 1900 the style of rural architec- el with a walkway around it and topped by a ture was that of the area in which the Northern lamp. Of different heights, they are supported by German bay hall house dominated. Evidence for a three-legged base of strut construction. the manner of construction in the 17th and 18th Only the stone buildings - that is, the church- centuries can only be found in very few es - have been preserved from the Mediaeval instances and even then only in remnants: Indiek period of settlement. The parish church of St. no. 20 (near Büttel), an isolated farm, is a house Laurentius (built around 1150) in Dedesdorf, the featuring twin posts in the cross-section and an main town of the Oldenburg district of Landwür- inner post-structure dating back to 1599 (oldest den and its administrative centre until 1879, is occurrence of a rafter threshold in the Cuxhaven the oldest structure remaining in this cultural district). The presence of more recent wooden landscape. The brick hall structure of the nave, components that date from the year 1653 raises

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ƒ5 hwelling2moundG2ilev—ted pl—™e2of2residen™e2@—ll2typesA

w—rsh2—re— qeest2—re— €e—t2—re— Fig. 4.60: is™h2—re— ƒ5 The dwelling mounds and ƒ5 HIPQuilometers agrarian buildings in the ‚e™ent2deposit2—re— north of Osterstade Source: LGN, NLfB

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the possibility that this is reconstruction follow- 1900 the time of the North German bay hall ing destruction in the Thirty Years War. The sec- house had passed, and ideas of living in an urban ond oldest inner post-structure (1621) can be fashion took hold. This meant the separation of found in the house at Dorfstraße no. 6 in residential and work or business areas, and a Wersabe. Parts of a house from 1638 have been shift in the design of dwellings towards that of a preserved in Wiemsdorf, among them the only town villa with a historical set of forms. Exam- remaining history farm gable in the region, fea- ples can be seen in Fleeste (An der Balge no. 1) turing the ornamental motif of the fan-like and in Sandstedt (Osterstader Straße no. 31). The rosette (even at that time it was unusual in only surviving village building that does not cor- urban areas, and rarely found in the region). The respond to the standard type of regional farm building at Osterstader Straße no. 29 in Sand- house is from the 19th century and can be seen stedt has interior trusses dating back to the sec- on the church mound of Dedesdorf (Fährstraße ond half of the 17th century. A brick storehouse no. 14a). in Büttel can not be dated at present, but its In closing, some individual objects worthy of steep roof points to an origin in the Late Middle notice should be mentioned. The first is the cus- Ages or early in the modern era. toms house in Dedesdorf, dating back to the time Built structures found in villages of the 18th of the continental blockade (1811-1813). When century are represented by the work section of the occupation ended, the structure was pulled the bay hall house with twin posts in the cross- down and re-erected on the inner side of the section, located at Deichstrenge no. 11 in Sand- dyke. Then there are the village school in Büttel stedt (1761). Anything that would compare to (about 1900) and a small tea house on the farm the riches of the marsh farmers of Hadeln of the that was already designed in the urban style in 18th century is completely absent. The farm Sandstedt (Deichstraße no. 31). Then there are complex of Wersaber Moor 3 still gives some the buildings and other constructions erected by, indication of the first settlement of the Sietland, or at the instigation of, the poet Hermann which took place as late as the 18th century and Allmers in Rechtenfleth. These include a dwelling involved individual farms. The building complex built in 1731, renovated in 1842 and in 1859, consists of a residential and work building, a including interior decoration, a park, a war sheepfold and a combined storage and stable memorial from 1871 and a monument to Charle- structure. magne from 1897-99. The two windmills in the While the historical monuments mentioned region are of the type „outside cap winder“ from above are all individual objects which can the middle of the19th century. scarcely convey a picture of the appearance of the cultural landscape in earlier times, the doc- 4.4.1.5 Neuwerk umented historical monuments from the 19th century still form part of an extensive fabric of The island of Neuwerk, located in the Wadden buildings which shapes both the communities Sea off the shore of Cuxhaven and belonging to and the land. The buildings were predominantly the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, has made of brick and constructed in the four-post preserved the original appearance of its land- style (that is, with ceilings located at the same scape characterized by marshland and salt height as the eaves), and, until the middle of the marshes on the outside of the dykes. Due to its century, under thatched half-hipped roofs and location at the mouth of the Elbe, the island has featuring windows with round arches in the farm always been of particular strategic importance. gable. Even the barns were of opulent design. Proof of this can be seen in the former fortified Buildings from the early 19th century that tower which has been used as a lighthouse since deserve to be mentioned are, in Landwürden: 1814. The Neuwerk tower is the oldest surviving Ueterlande, Oldenburger Straße no. 2 (farm com- secular building in Hamburg and, owing to the plex) and in Osterstade: Büttel, Weserstraße no. history of its construction and ties to the histo- 29, Offenwarden, Hauptsraße no. 1 (storehouse ry of the region, can be counted among the and barn) and Sandstedt, Osterstader Straße no. important cultural landmarks of both Hamburg 29. The style of building dating from the middle and the north-western region. In 1393-94, as a of the century may be seen at its most charac- result of feuding and purchase, Neuwerk togeth- teristic in Overwarfe (Warftenstraße no. 25 and er with the castle and Ritzebüttel estate fell no. 50), and that of the close of the century in under Hamburg’s control and remained so with- Wiemsdorf (Minneörterstraße no. 5). By about out interruption until the passage of the Greater

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Hamburg Law of 1937. Through this law, the by the north and east markers which are naviga- island became a part of the district of Prussia tional aids in the form of high wooden structures and, after the Second World War, was integrated located in the mudflats and on the unprotected into the federal state of Lower Saxony. After the foreshore. The north marker was constructed in war, the first prime minister of the federal state its current form in 1904 and restored in 1953. of Lower Saxony, Heinrich-Wilhelm Kopf, drafted The first known marker on this location was con- the state constitution while on Neuwerk island. structed in 1825. The east marker, which was A state agreement between Hamburg and Lower restored in 1956, was constructed in its current Saxony defining the conditions of return of the form in 1894. The position of this marker had island to Hamburg was signed in 1962 on Neuw- already been recorded as far back as 1846. The erk. bank reinforcement located in front of the west In 1299, Hamburg received permission from and south dykes and erected using pileworks and the landowners, the Dukes of Saxony-Lauenburg, glacial boulders is also worthy of classification to construct a fortified tower as a navigational as a „technological monument“. The bank rein- aid on the „Nige O“ or „Nova O“, as the island forcement was constructed in its current form was referred to at the time. After completion of between 1795 and 1826 and is continuously the tower in 1309, the tower was supplied with being improved in order to protect the coastline a garrison to collect a toll known as „Werkzoll“ and dyke. It is regrettable that neither the mark- from passing ships. The tower had to be almost ers nor the bank reinforcement have been added completely rebuilt as the result of a fire which to the list of historical monuments. Despite the occurred between 1376 and 1379. The tower fact that the markers have lost their function as today is a six-storey brick construction based on navigational aids, they remain characteristic a quadratic ground plan, located on a high landmarks of Neuwerk and are in serious need of mound. The original entryway was on the first repair. The preservation of these markers would floor and can be reached by means of a wooden not only be gratifying to the 30 inhabitants of stairway. Remains of a previous fortification belt the island but to the approximately 120,000 in the form of a moat are preserved northwest of people who visit it every year as well. the tower on „Thom Wisch“ meadow. Neuwerk island has preserved an extensive Between 1556 and 1568, Neuwerk was sup- amount of evidence testifying to the develop- plied with dykes and the arable land was leased ment of the cultural landscape and history of the to three Butjadingen farmers. The house pilings island. The isolated location of the island as an for their farmsteads (Osthof, Mittelhof and outpost of Hamburg at the mouth of the Elbe in Westhof) as well as those for two fisherman’s the Wadden Sea has contributed greatly to its dwellings were completed by 1579. While the preservation. The fortified brick tower is a cul- house pilings of Mittelhof and Westhof have tural landmark which possesses great impor- recently been reconstructed, thereby preserving tance for this region and beyond. their original function, Osthof has been aban- The beauty of its silhouette is marred solely by doned. In the area of the Osthof, the house pil- the presence of a modern radar tower on the ings and the remains of the half-moon shaped north side of the island which is necessary for inner dyke surrounding the farm are still visible ship safety. It remains to be seen what effect the on the surface. The remains of the inner dyke can planned construction of a national park building probably be linked to a breach in a dyke occur- will have on the appearance of the landscape. ring in the 18th century. A fisherman’s dwelling resting on pilings is also located on the premises on the southwest side. In the 18th century, Neuwerk experienced a number of tidal floods which resulted in breaches in the dyke. The dyke surrounding the tower known as the „Turm- deich“, which also used to include the outworks, was installed after the tidal flood of 1718. Another cultural landmark includes the „Cemetery of the Nameless“ which, according to tradition, had been used for the burial of foreign sailors since the 14th century. In addition, there are the „technological monuments“ represented

