Neuenhaus
Encyclopedia
Neuenhaus is a town in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony
, and is the seat of a like-named Joint Community (Samtgemeinde). Neuenhaus lies on the river Vechte
near the border
with the Kingdom
of the Netherlands
and is roughly 10 km northwest of Nordhorn
, and 30 km north of Enschede
.
and Amsterdam
by Bentheim
’s Count Johannes II, who also had a castle
built for its security. The quickly growing new town was granted town rights in 1369. The town had at its disposal an Amt court and other authorities that were moved to the district seat of Nordhorn after the Second World War. Today’s town of Neuenhaus was enlarged in 1970 through the amalgamation of the formerly autonomous communities of Grasdorf, Hilten and Veldhausen, the last of which had already existed as early as the 10th century. By building two weir
s on the Vechte and another on the river Dinkel, the flood
ing that had so often beset Neuenhaus in earlier years was brought under control.
The main street through Neuenhaus’s inner town has been dismantled since 2005 after a southwest bypass was built around the town.
Many old Ackerbürgerhäuser (roughly “gentleman farmers’ houses”) have been or are being renovated.
The town is especially interesting when explored by bicycle
. The cycling
paths are very well signposted (a roughly 250 km network throughout the district) and lead through meadow
s and woods as well as alongside the rivers Vechte and Dinkel. There are always more and more artistic projects along the paths to look at. Furthermore, the local gymnastic and sport club (known locally as the “TuS”, for “Turn- und Sportverein”), linked below, is celebrating its 100-year jubilee.
Veldhausen arose when farmer
s from the nearby communities of Esche, Grasdorf
and Osterwald expressed a wish to have a place for their own new church, as it was too far for many to go to the church in Uelsen
, and indeed even impossible in bad weather. Thus, a centrally located plot of unproductive land was sought, of the kind once known locally by the Dutch
word veld, meaning “field” (Dutch was still used in officialdom in Veldhausen no more than 100 years ago). The first church is believed to have been built mainly of wood. Around this church over time settled craftsmen and gentleman farmers (Ackerbürger). Today’s stone Evangelical-Reformed church, along with the windmill
and neighbouring mill park, counts itself among Veldhausen’s landmarks.
On the mill park grounds, the Brauchtum- und Mühlenverein – Tradition and Mill Club – have built an old miller’s house and a bakehouse
. In the bakehouse, hobby bakers bake bread
made out of the flour
ground at the mill.
The town’s mayor is Paul Mokry.
The greater charge
in the red part of the shield is a Dutch baron
’s war tent, and the four orbs next to it stand for the Counts of Bentheim. The house with stepped gables is a charge taken from the town’s seal, borne since 1400.
Veldhausen’s arms likewise show a war tent with a baronal crown over it, referring to Dutch Commander Carl von Rabenhaupt, Baron at Sucha, whose headquarters in 1673-1674, in his campaign against Christoph Bernhard von Galen, Prince-Bishop of Münster
, were in Veldhausen.
403 running from Nordhorn into the Netherlands. There is further a railway link following roughly the same route; however, there has been no passenger service on the line since the mid-1970s, although the line still handles goods.
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...
, and is the seat of a like-named Joint Community (Samtgemeinde). Neuenhaus lies on the river Vechte
Vechte
The Vechte or Vecht , often called Overijsselse Vecht in the Netherlands to avoid confusion with its Utrecht counterpart, is a river in Germany and the Netherlands...
near the border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
with the Kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
of 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...
and is roughly 10 km northwest of Nordhorn
Nordhorn
Nordhorn is the district seat of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony's southwesternmost corner near the border with the Netherlands and the boundary with North Rhine-Westphalia.- Name's origin :...
, and 30 km north of Enschede
Enschede
Enschede , also known as Eanske in the local dialect of Twents, is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region...
.
History
Neuenhaus was founded in 1317 on the trade road between MünsterMünster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
by 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...
’s Count Johannes II, who also had a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
built for its security. The quickly growing new town was granted town rights in 1369. The town had at its disposal an Amt court and other authorities that were moved to the district seat of Nordhorn after the Second World War. Today’s town of Neuenhaus was enlarged in 1970 through the amalgamation of the formerly autonomous communities of Grasdorf, Hilten and Veldhausen, the last of which had already existed as early as the 10th century. By building two weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
s on the Vechte and another on the river Dinkel, the flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing that had so often beset Neuenhaus in earlier years was brought under control.
The main street through Neuenhaus’s inner town has been dismantled since 2005 after a southwest bypass was built around the town.
Many old Ackerbürgerhäuser (roughly “gentleman farmers’ houses”) have been or are being renovated.
The town is especially interesting when explored by bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
. The cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
paths are very well signposted (a roughly 250 km network throughout the district) and lead through meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s and woods as well as alongside the rivers Vechte and Dinkel. There are always more and more artistic projects along the paths to look at. Furthermore, the local gymnastic and sport club (known locally as the “TuS”, for “Turn- und Sportverein”), linked below, is celebrating its 100-year jubilee.
