Brobergen
Encyclopedia
Stade (district)
Stade is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Harburg, Rotenburg and Cuxhaven, the Elbe River, and the city state of Hamburg.-History:...
, Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. The village of 6.06 km² has 220 inhabitants (July 1, 2011) .
The village lies on the right (eastern) bank of the Oste
Oste
The Oste is a river in northern Lower Saxony, Germany with a length of 153 km, left tributary of the Elbe. It flows through the districts of Harburg, Rotenburg, Stade and Cuxhaven and empties into the Elbe river near Otterndorf. Its drainage area is 1.711 km² and the decline between the...
river. The river Mehe
Mehe
Mehe is a river of Lower Saxony, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Lower Saxony...
, a tributary of the Oste, has its estuary near Brobergen. There is a ferry crossing from the village to the Hollander Höfe, once the ancestral seat of the noble family von Brobergen, on the left bank of the river. It was a separate municipality until it merged with Kranenburg in 1972.
Geography
Brobergen lies at the edge of the MarshMarsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
land along the Oste river. The Mehe river with its outlet close to Brobergen is a leftside tributary of the Oste. The Oste is a tidal river close to sea level. The village itself lies at about 3 meter above sea level on the edge of the Geest. On the border to Oldendorf the elevation rises to about 17,5 m above sea level.
The Deutsche Fährstraße
Deutsche Fährstraße
The Deutsche Fährstraße , established in May 2004, is a theme route similar to the American National Scenic Byways. It connects various places between Bremervörde and Kiel with relation to the history of ferries and crossing of rivers, like the historic transporter bridges in Rendsburg and Osten.It...
(German Ferry Street) runs through Brobergen. It's a touristic route that connects places showcasing different modes of transportation across water along a 250 km line between Bremervörde
Bremervörde
Bremervörde is a town in the north of the district Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Oste river near the mid of the triangle, which is formed of the rivers Weser and Elbe respectively the cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Cuxhaven....
and Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. In Brobergen the pram ferry is part of this route.
Part of Brobergen are the smaller places Berg, Hollander Höfe and Hüttenberg.
Neighbouring places are Kranenburg in the north, Oldendorf
Oldendorf, Stade
Oldendorf is a municipality in the district of Stade, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated west of Hamburg. Oldendorf has a population of approx. 3,000. Oldendorf is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Oldendorf.-History:...
in the east, Estorf
Estorf, Stade
Estorf is a municipality in the district of Stade, Lower Saxony, Germany.It belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish and from 1715 on by the Hanoverian Crown. In...
in the southeast, Gräpel in the southwest, Ostendorf in Landkreis Rotenburg (Wümme) in the east and Nindorf, Cuxhaven in Landkreis Cuxhaven in the northwest.
History
The name of the village first occurs in a charter from 1286 and was written Brocberge back then. Its name is cognate with the English terms brook and barrow and indicated a region with small mounts along a stream. This name once referred to a larger area along the Oste between Gräpel and BurwegBurweg
Burweg is a municipality in the district of Stade, Lower Saxony, Germany.Burweg belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish Crown - interrupted...
.
In 1141 a charter from count Rudolf of Stade mentions the three brothers Dudo, Adiko and Ricbert, who founded the Marienkloster in Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
and who also got Brobergen as a fiefdom. At that time the whole region along the Oste river was meant. Only in 1286 a descendant of the three brothers, Otto de Brocberge, and his borch to brogberghen (castle in Brobergen) is mentioned. This castle was probably build a few years before 1286. Close to the position of that castle another castle had existed before, but its existance is only known from old documents and no evidence of it has been unearthed so far.
In 1364 a chapel, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, is first mentioned. A charter from 1525 mentions a statue of Roland
Roland
Roland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. Historically, Roland was military governor of the Breton March, with responsibility for defending the frontier of Francia against the Bretons...
that existed in Brobergen. This Roland was re-erected in 2007.
The noble family von Brobergen resided on the estate Hollander Höfe until they were forced to sell it in 1618.