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4.4.2 The land between Weser and Ems states from early in the modern era, became (Unterweser-Jade Districts, stronger as a result of their affiliation with dif- Districts of Ostfriesland) ferent and distant larger countries (Prussia, Rus- sia, Denmark), and eventually stabilized as a result of their integration into two German 4.4.2.1 Introduction states (Hannover/Prussia and Oldenburg respec- The East Frisian peninsula appears at first glance tively) until they merged in the federal state of to be the epitome of a cultural landscape. The Lower Saxony in 1946. naturally endowed area, shaped as it is by his- This division obscures an even older one which torical and cultural developments, represents an was partly based on the natural boundaries of entity that is very distinct from its neighboring rivers or sea bays and bights. This subdivision of areas and which is therefore held to be unique the space into smaller parts goes back to the by its inhabitants. Uninterrupted lines of dykes „Länder“ or „provinces“ of the Middle Ages. Orig- form the boundaries on three sides - in the west inally these were autonomous local authorities towards the Ems, in the east towards the Weser, in the form of farming cooperatives until they in the north towards the sea - of this cultural were superseded by a regime of headmen in the landscape, of which the dune islands also form 14th century. Following more recent develop- an integral part. The fourth side is marked out by ments, many of these provinces are no more a belt of what was once boggy moorland which than historical memories today (e.g. Emsigerland forms an arc from Nordhümmling to the Jade and Federgau in the Krummhörn, or Östringen rivulet and which separates East Frisia from and Rüstringen in Wanger-/Jeverland). Most of Emsland, Münsterland and Ammerland. them, however, live on in the present as historic Within these boundaries the triad of marsh, designations of the geographical features (e.g. moor and geest, with a network of waterways Rheiderland, Norderland, Harlingerland) or even running through them, determines the nature of in the names of large modern communities (e.g. the land. The idea of not only having shaped this Moormerland, Wangerland, Uplengen), even living space, but of having wrested vast sections though their borders may no longer match the of it away from nature, the favorable economic historical ones precisely. situation over past centuries, the part played by This polycentric structure made up of small the Third Estate as a power in the land, and, units is the basis not only for the East Frisian apart from other historical peculiarities, above settlement space, but also for that of the whole all the memory of „Frisian freedom“ have all giv- of Frisia and, with due alteration of details, for en the people a distinct sense of being special the whole settled area on the southern coast of somehow. Because of this, the land protection the North Sea. The centrifugal forces inherent in and hydraulic engineering works, the typical set- this kind of structure hampered or prevented the tlement forms of the dwelling mounds, polders, formation of a larger political entity of some fens and harbors and, lastly, the characteristic consequence time and again, but the structure constructions of the windmills and village also resisted attempts at territorial division. On churches, especially those of the gulf houses and the foundations of relatively great prosperity, a the homes of agricultural workers, are regarded relatively high level of education and a quasi- as true symbols of East Frisia. bourgeois ethos, at least among the numerically As an idea, this view has its own reality and it significant upper social stratum, this structure is effective in the identification with a living was a prerequisite for the region to exhibit a space; it does this with all the more justification high level of openness towards people, ideas, since it holds within itself not just the uniformi- economic and cultural goods. ty and closedness that are apparent at first The characterization of the coast as a region glance, but also the multiformity and openness that is remote and closed off from progressive of the cultural landscape that are revealed when developments may be persuasive from a modern we take a closer look. landlocked point of view. The truth of the matter Right up to the present, the contrast between is that there have always been close links the districts of Frisia and Wesermarsh, which between the coastal regions as a result of ship- were formerly part of the Duchy of Oldenburg, ping, and the economic and cultural exchange and the district (and former principality) of East generated by the maritime trade was particular- Frisia has remained alive. This difference devel- ly lively with the trading centers of Flanders and oped starting with the formation of territorial Holland, and even with England. In the opposite

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direction, the traffic flowed far inland by way of taken over by the sluice harbors after the dykes the navigable rivers, and even the moorland belt were built. has always been penetrated by major roads and Church villages, most of them quite small, lost its significance as a hindrance to traffic to were also built on mounds - along the embank- the extent that it was diminished as a result of ments of the Ems and the Weser. In isolated cultivation measures. Through the canals, the instances, particularly in the district of Leer, fen regions in particular had direct links to the tongues or small ridges of geest that pushed coastal ports and, through them, with the more through the marsh provided room for settle- distant trading destinations. ments - geest tongues for linear settlements Because of similar natural conditions, similar such as Bunderhee, and ridges for small villages historical developments and a continuous such as Tergast. Only after the dyke construction exchange of culture, many elements of the cul- of the High Middle Ages, but well into the 19th tural landscape of East Frisia also resemble those and in some instances into the 20th century, of the rest of the coast. However, both in East were settlements built on the flats of the old Frisia and elsewhere on the coast these land- marsh and also in the thinly populated Sietland scape features exhibit a high degree of diversity, - usually as outlying settlements belonging to characteristic regional combinations and dwelling mounds, and in the form of individual numeros local peculiarities. farms. In the polders and groden of modern Even major landscape formations differ in times planned, open linear settlements were their characteristics on a smaller scale, with dominant, usually along an axis of development variations in the forms of settlement. The roughly in the middle of the land surrounded by recently formed marsh differs from the older newly-built dykes. areas in height, soil quality and drainage. As a The farm and church villages on the sandy soil rule, the latter is low-lying, especially in the of the geest are more widely spread, irregularly Sietland near the geest, and today lies in part laid out and green throughout. After the dividing below sea level. The soils of the polders and up of the common land, their farming areas groden, in contrast, are higher, with the more often give the appearance of a landscape domi- recent ones again being higher than the older nated by boundary hedges (e.g. south of Aurich ones, which, like the old marsh, could not be and around Hesel). The strung-out settlements thrown up any higher once the dykes were on the edge of the geest (e.g. in Brookmerland) completed. The younger soils, however, are not are a characteristic feature. Larger church vil- only drier, but also more fertile, sandier, lighter lages, small towns and the bigger towns - with and therefore very well suited to farming - in the exceptions of Aurich in the interior of the contrast to the permanent grassland soils of region and Emden on a large mound - also tend- the old marsh. The type of meadow found in ed to occupy positions on the edge of the geest, the old marsh is characterized by small, irreg- originally often with an at least temporary direct ular blocks in a network of ditches which fol- link to the sea (e.g. Marienhafe, Wittmund and low natural watercourses very closely. The Jever). polders have larger, regular blocks or strips, Today, only small remnants have been pre- with a ditch system arranged in a geometrical served from the boggy moor regions so inimical pattern. to settlement. Since the 17th century the culti- In the damp old marsh, settlement is concen- vation measures with their fen canals, often trated on the dwelling mounds. Large villages extending for kilometers and accompanied by (especially in the Krummhörn) in which farm- loosely arranged linear settlements, have intrud- yards and the houses of agricultural workers ed deeply into the earlier landscape (e.g. Große- cluster about the church as the central point fehn, Warsingsfehn and Rhauderfehn). The irreg- may be differentiated from scattered settle- ular scattered settlements of the moor colonies ments consisting of smaller farm mounds and are without exception more recent, for instance church mounds (especially in the Wangerland). around Aurich, behind Ihrhove or on the south- On the old coastline (e.g. Nesse and Langwarden) ern edge of the Frisian Wehde. or on the shores of what used to be sea bays (e.g. With regard to the built structures, which Groothusen and Grimersum), settlements cater- effectively elevate the landscape and settlement ing to the maritime trade developed into single- features into the third dimension and so endow street villages on elongated mounds. Their func- the cultural landscape with its extraordinarily tion, also bound up with inland shipping, was expressive sculpted quality, two groups may like-

