Ahrensburg
Encyclopedia
Ahrensburg (ˈaːʁənsˌbʊɐ̯k) is a town
in Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany
. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region
, situated in Stormarn
. Its population around 31,700 (2009). Its outstanding sight is the Renaissance
castle dating from 1595.
Other sights are the adjacent castle church with its "Gottesbuden" Almshouse
s. Ahrensburg is situated in the Tunneltal, in which Alfred Rust excavated many items dating back to the ice age
.
Ahrensburg is easily accessible by car and train, being situated next to the Autobahn A1 and the railway route between the Hanseatic cities of Hamburg
and Lübeck
.
by historians.
founded the village of Woldenhorn (which later became the town of Ahrensburg) and the neighbouring villages Ahrensfelde, Meilsdorf and Beimoor. Woldenhorn is first mentioned in the year 1314. The village came into the possession of the Cistercian Reinfeld Abbey
in 1327, and Woldenhorn became the seat of the monastery reeve
until the middle of the 16th century.
The "Arx Arnsburga", also called Arnesvelde castle, was built around the year 1200. Ruins of the castle are still visible in the Hagen forest to the south of the town. The town coat of arms shows the castle in the upper field. There are records of reeves based in the castle in 1295 and 1304. In 1326, Count John III of Schauenburg had his reeve relocated to Trittau
and abandoned the castle.
, the whole area came into the possession of the king of Denmark
. He rewarded his general Daniel Rantzau
1567 with lordship over these villages. His brother and heir Peter Rantzau built a Renaissance
residence in the form of a water castle, now the symbol of the town, and the castle church around 1595. The construction of almshouses directly by the church was exemplary.
The "Ahrensburg Estate" belonged to the so-called Noble Estates, which possessed a large amount of freedom and self administration.
The Rantzaus' estate was heavily indebted by the middle of the 18th century and, in 1759, was acquired by the businessman Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann
. Schimmelmann remodelled the castle and village in the baroque
style and the current layout of the town reflects these plans.
On the 7 June 1867 the estate village Woldenhorn became an independent Prussia
n country community and renamed itself Ahrensburg after a decision by the community council. It belonged to the "Amt Ahrensburg", from which the "amtsfreie" community once more succeeded in 1912.
The construction of the railway between Hamburg
and Lübeck
in the year 1865 made Ahrensburg a well loved destination for outings outside Hamburg and the number of inhabitants increased. By 1910, the population had reached 2750. The incorporation of various surrounding communities in the year 1928 lead to an increase in the town area to about 5 km².
Building of the settlements "Daheim/Heimgarten" (partially on the territory of the current community of Ammersbek
) and "Am Hagen" (originally called "Franz Seldte
Settlement") commenced in 1933. The rush of settlers from around Hamburg lead to the creation of the current relaxed housing layout.
When Ahrensburg received city rights in 1949, the town had some 17 775 inhabitants - around half of which were refugees from the former eastern German regions.
The town infrastructure was greatly improved and expanded during the following decades. At the same time many companies settled at the edge of town and helped make Ahrensburg a well known business centre in Schleswig-Holstein
.
of the Lutheran church from 1823 until 1899.
Ahrensburg had a small Jewish community until the beginning of the 1930s. The Synagogue
was burnt down in the Kristallnacht
in 1938 during the period of Nazism
. The Jewish cemetery
(opened in 1822) can still be seen at the edge of town (Ahrensburg-West), not far from the golf course and is a reminder of this bygone time.
|+ Distribution of vote and seats in local council
|-
! Party
! Overall % of vote
! Number of seats in council
|-
| CDU
| 36.0%
| 13 seats
|-
| SPD
| 23.0%
| 8 seats
|-
| WAB
| 16.1%
| 5 seats
|-
| GRÜNE
| 16.7%
| 6 seats
|-
| FDP
| 8.2%
| 2 seats>
with:
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region
Hamburg Metropolitan Region
The Metropolregion Hamburg is the compilation of 8 rural districts in the German federal state of Lower Saxony, 6 districts in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein and the city-state of Hamburg in northern Germany...
, situated in Stormarn
Stormarn
Stormarn is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Segeberg and Ostholstein, the city of Lübeck, the district of Lauenburg, and the city-state of Hamburg.-History:...