Before the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
a drawbridge existed over the Oste river. Tilly's troops destroyed it around 1628 to prevent a Danish attack. Shortly afterwards people began to use prams to reach the farmland across the Oste river.
Ownership over the land changed between several owners, most of them Hamburg merchants until in 1837 local farmers collectively purchased the land they had cultivated since generations.
In the 19th and early 20th century there were many brickyards along the Oste river which made bricks from the marsh clay.
The estate Hollander Höfe existed until 1941 when it was destructed because it was in a out of repair condition. The current house at the estate's site was constructed in 1956 as a living place for the ferry operator and the operator of the Mehe river barrage
Barrage
Barrage may refer to:In music* Barrage , a Canadian violin ensemble, or* Barrage , their self-titled debut albumIn engineering...
.
With the local government reorganization in 1972 former municipalities Brobergen and Kranenburg formed a new municipality under the name Kranenburg.
Religion
Brobergen is traditionally a Lutheran community and part of the Oldendorf parish. The village has its own cemetery and small cemetery chapel at the village exit towards Oldendorf. It's occasionally used for local church services.Population
In 1766 there were 17 households in Brobergen. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the population rose by 100 people to 330 inhabitants due to an influx of people expelled in the east. After some years the population number dropped to pre-war levels.
| Year | 1848 | 1871 | 1885 | 1905 | 1910 | 1925 | 1933 | 1939 | 1946 | 1956 | 1963 | 1971 | 2003 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 212 | 235 | 224 | 271 | 263 | 252 | 240 | 247 | 328 | 256 | 271 | 232 | 226 | 216 |
Mayors
The mayors of Brobergen municipality until being merged with Kranenburg municipality in 1972 were:| Time | Mayor |
|---|---|
| 1873-1890 | Hinrich Buck |
| 1890-1910 | Johann Schult |
| 1910-1911 | Dietrich Waller |
| 1911-1914 | Andreas Schult |
| 1914-1916 | Jürgen Elfers |
| 1916-1922 | Theodor Buck |
| 1922-1933 | Hinrich Ney (senior) |
| 1933-1943 | Hinrich Ney (junior) |
| 1943-1946 | Hermann Buck |
| 1946-1956 | Jürgen Steffens |
| 1956-1964 | Hinrich Buck |
| 1964-1972 | Helmut Hudaff |
Coat of Arms
Street names
Only with the local government reorganization in 1972 Brobergen first got street names. Before 1972 houses were just numbered.(In parentheses Low Saxon names. If no parentheses are given the official German name is a loan from Low Saxon.)
Berg (Barg) : The name means "mount" due to its slightly elevated altitude above the surrounding marsh. It's a separate part of the village and 500 m away of the main part.
Boben in Dörp : The name means "up in the village" towards the Geest.
Fährstraße (Fährstraat) : The name means "ferry street" and leads to the Oste river and the ferry.
Hüttenberg (Hüttenbarg) : The name means "cottage mount". It's the part of Brobergen closest to the Oste river. The houses here were build relatively lately and they were no farmsteads as in the main village but just smaller cottages.
Kurze Straße (Korte Straat) : The name means "short street". It's a short way with just one house connecting Boben in Dörp and Schulstraße.
Neern in Dörp : The name means "alow in the village" towards the marsh.
Schulstraße (Schoolstraat) : The name means "school street" and until 1966 the school was situated in this street.
Gräpeler Straße/Kranenburger Straße (Gröpler Straat/Kronenborger Straat) : The names mean "Gräpel street" and "Kranenburg street" as they lead to these two places respectively. They formerly formed the Ostestraße (Ostestraat) which ran through several municipalities along the Oste river, but it was renamed in Kranenburg municipality because of concerns that ambulances could be misdirected due to the length of the street.
Culture
A pram ferry crosses the Oste river in Brobergen and is part of the Deutsche Fährstraße. At the ferry site there is a small inn called "Fährkrug". The ferry and the inn are used by many bike tourists visiting the region.Brobergen has an active Schützenverein
Schützenverein
A Schützenverein is in German language countries a voluntary association featuring sport-shooting either on Olympic levels or historic weapons....
with a two day Schützenfest
Schützenfest
A Schützenfest is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland....
each year on the third weekend in July.