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wise be differentiated. One of them is part of a trade route, this type of construction arrived in supra-regional canon of forms which applies Gotland and, in East Frisia, in places which could along the entire coast. This group includes the be reached by ship at that time (e.g. Rysum, works for land conservation and hydraulic engi- Groothusen, Norden, Arle). For this reason, they neering, the network of waterways formed by occasionally leapfrogged the granite block the rivers and canals, the windmills and the cas- boundary (e.g. Stedesdorf and, right in the east, tles. Langwarden). On the Weser, however, the Porta The second group comprises small differences sandstone that was shipped along this river was resulting from natural and economic conditions the material of choice at that time (Blexen, that developed between individual old Frisian Rodenkirchen, Berne), which points to an addi- districts, individual polders or even individual tional cultural connection. villages on the one hand. Behind them, however, Less spectacular, but just as instructive from a an even older contrast between West and East cultural-historical point of view are differences appears to be in evidence. The geest ridge jutting evident in the gulf house. The gulf house occa- out in a wedge shape westwards from the sionally found its way into East Frisia as early as Harlebucht and as far as the old coast clearly the later part of the 16th century as a cultural separated the regional cultural expressions import from Flanders and Holland. Starting with which had developed in the Middle Ages and the second half of the 17th century, it became which corresponded broadly to the spheres of the sole form for all new buildings, and this led influence of the bishoprics of Utrecht/Münster to what appears at first glance to be a rather and Bremen. The territorial boundary forming monotonous impression of rural buildings in later between East Frisia and Oldenburg has no general. Initially characteristic distinctions can significance as a cause of this cultural differ- only be made based on the integration of build- ence, because the latter is older than the former ings into the different forms of settlement, and and became blurred in the course of the modern on variations in size resulting from social differ- era. ences, which are also expressed indirectly in a In mediaeval church-building of the 12th and spatial sense between marsh, geest and moor. 13th centuries, the form of the hall-church with The relative monotony is essentially based on a free-standing, squat bell tower was predomi- the similarity in principle of the gulf barns. nant. Only a few places of significance were an Whatever differences may exist are either not exception to this with a cruciform ground plan visible at all or are of low visual impact from the (e.g. Stapelmoor, Bunde, Pilsum, Varel, outside. High frame constructions were used on Rodenkirchen), basilical elevation (formerly in both sides of the Ems until far into the 18th cen- Marienhafe), crossing tower (Pilsum) or mostly tury, on the geest until far into the 19th and in with later extensions added (west or east tower). Jeverland probably only until the early part of The cultural line of separation here - with the 17th century, while upper frame construc- Remels in the south and Buttforfe in the north - tion was the rule in all other regions and other- is marked out by the western boundary consist- wise in the more recent constructions. In the ing of the churches built with square granite west the roofs are more broadly based, with gen- blocks. The soaring naves of these churches, tler slopes and mostly fully hipped, whereas in erected on the highest points of the villages and the east they are somewhat steeper and mostly dwelling mounds, are visible across vast dis- only half hipped. Finally, drive-through passage tances and give an impression of almost archaic appear more often in the farming areas of the monumentality. west and north. In contrast to these, the brick churches to the This is a further indication of the west-east west of this line, or at least the more imposing contrast, and it is particularly evident in the old- ones, possess a richer language of forms, both in er living quarters. In the old marsh of Jeverland their overall architectonic form and in their dec- there is still a row of gulf houses with low, rela- orative design. In the early 13th century, that is, tively narrow living quarters, yet still divided into before or in parallel to these brick churches, two to three living areas, which have an inner some churches were built out of tuff stone, this scaffolding with two supports. Their tradition material being quarried in the Eifel region and lived on in the distinct elongated front houses, shipped through Utrecht and Deventer in a pre- with the chimney protruding from the middle of fabricated size, which was presumably the mod- the roof ridge, even when they were joined to el for the „cloister format“ of bricks. Along this the barns under the one roof.

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By contrast, in the west, in the Krummhörn for be weighed against each other and categorized, example, a shorter living section, two rooms relationships severed - in short, it would amount deep and with just one living area, was derived to an interpretative and judgmental construct. from the stone house of the upper social strata The descriptions that follow do not attempt to and developed and established under the urban organize the whole region comprehensively influence. Its chimneys are located in the front according to uniform criteria of similar in con- and/or the fireplace gable. An increase in the tent, but to highlight characteristic parts of an number of living rooms took place at the area by way of example. Such featured charac- expense of the front part of the stable extension teristics can therefore stand for different things: since the 18th century, which led to the typical, the clear outline of the space, the shaping by multiply recessed eaves walls. Only in the 19th individual, dominant elements, the complex con- century did large, stretched dwellings appear nection between different elements. In each case here, too. This contrast between West and East the historical elements have to be as intact as was eclipsed by a third form with a broadly laid possible and clearly recognizable in the present out living section, with a single living area which context. These sub-regions tend to be of differ- was, however, three or four rooms deep, whose ent, yet generally „middling“ size, as dictated by golden age was clearly in the first half of the the various subjects. Just as there are overlap- 18th century and which more frequently domi- ping characteristic structures above them, e.g. in nated the image of the polders for which dykes the cases of dyke-building or the network of were then being built. Finally, around 1900, the waterways, there are also clearly defined small- structural connection between the two parts of er areas below them, of which only the „Meere“ the house dissolved and we find - probably more (meres) and the „Hammriche“ (low lying marsh often in the east than in the west - villas in an areas) should be named here. urban style with gulf barns added as extensions As a rule, in naming the cultural landscape by way of connecting wings. spaces, the names of old „provinces“ are used, Quite comparable to church construction in e.g. for Rheiderland or the Wanger-/Jeverland. the Middle Ages in principal, rural buildings This is essentially done for two reasons. Firstly, in exhibited not only cultural links between the themselves, or by virtue of their connection with forms of building in disparate regions, but far- natural areas, these names often exerted an reaching trade links were also in evidence in the influence on the development of the cultural practice of importing building materials, of space, although it must not be presumed that which only bricks and roof tiles could be manu- the various boundaries will be found to be in factured on location in the once numeros brick- exact agreement. However, where the develop- works, and reeds for thatching could be reaped ment of a cultural space crossed over the bound- locally. Accordingly, from as early as before aries of the „provinces“ by a substantial margin, 1600, construction timber came from Scandi- this rule was abandoned, reverting instead to navia and probably from the Baltic, too; sand- other historic designations of the landscape stones for architectural elements and especially wherever possible, e.g. for the Krummhörn or the for floor tiles (Bremer Floren) came from the Harlebucht. Secondly - and this applies in both upper Weser and, in the 19th century, roof slates cases - it seems impractical to look for „scientif- for dwellings from England. ic“ yet artificial names when long-established To sum it up, it can be said that the East ones are available. Moreover, the latter, by act- Frisian peninsula, like all landscapes, has a struc- ing as „mental spaces“, make it easier for the ture which is distinguished by great complexity inhabitants to identify with them, whereas cul- on different levels - the natural, the historico- tural landscape space are likely to be accepted political, the cultural - and by reciprocal inter- by them merely as modern spaces for living - connections between these levels; that is linked albeit spaces possessing a historical foundation. to neighboring landscapes and even to more dis- tant regions through a diverse set of connections of varying closeness; a structure which has always been and still is in a state of dynamic change. Any attempt to separate out individual cultural landscapes from within such a complex overall structure would therefore hardly reflect reality, would mean that differentiations had to