. Its population around 31,700 (2009). Its outstanding sight is the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
castle dating from 1595.
Other sights are the adjacent castle church with its "Gottesbuden" Almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
s. Ahrensburg is situated in the Tunneltal, in which Alfred Rust excavated many items dating back to the ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.
Ahrensburg is easily accessible by car and train, being situated next to the Autobahn A1 and the railway route between the Hanseatic cities of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
.
Early history
The Ahrensburger Tunneltal is a place of numerous excavations from the Upper Paleolithic culture. The culture is called Ahrensburg cultureAhrensburg culture
The Ahrensburg culture was a late Upper Paleolithic culture during the Younger Dryas, the last spell of cold at the end of the Weichsel glaciation. The culture is named after village of Ahrensburg, northeast of Hamburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein where wooden arrow shafts and clubs...
by historians.
Middle Ages
The town dates back to the 13th Century, when the Counts of SchauenburgSchauenburg
Schaumburg and Schauenburg are the two versions of the name of a regional German dynasty.The usage is scattered, historically as well as locally:* Schaumburg, a district and former county in Lower Saxony*Schauenburg, Hesse, a municipality in Germany...
founded the village of Woldenhorn (which later became the town of Ahrensburg) and the neighbouring villages Ahrensfelde, Meilsdorf and Beimoor. Woldenhorn is first mentioned in the year 1314. The village came into the possession of the Cistercian Reinfeld Abbey
Reinfeld Abbey
Reinfeld Abbey was a Cistercian monastery in Reinfeld near Bad Oldesloe in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.-History:The monastery was founded in 1186 by monks from the Cistercian abbey of Loccum on a site given to them by Count Adolf III of Schauenburg...
in 1327, and Woldenhorn became the seat of the monastery reeve
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
until the middle of the 16th century.
The "Arx Arnsburga", also called Arnesvelde castle, was built around the year 1200. Ruins of the castle are still visible in the Hagen forest to the south of the town. The town coat of arms shows the castle in the upper field. There are records of reeves based in the castle in 1295 and 1304. In 1326, Count John III of Schauenburg had his reeve relocated to Trittau
Trittau
Trittau is a municipality in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, located 30 km east of Hamburg. It is the economical and administrative center of Amt Trittau, which is part of the Stormarn district. Other villages in the county are Grönwohld, Lütjensee, Großensee, Rausdorf and Grande.- Geography :Trittau...
and abandoned the castle.
Modern period
After the dissolution of the monasteries due to the ReformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, the whole area came into the possession of the king of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He rewarded his general Daniel Rantzau
Daniel Rantzau
Daniel Rantzau was a Danish-German general who was known for his leadership in the Northern Seven Years' War. A distant relative of Johan Rantzau, Daniel Rantzau was raised in Holstein, and received a solid academic education but preferred a military career...
1567 with lordship over these villages. His brother and heir Peter Rantzau built a Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
residence in the form of a water castle, now the symbol of the town, and the castle church around 1595. The construction of almshouses directly by the church was exemplary.
The "Ahrensburg Estate" belonged to the so-called Noble Estates, which possessed a large amount of freedom and self administration.
The Rantzaus' estate was heavily indebted by the middle of the 18th century and, in 1759, was acquired by the businessman Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann
Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann
Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann was a German-born Danish nobleman, merchant and statesman.-Early life and career:...
. Schimmelmann remodelled the castle and village in the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style and the current layout of the town reflects these plans.
On the 7 June 1867 the estate village Woldenhorn became an independent Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n country community and renamed itself Ahrensburg after a decision by the community council. It belonged to the "Amt Ahrensburg", from which the "amtsfreie" community once more succeeded in 1912.
The construction of the railway between Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
in the year 1865 made Ahrensburg a well loved destination for outings outside Hamburg and the number of inhabitants increased. By 1910, the population had reached 2750. The incorporation of various surrounding communities in the year 1928 lead to an increase in the town area to about 5 km².
Building of the settlements "Daheim/Heimgarten" (partially on the territory of the current community of Ammersbek
Ammersbek
Ammersbek is a municipality in the district of Stormarn, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. northwest of Ahrensburg, and northeast of Hamburg, and is considered by many to be a part of Hamburg....