Traditions
Every year on pentecostPentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
Maibaum
Maibaum
Maibaum may refer to:* Maibaum, the German word for MaypoleAs a personal name: , German politician * Richard Maibaum , American film producer, playwright and screenwriter...
s are erected by the youth of the village. On New Year there's a tradition of walking through the village, visiting households and having drinks together while the children collect candy.
War Memorial
At the village exit towards Oldendorf close to the cemetery is the War Memorial that ommemorates the seven people killed in World War I and the 17 people killed in World War II. It was erected in 1921 on initiative of the veterans' association. The inaugural sermon was held by Oldendorf pastor Hittmeyer and was also attended by Oberstleutnant von Lahnstein from Stade.The renewed and extended memorial commemorating the fallen of World War II was dedicated on 28 September 1952 with a sermon by pastor Bergens.
Community Center
The Dorfgemeinschaftshaus with an usable area of 255 m² was constructed between September 1988 and June 1989 close to the shooting range of the Schützenverein behind the former village pub.Transportation
Brobergen is connected with Gräpel and Kranenburg over KreisstraßeKreisstraße
A Kreisstraße is a class of road in Germany. It carries traffic between the towns and villages within a Kreis or district or between two neighbouring districts. In terms of importance, the Kreisstraße ranks below a Landesstraße , but above a Gemeindestraße or "local road"...
82. This road ends at the Bundesstraße 73
Bundesstraße 73
The Bundesstraße 73 or B73 is a German federal highway running in a northwesterly to southeasterly direction from Cuxhaven to Hamburg. It runs partially beside the Bundesautobahn 26....
in Burweg
Burweg
Burweg is a municipality in the district of Stade, Lower Saxony, Germany.Burweg belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish Crown - interrupted...
which leads to Stade and Cuxhaven and at the Bundesstraße 74 in Elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
which leads to Bremervörde. Towards Oldendorf runs Kreisstraße 78 that leads to Himmelpforten
Himmelpforten
Himmelpforten is a municipality west of Hamburg in the district of Stade in Lower Saxony. Himmelpforten is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Himmelpforten.-History:...
again connecting the village to Bundesstraße 73. This is the most important connection to Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
and 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...
.
The Oste river forms a natural barrier to the west. The ferry can overcome this barrier only in summer and due to bad road connections even in summer most traffic towards the west runs across the Oste bridges in Bremervörde and Hechthausen
Hechthausen
Hechthausen is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany.Hechthausen belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180...
.
The next train station is in Himmelpforten which is used by commuters to Hamburg.
Economy
There are some farms and some smaller businesses in Brobergen. The village shop closed in 2002. Most grocery shopping is now done in Oldendorf and Himmelpforten.There's a wind farm with six plants east of the village.
Education
A VolksschuleVolksschule
A Volksschule was an 18th century system of state-supported primary schools established in the Habsburg Austrian Empire and Prussia . Attendance was supposedly compulsory, but a 1781 census reveals that only one fourth of school-age children attended. At the time, this was one of the few examples...
in Brobergen was first mentioned in 1797 but likely it already existed before that time. The oldest school records are from 1845. There were 45 pupils then. 1919 this number had risen to 63. Brobergen's school closed on 1 December 1966 and pupils went to school in Gräpel and Estorf. For Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
and Hauptschule
Hauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
pupils go to Oldendorf. For Gymnasium
Gymnasium
Gymnasium may refer to:*Gymnasium , educational and sporting institution*Gymnasium , type of secondary school that prepares students for higher education**Gymnasium **Gymnasium...
they attend Vincent-Lübeck-Schule in Stade.
Infrastructure
There's no central waste water clearing. Each household has its own packaged sewage treatment installation.Literature
- Friedrich Holst: Roland und die Kraniche, Die Geschichte der Ostedörfer Kranenburg und Brobergen. 1983
- Lühmann, Bohmbach: Die Geest und Buxtehude, Urgeschichtsland zwischen Urstromtälern. 1984
- Chronik der Dörfer Brobergen und Kranenburg. 2005