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4.4.2.2 Butjadingen and Stadland this process of settlement by the Germanic Chaucian tribe covered the coastal zone from The northern part of the Wesermarsch district is the Ems to the lower Elbe and was characterized divided into the two areas of Butjadingen and by numeros settlements on the flats. Stadland, which at the same time are the names However, the great increase in sea level since of two large municipalities. As the two regions, the first century A.D., combined with frequent whose boundaries were not always drawn clear- inundations, forced the inhabitants of the coast ly, shared the same population since the Early to gradually give up their settlements at ground Middle Ages and thus to a great extent also level and to erect artificial hills or mounds for shared a common history and development their dwellings, which had to be continually which, through the pressure of external events, raised and enlarged over the succeeding cen- only occasionally led them down separate paths, turies to ensure the safety of people, cattle and Butjadingen and Stadland should be looked at property. together. The 4th and 5th centuries A.D. saw the break- The two parts of the area comprise the marsh down of most of the settlements, not just in the regions between the Jade river in the west and coastal region but also reaching far into the the Weser river in the east, with the southern interior, and regions that had been settled for border of Butjadingen running more or less along hundreds of years were abandoned. The few the line from Eckwarderhörne to Nordenham. known settlement sites that remained occupied The Stadland in the immediate south of But- did not change the overall picture. This develop- jadingen reaches from here as far as the present- ment, which occurred throughout the entire day town of Brake. northern zone from the Netherlands to Jutland, The soil of Butjadingen consists predominant- was also in evidence in Butjadingen and in Stad- ly of brackish and sea water marshland. Brackish land. Not all of the reasons that led to the emi- marshland also covers the eastern part of Stad- gration of a large proportion of the coastal pop- land, while boggy marshland, low lying and high ulation have been clearly established as yet. moor marshland can be found in the west of Apart from changes in the climate which caused Stadland. While the Weser embankment, several living conditions to deteriorate, a strong migra- kilometers wide and favorable for settlement, tory movement, especially to England, which had was originally covered by wooded pastures, the been abandoned by the Romans early in the 5th low-lying wet land remained largely treeless. In century A.D., is likely to have played a decisive Butjadingen periods of flooding (Dunkirk I Trans- role. Renewed settlement of the marshland and gression) in the last centuries B.C. formed a sea of the adjacent geest regions did not take place wall, running in an arc from Eckwarden through until the 7th century, nearly two hundred years Seeverns and Süllwarden to Sillens. A second sea later. In the course of this resettlement the high- wall formed in the north during the first cen- er areas were preferred and the dwelling mounds turies A.D. This wall runs through Tossens, Ruh- built on once again, but as has been shown by warden and Langwarden, roughly parallel to the excavations in places such as Niens (Butjadin- present coast. The two sea wall zones played an gen), in the 7th century settlements were also important role in the settlement of Butjadingen, established on the flats. This can be taken as an since short strings of dwelling mounds were indication that the threat from the sea and from built here. Some of these later developed into inundation was relatively minor at that time. larger villages, and these became significant in In the Middle Ages, Butjadingen and Stadland the political and ecclesiastical organization of formed part of the Frisian „Gau“ or district of the district. Rüstringen (referred to as Riusteri in 787), which While we do have a marshland settlement on extended as far as the river Made in the west the Weser embankment near Rodenkirchen- (near the present-day Wilhelmshaven), into the Hahnenknooper Mühle which dates back to the Ammerland in the south and, at the turn of the later Bronze Age and is therefore the oldest first millennium, perhaps even as far as the river known marshland settlement in the coastal Hunte, until the 12th century when the Counts region of Germany, according to our present of Oldenburg pushed the Frisian influence back knowledge colonization proper of Butjadingen to the north, as far as the little river Wapel. began around the time of the birth of Christ, The catastrophic floods of the Middle Ages led during a period when the sea was in regression. to the formation of the „Jadebusen“, or Jade Bay, As described many times by writers in antiquity, and to deep intrusions by the sea which even

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6 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 6 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 6 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 6 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 6 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ6 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 6 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ6 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 65ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ hwelling2mound2G 5ƒ 76 5 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ ƒ ilev—ted2pl—™e2of2residen™e5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 †ill—ge2mound5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ ghur™h2mound 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 6 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ6 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ†ill—ge2mound2with5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ ‘7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ ghur™h2mound 5ƒ5ƒ 6 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ Fig. 4.61: hyke5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ All types of dwelling 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ mounds and dykes in the 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ fre—k2through2—re—5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ Stadland region between 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ Brake and Nordenham. The 5ƒ gourse2se™ure5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 76 blue area typify the break 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ through from the Heete 5ƒ 5ƒ gourse2un™le—r 5ƒ5ƒH5ƒ P5ƒ R uilometers 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ6 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ and the Ahne-Lockfleth 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ Source: LGN, Ey 1991

