Emsland
Encyclopedia
Landkreis Emsland is a district
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
named after the river Ems. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Leer
, Cloppenburg
and Osnabrück
, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
(district of Steinfurt
), the district of Bentheim
and the Netherlands
(provinces of Drenthe
and Groningen
).
s on both sides of the river. Small villages were established in medieval times along the river and on the Hümmling
. In the 13th century the bishops of Münster
gained control over the region; the Emsland remained property of the bishop until 1803, when the clerical states were dissolved. It came under rule of Prussia
and Arenberg
, but after the Napoleonic Wars
the Congress of Vienna
decided to hand the territory over to the Kingdom of Hanover
. The Duchy of Arenberg continued to exist as a fief of the Hanoverian kings. When Hanover was annexed by Prussia (1866), the dukes were deposed soon after.
The now Prussian Province of Hanover was subdivided into districts in 1885; four districts were established on the territory of what is now the Landkreis Emsland. The districts were merged in 1977 to form the present district.
During the Nazi period, labour camps
known as the Emslandlager ("Emsland camps") held thousands of political opponents of the Third Reich, located outside of Börgermoor, now part of the commune Surwold
, not far from Papenburg
. A memorial of these camps, the Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) Emslandlager, is located at Papenburg. The well known resistance song "Peat Bog Soldiers" was composed by political prisoners at one of these camps.
In 1950 a governmental plan for the development of Emsland was adopted. Its aim was to turn the region into an industrial location. This was accomplished by draining the fens and establishing projects like the test track of the maglev "Transrapid
" and several large shipyard
s such as the Meyer-Werft in Papenburg
. Although the Landkreis Emsland lost much of its original character, some areas retain their natural character, for example the Hümmling.
1977 district reforms in Lower Saxony unite the former districts of Lingen, Meppen and Aschendorf-Hümmling in the district of Emsland, with Meppen as administrative seat. The Emsland remains a very Roman Catholic region compared to other parts of Lower Saxony.
Although the Emsland region is nowadays primarily a county among many others in Lower Saxony, its locals have what could be called a distinct sense of regional pride which will unlikely be found elsewhere in this state.
(Population 2005)
Free municipalities and towns
Samtgemeinden
Districts of Germany
The districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
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...
named after the river Ems. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Leer
Leer (district)
Leer is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Emden, the districts of Aurich, Wittmund, Friesland, Ammerland, Cloppenburg and Emsland, and by the Netherlands ....
, Cloppenburg
Cloppenburg (district)
Cloppenburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Ammerland, Oldenburg, Vechta, Osnabrück, Emsland and Leer....
and Osnabrück
Osnabrück (district)
Osnabrück is a district in the southwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. With 2,121 km² it is the second largest district of Lower Saxony.- History :...
, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
(district of Steinfurt
Steinfurt
Steinfurt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt.-Geography:Steinfurt is situated north-west of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its name came into being in 1975 when the two – up to then independent – parts of the city – Borghorst and...
), the district of Bentheim
Bentheim
County of Bentheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe, the district of Emsland, and the districts of Steinfurt and Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :The District has roughly the same territory as the County of...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(provinces of Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
and Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
).
History
For a long time the region of the Emsland was extremely sparsely populated, due to the fenFen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s on both sides of the river. Small villages were established in medieval times along the river and on the Hümmling
Hümmling
Hümmling district existed 1815 to 1932 and was a district in nowaday's western Lower Saxony, Germany.It was named after Hümmling hills, a ground moraine landscape in Emsland region- History :...
. In the 13th century the bishops of Münster
Bishopric of Münster
The Bishopric of Münster was an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lower Saxony...
gained control over the region; the Emsland remained property of the bishop until 1803, when the clerical states were dissolved. It came under rule of 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...
and Arenberg
Arenberg
Arenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a historic county, principality and finally duchy located in modern Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian aristocratic family.- History :...
, but after the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
decided to hand the territory over to the Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
. The Duchy of Arenberg continued to exist as a fief of the Hanoverian kings. When Hanover was annexed by Prussia (1866), the dukes were deposed soon after.
The now Prussian Province of Hanover was subdivided into districts in 1885; four districts were established on the territory of what is now the Landkreis Emsland. The districts were merged in 1977 to form the present district.
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
known as the Emslandlager ("Emsland camps") held thousands of political opponents of the Third Reich, located outside of Börgermoor, now part of the commune Surwold
Surwold
Surwold is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, not far from Papenburg
Papenburg
Papenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
. A memorial of these camps, the Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) Emslandlager, is located at Papenburg. The well known resistance song "Peat Bog Soldiers" was composed by political prisoners at one of these camps.