Veldhausen
The outlying centre of Veldhausen is actually a more than 1000-year-old parish village that has been amalgamated with the town of Neuenhaus since 1970. Nonetheless, Veldhausen has been able to keep some of its autonomy. There are roughly 2,200 villagers.Veldhausen arose when farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s from the nearby communities of Esche, Grasdorf
and Osterwald expressed a wish to have a place for their own new church, as it was too far for many to go to the church in Uelsen
Uelsen
-Geography:The community of Uelsen lies in westernmost Lower Saxony, on the border with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, roughly 30 km north of Enschede and 15 km northwest of Nordhorn..-History:...
, and indeed even impossible in bad weather. Thus, a centrally located plot of unproductive land was sought, of the kind once known locally by the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word veld, meaning “field” (Dutch was still used in officialdom in Veldhausen no more than 100 years ago). The first church is believed to have been built mainly of wood. Around this church over time settled craftsmen and gentleman farmers (Ackerbürger). Today’s stone Evangelical-Reformed church, along with the windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
and neighbouring mill park, counts itself among Veldhausen’s landmarks.
On the mill park grounds, the Brauchtum- und Mühlenverein – Tradition and Mill Club – have built an old miller’s house and a bakehouse
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
. In the bakehouse, hobby bakers bake bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
made out of the flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
ground at the mill.
Politics
The current town council’s seats are apportioned thus:- CDUChristian 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...
: 13 seats - SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
: 11 seats - Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: 1 seat
The town’s mayor is Paul Mokry.
Coats of arms
Neuenhaus’s arms might heraldically be described thus, although the wavy bend parting is considered to be unheraldic: Party per bend wavy sinister, in gules a war tent argent surmounted by a crown argent, in the chief sinister four orbs Or, in Or a house gules with stepped gables and tower on the peak of the roof.The greater charge
Charge (heraldry)
In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon . This may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object or other device...
in the red part of the shield is a Dutch baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
’s war tent, and the four orbs next to it stand for the Counts of Bentheim. The house with stepped gables is a charge taken from the town’s seal, borne since 1400.
Veldhausen
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, were in Veldhausen.
Transport
Neuenhaus lies on BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
403 running from Nordhorn into the Netherlands. There is further a railway link following roughly the same route; however, there has been no passenger service on the line since the mid-1970s, although the line still handles goods.
Clubs
- Astronomischer Verein der Grafschaft Bentheim e.V. (district astronomical club)
- SV Borussia 08 Neuenhaus e.V. (soccer club)
- CVJM Veldhausen (YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
) - Ev.-ref. Posaunenchor Veldhausen (choir)
- Kulturpass Neuenhaus e.V.
- Kunstverein Grafschaft Bentheim e.V. (art club)
- Mühlen- und Brauchtumsverein e.V. (Tradition and Mill Club)
- Freiwillige Feuerwehr Neuenhaus (volunteer fire departmentVolunteer fire departmentSee also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
) - Ortsfeuerwehr Veldhausen (volunteer fire departmentVolunteer fire departmentSee also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
) - Rassegeflügelzuchtverein Veldhausen e.V. (thoroughbred fowl raising)
- SG Neuenhaus/Uelsen (sport club)
- Sozialverband Deutschland Ortsverband Veldhausen
- Sturmvögel Hilten/Lemke e.V (sport club)
- SV Veldhausen 07 e.V. (soccer club)
- TC RW Neuenhaus e.V
- Trachtenfreunde Veldhausen (costume club)
- TuS Neuenhaus (gymnastic and sport club)
- Unabhängiger Jugendtreff Neuenhaus e.V. (youth meeting)
- Veldhauser Werbegemeinschaft e.V. (advertising alliance)
- Verein für Brauchtum und Geselligkeit e.V.
- Werbegemeinschaft Neuenhaus e.V. (advertising alliance)
Events
- Marksmanship festival on first weekend in July
- Town festival on last weekend in August
- Christmas Market behind the Old Town Hall on first weekend in Advent
- Changing of the Watch on New Year’s Eve
- Folk festival in Veldhausen on first weekend in August
Sons and daughters
- Karl E. Smidt (1903–1984), West GermanWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
admiral, NATO commander (fleet commander), bearer of the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) - Wilhelm Staehle (1877–1945 in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
), German ResistanceGerman ResistanceThe German resistance was the opposition by individuals and groups in Germany to Adolf Hitler or the National Socialist regime between 1933 and 1945. Some of these engaged in active plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power and overthrow his regime...
fighter and participant in the July 20 plotJuly 20 PlotOn 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
. - Johannes von Miquel (b. 21 February 1829 in Neuenhaus; d. 1901), said to be the “Forefather of All Fiscal Reformers”, was PrussiaPrussiaPrussia 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 Finance ministerFinance ministerThe finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
, later Chief Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) of OsnabrückOsnabrückOsnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
and Frankfurt am Main
Further reading
- Herbert Wagner: Die Gestapo war nicht allein... Politische Sozialkontrolle und Staatsterror im deutsch-niederländischen Grenzgebiet 1929 - 1945, LIT-Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-8258-7448-6 (contains among other things the Neuenhaus Amt Court).