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created links between the Jade Bay, and the est number of these are farm, village and church Weser (Heete, Ahne-Lockfleth). In this way both mounds, the raised dwelling places in the areas Butjadingen and Stadland became islands for a on the edge of the moorland, as well as historic time. The loss of land and the dismemberment of dykes. The so-called Jedutenhügel represent a the region also led to the disintegration of the peculiar feature in the marshlands; a kind of region as a political. As early as 1350 the munic- monument that is well worth seeing and whose ipality of Boit-Jatha (Butjadingen) issued docu- function has not yet been clarified. The hills are ments as an independent authority and therefore more than 5 m high and have diameters of about already functioned as a separate political entity 30 m (Volkers and Grebswarden in Butjadingen, comprising the parishes of Blexen, Burhave, Schmalenfleth in the Stadland). Possible expla- Waddens, Langwarden, Tossens and Eckwarden. nations are that they may have served as land- The parishes of Rodenkirchen and Golzwarden marks for seafarers, or that they were tribunal formed the Stadland, which in 1367 was places. The number of archaeological monu- described as „terra Stedingorum in Rustringia“, ments in the whole area of the Weser marshes that is, „land of the Stedingers in Rüstringen“. comes to almost 1500, with the greatest con- Around this time, i.e. in the middle of the 14th centration being in the northern part. The But- century, rule by headmen was imposed on the jadingen and Stadland region is considered one region, and this signaled the decline of demo- of the best researched coastal landscapes as a cratically constituted rural freedom. The 14th result of intensive archaeological investigations and 15th centuries were marked by conflicts over decades, carried out in particular by the between the people of Butjadingen and Stadland Institute for Historical Coastal Research in Wil- on one side, and, in changing coalitions, those of helmshaven, but also by the work of the State Bremen, Oldenburg and even East Frisia on the Heritage Authority. Among these investigations, other. The outcome was that the headmen final- the great excavations on the village mounds of ly lost their power and the old Frisian institu- Langwarden, Niens and Sillens (all in Butjadin- tions were revived. It was only in 1514 that the gen) are of particular significance. However, the Count of Oldenburg, in alliance with the Duke of many smaller investigations have also made an Brunswick-Lüneburg, succeeded in subjugating essential contribution in the writing of the his- Butjadingen and Stadland in the battles of Hart- tory of settlement of these landscapes from the warden and Langwarden. This conquest ended late Iron Age up until the Late Middle Ages and the independence of this Frisian region, which early modern times. These investigations pro- was now dominated and controlled from an Ol- duced answers to many questions about house denburg fortress in Ovelgönne. The land, devas- construction, trade, handcrafts, infrastructure tated by floods and wars, was slow in recovering. and the formation of settlements, diet, cultiva- In the early 16th century extensive dyke-build- tion, animal husbandry and other topics. Special ing was begun by the Counts of Oldenburg in attention was and is being paid to the issue of order to reclaim the land lost through the floods dyke construction, whose beginnings in the 11th of the Middle Ages. The Thirty-Year War was a century can still be seen in the form of ring time of calm and economic blossoming for But- dykes, such as those associated with the south- jadingen and the Stadland, thanks to the politi- ern string of dwelling mounds at Sillens, and cal skill of the Count Anton Günther. This also which resulted in the large, continuous line of manifests itself in the rich, high-quality decora- dykes that has been formed since the 12th and tive elements in many churches. 13th centuries. The Christmas flood of 1717 represented a The ecclesiastical history of Butjadingen and great setback, with disastrous losses of human Stadland is of great significance, as is attested life, property and land, due in part to the fact by the large number of mediaeval church build- that under Danish rule (since 1687) the mainte- ings. Many churches are stylistically very inter- nance of the dykes had been neglected. The esting and reveal influences from Westphalia influx of new settlers from the geest regions of and the Rhineland, while the building materials Oldenburg caused Butjadingen and Stadland to used - Porta sandstone from the Weser high- gradually lose their Old Frisian character, and lands, Tuff stone from the Eifel - bear witness to people began to feel part of the state of Olden- the extensive trading links. The mediaeval burg. churches of Butjadingen and Stadland with their Butjadingen-Stadland is unusually rich in turbulent histories are all worth seeing, particu- archaeological monuments, and by far the great- larly Golzwarden and Rodenkirchen, which also

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served as fortified church sanctuaries and which 4.4.2.3 Stedingen feature significant decorative elements. The same applies to the churches in Langwarden, The geographic term Stedingen (derived from Tossens, Eckwarden, Abbehausen and Blexen. German „Gestade“ for shore, coast, bank) was an Blexen dates back to the 8th century and is the expression used in the Middle Ages for the oldest church site and mission church, possibly southern area of what is today known as the dis- on the site of a pagan place of worship. The trict of Wesermarsch, i.e. the moor and river Frisian missionary Willehad died here in 789. marsh areas west of the Weser river between Excavations in several of the Butjadingen Hammelwarden to the north and Schönemoor to churches, especially in Blexen, produced impor- the south as well as along both sides of the low- tant discoveries in the history of construction. er Hunte as far as Holle, a few kilometers east of Grassland farming has always been typical of Oldenburg. The area between the Hunte river Butjadingen and the Stadland. The luxuriant and the former Lockfleth, also including the meadows of the marshland are particularly suit- Moorriem area, was called North or Lower Ste- ed to cattle grazing and the dairy industry, which dingen and the area south of the Hunte South or are very productive in this area. The landscape is Lower Stedingen, also including the „Lechter- dominated by wide marsh expanses in which the seite“, a separate area between the Weser and scattered farms and villages on their dwelling the Ollen rivulet, which has the characteristics of mounds are visible from great distances. These an island as it is virtually waterbound (insula mounds give the coastal landscape its own Lechter). unchangeable character even today; along with The soil in the eastern part of Stedingen con- the dykes, they bear witness to the perpetual sists for the most part of fertile river marsh orig- struggle of the people against the water and for inating from sedimentation from the Weser, the security of their existence. In no other land- which becomes a strip of moor and marsh scape is the battle with the forces of nature as towards the west. Adjacent to this is a narrow conspicuous as here on the coast. lower moor zone followed by high moorland Many areas of Butjadingen and Stadland have plains which continue up to the edge of the kept their original character in spite of the mod- geest. Today, the highest points in the Stedinger ernization required by the still numeros agricul- district are between +1.00 m and -1.00 m above tural enterprises. These mound landscapes have or below sea level. great heritage value. While tourism has been an Like all rivers, the Weser and Hunte also have important economic force on the coast for some built up embankments which, although only dis- time, particularly in Tossens and Burhave, impor- cernible within the grasslands to the practiced tant industrial enterprises, shipyards, harbor eye, are higher than the surrounding countryside industry and also the generation of energy tend- and were favored as places of settlement in pre- ed to concentrate on the Weser between Nor- historic epochs. denham and Brake. Some of these industry sec- A map of the countryside reveals that Stedin- tors have traditions going back to the 19th cen- gen is a close-knit network of largely artificial tury. Wind energy installations have not yet had waterways, which says more about this land- an excessive visual impact in Butjadingen, as scape than any narrative can. There is scarcely they are concentrated in just a few areas. In con- another area in the northern coastal region of trast, the construction of the Weser tunnel at Germany which has been transformed to such an Kleinensiel, north of Rodenkirchen, in conjunc- extent by human habitation and is the product tion with the extensive construction of new of such intensive efforts to colonize the land. roads and the upgrading of existing ones, as well Evidence of early settlement of the southern as the proposed coastal freeway will all lead to Wesermarsch region are to be found at several massive changes in the landscape, especially in sites. Thus, to the north of the Hunte at Gellen- the Stadland. er Dyke, on the boundary to Moorriem, artifacts dating from the Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture of the second half of the 4th century B.C. and also other artifacts from the Late Neolithic Age indicate that settlements existing there spanned several historical periods. Some artifacts, for example a flat-headed needle from Berne, date back to the following Early Bronze Age. Howev-