) and "Am Hagen" (originally called "Franz Seldte
Franz Seldte
Franz Seldte was cofounder of the German Stahlhelm paramilitary organization, a Nazi politician, and Minister for Labour of the German Reich from 1933 to 1945.-Life:...
Settlement") commenced in 1933. The rush of settlers from around Hamburg lead to the creation of the current relaxed housing layout.
When Ahrensburg received city rights in 1949, the town had some 17 775 inhabitants - around half of which were refugees from the former eastern German regions.
The town infrastructure was greatly improved and expanded during the following decades. At the same time many companies settled at the edge of town and helped make Ahrensburg a well known business centre in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
.
Religion
Ahrensburg was the seat of the Stormarn ProvostProvost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
of the Lutheran church from 1823 until 1899.
Ahrensburg had a small Jewish community until the beginning of the 1930s. The Synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
was burnt down in the Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
in 1938 during the period of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. The Jewish cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
(opened in 1822) can still be seen at the edge of town (Ahrensburg-West), not far from the golf course and is a reminder of this bygone time.
Politics
Since the local election on 26 May 2008, the town council is made up as follows:|-
! Party
! Overall % of vote
! Number of seats in council
|-
| CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
| 36.0%
| 13 seats
|-
| SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
| 23.0%
| 8 seats
|-
| WAB
| 16.1%
| 5 seats
|-
| GRÜNE
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
| 16.7%
| 6 seats
|-
| FDP
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
| 8.2%
| 2 seats>
International relations
Ahrensburg is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Esplugues de Llobregat Esplugues de Llobregat Esplugues de Llobregat is a municipality of the Barcelona metropolitan area. It belongs to the comarca of Baix Llobregat, Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain. It has some schools, such as the German School of Barcelona and American School of Barcelona, which attract rich families, thus increasing... , Spain Feldkirchen in Kärnten Feldkirchen in Kärnten Feldkirchen in Kärnten is a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia and the capital of the district of the same name. It consists of the Katastralgemeinden Fasching, Feldkirchen, Glanhofen, Gradisch, Hoefling, Klein Sankt Veit, Pernegg, Rabensdorf, Sankt Ulrich, Sittich, Tschwarzen and... , Austria |
Ludwigslust Ludwigslust Ludwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:... , Germany Viljandi Viljandi Viljandi is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 19,150 . It is the capital of Viljandi County. The town was first mentioned in 1283, upon being granted its town charter by Wilhelm von Endorpe.... , Estonia |
Honorary citizen
- 1965 – Alfred Rust, (* 4. Juli 1900 in Hamburg, † 14. August 1983 in Ahrensburg), Archeologist, controversial because of his membership in the NS-group AhnenerbeAhnenerbeThe Ahnenerbe was a Nazi German think tank that promoted itself as a "study society for Intellectual Ancient History." Founded on July 1, 1935, by Heinrich Himmler, Herman Wirth, and Richard Walther Darré, the Ahnenerbe's goal was to research the anthropological and cultural history of the Aryan...
Born in Ahrensburg
- 1880, 21. Februar, Waldemar BonselsWaldemar BonselsWaldemar Bonsels was a German writer of children's books.Waldemar Bonsels wrote only one children's book in the strict sense, Die Biene Maja . "People in the sky" is not a proper children's book but has a much deeper mystical layer showing the unity of all creation and its relationship to God...
, † 31. Juli 1952 in Ambach, Author of The Adventures of Maya the BeeMaya the BeeThe Adventures of Maya the Bee is a German book, comic book series and animated television series, first written by Waldemar Bonsels and published in 1912...
' - 1970, 27. Oktober, Jan Plewka, Musiker, Sänger der Band SeligSelig (band)Selig is a German rock band from Hamburg, which was most famous in the 1990s for a mixture of experimental 70s rock and Grunge.- Members :Selig currently comprises Jan Plewka on vocals, Leo Schmidthals on Bass, Christian Neander on Guitar, Stephan "Stoppel" Eggert on Drums, and Malte Neumann on...
, Mitglied der Band TempEau
External links
http://www.evj-ahrensburg.de/ Youth Page http://www.ahrensburg.de/ city page- http://www.schloss-ahrensburg.de/ (castle, in English and German)