In 1950 a governmental plan for the development of Emsland was adopted. Its aim was to turn the region into an industrial location. This was accomplished by draining the fens and establishing projects like the test track of the maglev "Transrapid
Transrapid
Transrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...
" and several large shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s such as the Meyer-Werft in Papenburg
Papenburg
Papenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
. Although the Landkreis Emsland lost much of its original character, some areas retain their natural character, for example the Hümmling.
Geography
The district is located on the Dutch border. It is named after the Ems river, which crosses the region from south to north. It is an absolutely plain countryside, which was once full of fens. The only elevations are in the Hümmling, which is a hilly forest area east of the Ems.Although the Emsland region is nowadays primarily a county among many others in Lower Saxony, its locals have what could be called a distinct sense of regional pride which will unlikely be found elsewhere in this state.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays:
The wavy line symbolises the river Ems. |
Cities and municipalities
Free municipalities and towns
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
- EmsbürenEmsbürenEmsbüren is a municipality in the Emsland district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Ems, approx. 15 km south of Lingen, and 15 km northwest of Rheine.It has a railway station: Leschede....
(9,749) - Geeste (11,279)
- HarenHaren, Germany- History :Haren was first mentioned in the Middle Ages in a registry of the Corvey Abbey. Around 1150 the settlement of Neuharen was founded, while the nearby Altharen formed around a local castle, belonging to the bishop of Munster, who bought it around 1252 from Duchess Jutta von Ravensberg...
, town (22,754) - HaselünneHaselünneHaselünne is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, in the district of Emsland. It is situated on the river Hase, approx. 15 km east of Meppen....
, town (12,549) - LingenLingenLingen is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2008 the population was 52,353, and in addition there are about 5,000 people who have registered the city as their secondary residence...
, town (51,318) - MeppenMeppen, GermanyMeppen is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund-Ems canal...
, town (34,196) - PapenburgPapenburgPapenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
, town (34,519) - RhedeRhede, Lower SaxonyRhede is a municipality in the Emsland district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Ems, near the border with the Netherlands, approx. 10 km west of Papenburg, and 20 km southeast of Winschoten....
(4,228) - SalzbergenSalzbergenSalzbergen is a municipality in the Emsland district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Ems, approx. 25 km south of Lingen, and 10 km northwest of Rheine.It has the oldest oil refinery in the world, opened in 1860....
(7,436) - TwistTwist, GermanyTwist is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated directly at the Dutch border.Situation of the local parts in the municipality of Twist:-History:...
(9,640)
Samtgemeinden
- Dörpen (15,446)
- FrerenFreren (Samtgemeinde)Freren is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the town Freren.The Samtgemeinde Freren consists of the following municipalities:# Andervenne# Beesten# Freren# Messingen# Thuine...
(10,834) - Herzlake (9,821)
- Lathen (10,815)
- LengerichLengerich (Samtgemeinde)Lengerich is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Lengerich.The Samtgemeinde Lengerich consists of the following municipalities:# Bawinkel# Gersten# Handrup# Langen# Lengerich...
(9,083) - NordhümmlingNordhümmlingNordhümmling is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.The following towns are situated in Nordhümmling:...
(12,149) - Sögel (15,484)
- SpelleSpelle (Samtgemeinde)Spelle is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Spelle.The Samtgemeinde Spelle consists of the following municipalities:# Lünne# Schapen# Spelle...
(12,653) - Werlte (15,660)
Dörpen
Freren Freren (Samtgemeinde) Freren is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the town Freren.The Samtgemeinde Freren consists of the following municipalities:# Andervenne# Beesten# Freren# Messingen# Thuine...
Herzlake
|
Lathen
Lengerich Lengerich (Samtgemeinde) Lengerich is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Lengerich.The Samtgemeinde Lengerich consists of the following municipalities:# Bawinkel# Gersten# Handrup# Langen# Lengerich...
Nordhümmling Nordhümmling Nordhümmling is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.The following towns are situated in Nordhümmling:...
|
Sögel
Spelle Spelle (Samtgemeinde) Spelle is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Spelle.The Samtgemeinde Spelle consists of the following municipalities:# Lünne# Schapen# Spelle...
Werlte
|
| 1seat of the Samtgemeinde; 2town |
External links
- Official website (German)
- Emslandmarkt Businessguide (German)
- Touristical website (German, English, Dutch)