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er, these are more likely to be signs of sporadic the Bremen church its share of the tithe and attempts to establish settlements. Continuous tribute, thus endangering the church and its settlement can be assumed to have begun in the sovereign power. Near the mouth of the Hunte, Later Bronze Age, which is documented by finds the dukes of Oldenburg built the fortresses of at several locations in the south of the Weser- Lienen and Lechtenburg which were destroyed marsch region such as Huntebrück-Wührden and by the inhabitants of Stedingen as early as at the St. Aegidius-Kirche in Berne. 1204. In 1229 the farmers of Stedingen defeat- A substantial increase is to be seen in discov- ed troops dispatched to punish them by the eries from the pre-Roman Iron Age and particu- archbishop of Bremen, after which the inhabi- larly from the time of the Roman Empire, when tants of Stedingen were pronounced heretics by intensive colonization of new territory apparent- the Bremen archdiocese. In 1234, with the ly took place. It was during this period that more approval of Pope Gregory IX, a crusade was attractive environmental conditions allowed set- declared against the insubordinate farmers - a tlements to be built on the flats along the Weser rare example of a crusade waged against Chris- and along the lower course of the Hunte as well. tians. The farmers’ army was overwhelmingly No artifacts are known to have been found in defeated and almost completely wiped out at Stedingen dating from the 4th or 5th century. the Battle of Altenesch by a large invading army The situation here is no different from most oth- of high nobility from Holland, Flanders, Brabant, er regions in Germany’s north-west. There is also Westphalia, Rhineland and Oldenburg. The vic- little known about the ensuing centuries, during tors divided the land and farms among them- which there are signs of increasing settlement selves, although the Oldenburg dukes were able and the establishment of villages in neighboring to turn the event to the most benefit for them- areas, many of these enduring to the present day. selves and gained power over the area, except Not until the High Middle Ages can an organized for the „Lechterseite“ which fell to the Bremen settlement of the marshlands and cultivation of archdiocese until it also was annexed by Olden- the Stedingen moors be discerned. Stedingen burg in 1547. was an endowment made by Emperor Henry IV St. Aegidius-Kirche in Berne, also referred to to the Duchy of Saxony and/or the archiepisco- as the „Stedingen Cathedral“, is undoubtedly pal see of Bremen. From the 12th century Stedingen’s most important church and was onwards, the Archbishop in Bremen recruited erected in the late 12th century on a mound dat- colonists from Holland, who were able to receive ing back to the pre-Roman Iron Age that had parcels of land on favorable terms according to been inhabited up into the early Roman Empire. the land grant concession for Dutch immigrants After the Stedingen wars the old church with a (ius hollandicum). These events, for which there single nave was enlarged into a three-aisled is documented evidence from 1106 (for Bremen’s hall-church in pure Westphalian style. The dukes Hollerland), 1142 and 1149, transformed the area of Oldenburg built a hilltop fortress that is first in the ensuing period and have left their traces. mentioned in 1242, traces of which are still evi- The decisive factor in cultivating the land was dent today. Further examples of mediaeval draining of the moors and marshes and the erec- churches in the Stedingen area, some of which tion of dykes. Many settlers came from the also house interiors of historical and artistic sig- Netherlands - a fact which many town names nificance, are: Bardewisch, a three-aisled hall- bear witness to - but not all. Among their num- church with late Gothic frescos first entered in a bers were also local Stedinger Saxons. They built chronicle in 1245; Altenesch, a hall-church built their farms one next to the other in rows, and in 1400 whose choir was originally part of the tilled the land assigned to them in long narrow church built at the cemetery square in 1299 - strips. These long rows of dwellings shifted many the small Late Gothic brick St. Marien in times, evidence of which has been discovered Warfleth, which was built on the foundations of through recent archaeological investigations. previous structures dating from the 11th and The colonization took place over a number of 13th centuries respectively; St. Marien-Kirche in phases in areas specifically defined for this pur- Neuenhuntorf, built in 1489, as well as the 15th pose, and is chronicled in its various stages. century St. Nikolai-Kirche in Elsfleth. Archaeolo- Stedingen is first mentioned in the greater gists have carried out excavations in many of the region’s history, it might even be said in Euro- Stedingen churches over the past decades and pean history, in the 13th century. The freedom- these have shed light on questions concerning loving farmers who had become affluent denied the history of the buildings’ evolvement.

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The mound villages on the Weser and the Ollen, monuments, as is the case with the historical which are protected as archaeological monu- lines of dykes. ments, reveal the earliest settlement patterns The excellently preserved farming settlements dating back to the Early Middle Ages, although of the large community of Moorriem previously in some cases settlements from the time of the mentioned bear witness to the history of the Roman Empire may have provided the founda- community’s settlement and culture. On the tion. boundary separating marsh and moor on the left In addition to these old mound settlements, side of the Hunte, shortly before it flows into the which in many cases evolved into villages during Weser, a moorland settlement of single-family the Middle Ages, the Stedingen of former times farmsteads stretches out for over 15 km, still is primarily characterized by individual farms very much unchanged by the passage of cen- (one „hide“ of about 80 - 100 acres could sustain turies. The impressive consistency is the result of a farm family) and moorland settlements, which an historical development to which the soil and in some cases stretch for miles in a long line water conditions as well as the approach to col- without a true village centre. An outstanding onization offered no alternative. example of this is Moorriem, but also Neuen- As a result of the geographic conditions, the huntorf, Oldenbrok-Mittelort, Harrierwurp and settlement and cultivation of the Mooriem area Sandfeld. Most of the farm sites in these long gave rise to a pattern of arranging farmland that settlement rows are protected as archaeological bears the unique and distinctive stamp of the u-

5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 7 5ƒ76„5ƒ 7 75ƒ 7 75ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 7 75ƒ5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ75ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 75ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 7 75ƒ5ƒ 7 75ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 75ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ7 5ƒ 75ƒ 75ƒ 7 6„ 5ƒ 7 7 6„ 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ 75ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 75ƒ 75ƒ 76„5ƒ 7 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 7 75ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 7 7 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ75ƒ 7 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 7 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 7 7 75ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 75ƒ 5ƒ 7 75ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ6„5ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ75ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ5ƒ 7 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 75ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 7 hwelling2moundG2ilev—ted5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ pl—™e2of2residen™e2@—ll2typesA6„5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ 7 egr—ri—n2˜uilding5ƒ 5ƒ 7 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 6„ ghur™h 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ Fig. 4.62: 5ƒ5ƒ5ƒ 5ƒ 5ƒ w—rsh2—re— The elongated settlement 5ƒ of Moorriem were laid at H I P Q uilometers €e—t2—re— 5ƒ the edge of the moor Source: LGN, NLfB

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shaped moorland and marsh farmsteads in gen- building, so that little time is lost walking eral. The location and breadth of the farmsteads between the two. The garden plots are next to strung along the road in a parallel row is deter- the main building, generally next to the living mined by plots of land - known as „Baue“ in quarters, and hint at local farmers’ adoption of Moorriem - which were originally laid out upon baroque garden forms. Pruned lime trees or fast- the completion of dyke-building with borders growing poplars surround the buildings to pro- defined by drainage ditches. This type of farm- tect the farmstead from the wind. land design enabled each farmstead to have a Four aspects are generally distinctive about more or less equal share of each of the various the appearance of the Moorriem farmsteads: soil qualities. Areas of new cropland were con- 1. Qualities required of the building pilings: stantly added to the farmstead property in the pitched high, a sloping approach to the house, direction of the moor. Near the farmsteads, crop- close proximity of all buildings. land that had been tilled but was no longer 2. The economic requirements: all parts of the arable became pastureland. In this way, the sec- farmstead within easy reach, working quarters tions of land were marked off in a 20 - 50 m of the house open out to the road and the wide strip of up to 8 km in length, making the land being cultivated. working of the land an arduous affair due to the 3. The necessity of protecting the farmyard from distances needing to be covered. Relocating the the wind: L-shaped or horse shoe shaped mound was not possible, because that would arrangements of buildings, a stand of trees. have moved it away from the marsh, and the 4. The desire to display the economic and social farmsteads themselves would have been set importance of the farmstead, as reflected in apart on the moorland. Drainage of the land was the gable design and to a certain degree in the provided by a system of ditches typical for this layout of the garden. type of settlement: These ran in a crisscross pat- The farmhouses of the Moorriem area are pre- tern and accounted for approximately 15% of dominantly from the 18th century, with very few the land surface. Narrow ditches flow into ditch- built before or after this time. Most buildings es running at right angles, which in turn flow underwent considerable modification in the into ditches running the length of the field. The late19th and 20th centuries. The most common long ditches, which frequently serve as a bound- type of farmhouse is the Northern German bay ary for the farmsteads, empty into drainage hall house, predominantly erected as a double- ditches, and these flow into sluice canals which joisted frame structure which could adapt itself as far as possible convey the water to the clos- to all farm operations required up until the most est river. recent past. Its basic design can be seen in build- The layout of the farmsteads and type of farm- ings ranging from the smallest cottage all the house built on them go hand in hand with the way to a spacious and representative main Moorriem area’s distinctive settlement type and building. The exterior design was completed the unique pattern in which land is apportioned. using framework construction which was white- The building style has remained a distinctive fea- washed in this region and filled with red brick. ture of large parts of the district up to present The gable sides were more richly decorated than times. The various sections of the farmstead - the side walls, in order to enhance the appear- consisting of the main structure containing liv- ance of the building. A characteristic feature of ing and working quarters as well as the stables, the Moorriem farmhouse gable is the hip-roof smaller buildings, the farmyard and the garden jutting far out on oversize beams richly adorned plot - are arranged in a pattern typical for the with decorative carving. The hall door is painted landscape. They are usually built on earth-cov- green and frequently includes a fanlight. Anoth- ered pilings, mostly on the moorland side of the er predominant feature is the thatched roofs, road running down the middle of the settlement which are increasingly being dispensed with and bisecting it into equal parts. The working nowadays to reduce maintenance costs. quarters face the road. The approach to the Normally, a baking house and a well (Soot) farmstead opens out to the road. The location of formed a part of the farmyard, almost always each farmstead building is determined by its situated on the right side of the farmhouse near function. The barn, mostly based on a double- the gable above the living quarters. Until plumb- joisted frame construction with saddle beams ing fixtures were introduced around the close of and doors for access on the sides, straddle the the 1920s, all of the water had to be drawn from farmyard. It is conveniently close to the main the well.

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Among the changes which farmsteads under- eral stages from Prussia, beginning in 1854, and went, particularly in the case of the larger main served as the site for the marine harbor of Wil- buildings, were such basic modifications as the helmshaven south of the Made. removal of open fireplaces and alcoves, exten- As part of the modern-day landscape, this old sions to the structure through annexes and the marsh area’s outlines and features can still be replacement of framework panelling by masonry distinguished from areas with new marsh, even and conventional roofing. in the wake of renewed dyke building on New requirements in farming, especially over Harlebucht in the west and Crildumer Bucht in the past 30 years, have also brought about more the southeast. The three arms which once com- significant changes which impact on the struc- prised Crildumer Bucht were formed at the ture of settlements. Thus, loose box stalls came mouth of the Jade river as early as a few cen- to be built which could only fit into the propor- turies before the birth of Christ, and in its north- tions and size of the buildings with difficulty due ernmost reaches extended along the present-day to the limited space available on the building Hohenstief and Bübbenser Tief almost as far as pilings. In some cases they were also erected on Hohenkirchen. South of this point, the incursion the adjacent plots of land for which the long turned west and ran along the Poggenburg Leide field ditches had to be converted to culverts. The for a considerable distance into the interior increasing incidence of single unit dwellings on towards Tettens, and the southern branch even- unused plots is blurring the historical contours tually ran alongside the Crildumer Tief as far as of the settlement to such a degree that a total the environs of Förriesdorf. Between these two zoning development plan is urgently required. arms were some upland areas of old marsh and This would have to be appropriate to the histor- the contemporary communities of Oldorf and ical and cultural significance of Moorriem while Neuwarfen. In summary, based on the latest calling for an especially cautious treatment of research, it can be stated that as seawaters the existing structures. receded in the 1st century B.C. sustainable set- The Stedingen district has remained farming- tlement of the Wangerland district on the natu- based over the years, with pastures for grazing rally elevated embankments of the bights and dominating the countryside. Important industry tidal gullies commenced with the erection of has developed on the left bank of the Weser: A three-aisle long bay hall houses in flatland set- harbor port economy and wharf operations in tlements. When sea levels began to rise in the Brake and Elsfleth, ship and boatbuilding as well course of the 1st century A.D., the inhabitants of as aviation industry (Airbus) in the Lemwerder the marsh were forced to erect raised dwelling area. places for separate farmsteads, of which a large number evolved throughout the ensuing cen- 4.4.2.4 Wangerland/Jeverland turies of the Early and Late Roman Empire into sizeable village mounds which today still domi- In the northeast of the „old“ peninsula - origi- nate the landscape. Ziallerns deserves mention nally reaching all the way to the Weser - the as both a lovely and unusual example of a Wan- Frisian lands of Wangerland, Östringen and derland mound village, lying roughly 3 km Rüstringen were cut up or obliterated by sweep- southwest of Hohenkirchen. Its oldest stage of ing incursions of the sea at Harlebucht and Jade inhabitation is marked by a settlement on the Bay, which took place during the Middle Ages, flats from the Late Roman Empire. A unique and were subsumed by the formation of the facet of the Wangerland region is the construc- Lordship of Jever and the adjacent Lordships of tion of farmsteads in a radial pattern around the Inhausen and Kniphausen (including the parish- center of the mound, the stables facing out es of Accum, Fedderwarden and Sengwarden). towards the surrounding pasture. The remains of Here we are concerned with the 10 km wide and a freshwater cistern (Fething) can still be seen to 15 km long spit of old marsh land which borders this day at the crest of the mound - the foot of on the first small outcroppings of geest near Jev- the mound is encircled by a road. er and Schortens and includes small portions of After the departure of the majority of the Sax- Wangerland to the north and Östringen to the on population to England during the 5th and 6th south of Crildumer Bucht. Wangerland is the centuries, Frisians apparently re-colonized the Frisian Gau name „Wanga“ or „Wangia“, mean- area around the middle of the 7th century (the ing a meadow or plain. The area which original- village mound of Oldorf) and, according to ly belonged to Rüstringen was purchased in sev- archaeological finds, also settled the old Roman

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mounds. In the course of the Saxon wars waged Largely wooded, they create the impression of by Charlemagne (772-804), the Frisian area of being islands on a sweeping grassland plain, settlement on the southern coast of the North studding the land with rhythmic regularity while Sea was conquered by the Franks and its people being suggestive of a park landscape. converted to Christianity. The churches built as At the beginning of the 11th century A.D., the part of the effort to establish the Church were inhabitants of the marsh entered into a new often placed on top of separate mounds sur- phase in their fight for existence against the rounded by a graveyard. These striking church powers of the sea by attempting to protect their mounds were sometimes erected beside the vil- farming land from flooding by building the first lage mounds (Oldorf, Pakens, Wüppels as well as dykes. Attempts have been made by those with others), but most frequently situated on top of both a historical and geographical as well as a the village mounds which were already up to 5 social interest to prove that the ring dyke - the meters high (Minsen, Tettens, Waddewarden, oldest form of dyke construction from the High Wiarden, Wiefels and others). Accompanying the Middle Ages - also existed in Jeverland; howev- rise in population which occurred during the er, these attempts have not yet been successful. High Middle Ages, a surge of new settlements Only the ring dyke which surrounded the previ- were established which have left their mark on ously mentioned early mediaeval village mound the Jeverland to this very day in the form of of Oldorf and its mound extension built in ca. hundreds of individual farmstead mounds. 900 A.D. can potentially be considered of that

ƒ5 6 7 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 7 ƒ5ƒ5 7 7 7 6 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 6ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 6 6 ƒ5 7 ƒ56 7 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 7ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 66ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7ƒ5 ƒ5 6 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 hwelling2mound2G ƒ5 ilev—ted2pl—™e2of2residen™e ƒ5 ƒ5 ƒ5 7 †ill—ge2moundƒ5 7 ƒ5 ƒ5ƒ5 ƒ56 ƒ5 6 ghur™h2mound Fig. 4.63: ƒ5 The dwelling mound †ill—ge2mound2with H I P Q uilometers ‘7 ƒ5 landscape north of Jever ƒ5 ghur™h2mound Source: LGN

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type. There is clear evidence of the so-called the centre of church parishes of various sizes, in Sietwendungen, low earthen embankments visi- fact probably first limited to being the founda- ble above ground along some stretches in that tion of churches or - as can be proven for Wüp- area, which were erected on the banks of the pels - limited to this function through the relo- natural tidal gullies. According to soil studies cation of farmsteads to the surrounding district. and historical and geographical evidence, the Nearly all churches can be dated to the (Late) dyke-building carried out on Crildumer Bucht Romanesque Period and are built of square with dyke lines running at right angles to the granite blocks which are relatively intact. Only water courses apparently took place in six steps the small buildings of the same period in from the late 11th to the 13th centuries. Through Westrum und Wüppels are purely brick structure rapid advances in the technology of dykes and as are the Late Gothic churches in St. Joost and sluice building, the 13th century witnessed the Middoge which grew out of chapels and were completion of the regional dyke - referred to in only later established as separate churches after historical documents as a „golden collar“ - which having become part of the extended girded the coast of the East Frisian peninsula and Hohenkirchen and Tettens parishes. Only in is a distinctive physical feature of the land visi- Accum was a new church building erected in ble for many miles. This stretch of dyke begins in Baroque style in 1719. the southwest of Wangerland as a dyke to pro- The stone-built stereotype of parsonages char- tect against Harlebucht at Hammshausen west acteristically found in the western part of the of Tettens (Tettenser Altendeich) and then fol- region appears to have been less common; lows a long arc through the sluice harbor of Alt- remains of such highly modified structures have garmssiel as Medernser and Funnenser Alternde- only been preserved in Hohenkirchen and Seng- ich on a path to the northeast in the direction of warden, though in substantially changed form. It Minsen and Horum. There it bends in towards appears that gulf houses more frequently served the south to Jade Bay and continues as Osteral- as parsonages. Stately living quarters dating tendeich, Wiarder, St. Jooster, Wüppelser and from the 17th century still stand as gulf house in Pakenser Altendeich to Hooksiel. In the far north, Wüppels and Waddewarden, while in Middoge early dykeworks and shifts in their location dur- and Wiarden gulf houses date to the 19th cen- ing the 16th to 18th centuries makes the situa- tury. tion somewhat uncertain; the risk of flooding is Over time, this basic building stock has been also clearly evident at this highly exposed area of extended through the addition of a school, tav- the state’s protective dyke line. ern and general store. It is especially the small The area within this ring of dykes - unlike the and more remotely situated church mounds regular formations in the groden - is covered by which have not developed beyond their most a finely meshed irregular network of drainage basic form, most tellingly illustrated by the ham- ditches, through whose winding path the canals lets of Wüppels, Pakens, St. Joost, Westrum and can be recognized as natural water courses. Only Middoge. By contrast, the centres of the larger in the east do smaller areas with a more pat- parishes, above all Hohenkirchen as the main terned structure show the position of the Cril- city in the Wangerland, but also Tettens, Wadde- dumer Bucht which had already dried up by that warden, Sillenstede, Sengwarden and Fedder- time. warden have developed into larger villages since In the north-west of Wangerland the various the second half of the 19th century through the dyking operations of modern times to gain more building of trade, commercial and residential groden in the vicinity of the former Harlebucht buildings. Especially here more and more are still very easy to discern based on the excel- widespread new residential communities have lently preserved dyke ramparts. In the north- resulted since the Second World War and con- east, however, part of the groden land that had tinue to emerge today. been gained along the Outer Jade had to be The former church mound Mederns on the Alt- relinquished again after the heavy tidal floodings deich north of Tettens is a case of its own. After of 1693 and 1717. The only dyke line which has the majority of their parish was lost to the been well preserved is the section dating from waters of Harlebucht, the remainder was made a 1591 leading from Horumersiel through Hohen- part of the Tetten parish and the church building stiefersiel to Hooksiel. abandoned. The mound however continued to In the well established scattered settlements serve its purpose as a cemetery - thus calling its of the northern Jeverland, church mounds form earlier function to mind at the same time.

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The single-family farmstead mounds are most farming with an emphasis on pasture-grazing - dominant among the mounds, then come those they do not match the length of the same types with two to three farmsteads. Larger mounds of buildings in Krummhörn, for example. There, suggestive of a village with up to 6 farmsteads the gulf houses are generally far more modest in and secondary buildings are found less frequent- their classic and historical lines. There are scat- ly by comparison. Ziallerns (northwest of Tet- tered instances of barns and baking houses from tens) is noteworthy for its perfectly circular lay- the 19th century as secondary structures. out and radial inner subdivisions (see above); In nearly all cases, castles or permanent homes Uthausen (east of Oldorf) for its elongated form of the headmen and early large-tract farmers and the parallel arrangement of the farmstead also blended into the system of scattered roof ridges; Utters (east of Sengwarden) for its mounds. It is difficult to judge the various levels square-shaped, block-like sense of direction, of social strata among those of the upper class with all farmsteads facing one way; Wichtens because many of the headmen’s dwellings were (southwest of Tettens), Stumpens (northeast of converted into farms and, conversely, some Wiarden), Haddien (to the east of Waddewarden) farmsteads came into the possession of nobility. or Wehlens (west of Sengwarden) for its irregu- Both post-mediaeval living and working build- lar form and inner sectional design. ings can be distinguished only by fine details With only very rare exceptions at the edges of from those of the normal farming population. church mounds, farming sites are scattered However, the difference between the respective across the district on separate mounds. Estab- types of living quarters must have been consid- lishing new settlements on the flat coastal plain erably clearer at the time of their construction, or abandoning mounds - which left many as borne out by examples which should probably mounds lying completely deserted - are relative- be considered in this context from the 16th and ly rare in the old marsh, but typical in the gro- 17th centuries (Nenndorf near Waddewarden, den, for example in the dyked groden of the 16th Maisidden near St. Joost, Stumpens near Wiar- century on the Jade Bay between Horumersiel den, Putzwei, Heddoburg and Tidofeld near and Hooksiel or in the groden of Harlebucht. Sengwarden). The same is true of manorial The older gulf houses can be distinguished steadings such as found at Maihausen near from dwelling forms otherwise common to East Pakens. The respective sites were surrounded by Frisia due to their long and generally low- moats which in most cases are still extant today. ceilinged, four-post-square construction - the There is apparently no remaining building use of interior posts remained features of this material above ground; in the period which fol- building style into the early 18th century. If they lows, the only „true“ castle which could establish are in fact from the 16th century, these buildings itself was Kniphausen in the immediate Lordship apparently contain the material substance of of the same name. After the fire of 1708, only previous gulf house living quarters - and when the duke’s stables and gatehouse of the fortifi- dating from later times, have been modelled on cation walls exist from the 16th century. Miss this type of housing. Stone houses based on the Maria von Jever had a castle built near Sande prevalent Western style are not to be found here, (Alt-Marienhausen), which was razed in 1826. but instead „Steinenden“, one-room additions Only a single gulf house remains as working with a cellar in Renaissance forms as handed quarters on a twin-moated island beside a tow- down in Maihausen or (with an imposing chim- er visible from afar, both dating from the first ney) in Stumpens and at Sander Seedeich and in half of the 18th century. While considerable several other cases (Horum, Breddewarden) were numbers of small castles have disappeared (for included in rebuilding measures. In the 17th example Rickelhausen near Westrum or century, however, splendid four-room living Canarienhausen near Waddewarden), Groß quarters laid out in a cross pattern already exist- Scheep near Wiefels and the particularly impres- ed with high brick outer walls providing the sive Fischhausen near Wüppels offer a modern- superstructure. day impression of this type of structure. With only a few examples falling in earlier The windmills should also still be pointed out times, gulf barns were most likely introduced as landmarks and also because they were erect- here also from the second half of the 17th cen- ed on the edge of or beyond the church mounds, tury onwards as common way to arrange for of which - sad to say - within our immediate work quarters. In the Altmarsch - where farm- area only the ones in Tengshausen, near steads raise pasture animals or carry out mixed Stumpens, near Accum, near Sillenstede and

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