Ohne
Encyclopedia
Ohne is a community in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony
, Germany
.
and Steinfurt
on the boundary with North Rhine-Westphalia
. The community belongs to the Joint Community (Samtgemeinde) of Schüttorf
, which has its seat in the like-named town.
The community of Ohne in the southernmost and southeasternmost parts of the Joint Community of Schüttorf, shows a distinct, very compact village site and lies right on a ford
on the river Vechte
. With a self-contained village centre above the Vechte Valley, Ohne’s settlement development, unlike any other rural community’s, is characterized not by scattered locations but rather by an accumulation of homesteads and buildings. Even the scattered homesteads lie quite near the village itself with its church, play group and various other institutions typical of a village.
Beyond the village site, the municipal area is marked by widespread agricultural
land (also places without farms) and in the westernmost part by woods that stretch to Bad Bentheim
.
, Suddendorf
, Brechte and Wettringen, the last two of which lie in Westphalia.
immigrants who established the village of “Oen” in Carolingian
times.
On the edge of the site where the village’s original centre was, settlement spread outwards. The shape that the village has today was brought about not least of all by the Vechte Valley with its broad floodplain
and, in the more recent past, by farmlands abutting the village site. The village’s name was first mentioned in 1213 in the monosyllabic form “On” (in German
, a final -e is usually pronounced, and given the “schwa
” sound, making the name “Ohne” two syllables).
In Ohne is also found the municipal area’s only windfarm
, built according to municipal planning and already realized.
linden
s and a further linden trimmed in a more usual way, and also two tall hawthorn
trees. The square also still fulfils transport functions. The roadways are cobbled, and red paving stones have been laid over the park areas. The surrounding buildings fit in quite harmoniously with their red-brick façades or red clinker dressing.
Atypically, the village church does not stand right on the square, but rather one row of buildings back. From the square, a path runs through natural areas down to the Vechte. With its tall hawthorn trees, the path leads behind the church to a wooden bridge over the river. There are a table and benches for those who wish to tarry. East of the river, the path continues, bordered on each side by hedges, and ends at the district road as a cycling path.
One peculiarity at some clubs is that some members come from the community of Haddorf, which is in North Rhine-Westphalia, outside Ohne’s state of Lower Saxony.
can be reached 8 km from the community.
Since the beginning of May 2007, the Bürgerbus, line 510, has been running from Schüttorf by way of Ohne and Bilk to Wettringen, and by way of Haddorf, Ohne and Samern back to Schüttorf. The drivers work for free, and manage to keep the considerable costs down.
Two tourist cycling path projects, the Grafschafter Fietsentour (Fietse is a local word for “bicycle
”) and the Vechtetalroute (“Vechte Valley Route”) lead through the village, showing the visitor how tightly knit the village is, and revealing something of communal life.
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...
.
Location
Ohne lies between NordhornNordhorn
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 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...
on the boundary with 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...
. The community belongs to the Joint Community (Samtgemeinde) of Schüttorf
Schüttorf
Schüttorf is a town in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in southwesternmost Lower Saxony near the Dutch border and the boundary with Westphalia . The town of Schüttorf forms with the surrounding communities the Joint Community of Schüttorf. It is the district’s oldest town...
, which has its seat in the like-named town.
The community of Ohne in the southernmost and southeasternmost parts of the Joint Community of Schüttorf, shows a distinct, very compact village site and lies right on a ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
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...
. With a self-contained village centre above the Vechte Valley, Ohne’s settlement development, unlike any other rural community’s, is characterized not by scattered locations but rather by an accumulation of homesteads and buildings. Even the scattered homesteads lie quite near the village itself with its church, play group and various other institutions typical of a village.
Beyond the village site, the municipal area is marked by widespread agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
land (also places without farms) and in the westernmost part by woods that stretch to Bad Bentheim
Bad Bentheim
Bad Bentheim is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany lying in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim on the borders with North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands roughly 15 km south of Nordhorn and 20 km northeast of Enschede. It is also a state-recognized thermal brine and sulphur spa town,...
.
Neighbouring communities
Ohne’s neighbours are SamernSamern
Samern is a community in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Location:Samern lies between Nordhorn and Steinfurt on the boundary with North Rhine-Westphalia...
, Suddendorf
Suddendorf
Suddendorf is a village and a former municipality in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 November 2011, it is part of the town Schüttorf.-History:...
, Brechte and Wettringen, the last two of which lie in Westphalia.
History
The area was already settled by the Old Stone Age. The village is Grafschaft Bentheim’s oldest. It was FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
immigrants who established the village of “Oen” in Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
times.
On the edge of the site where the village’s original centre was, settlement spread outwards. The shape that the village has today was brought about not least of all by the Vechte Valley with its broad floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
and, in the more recent past, by farmlands abutting the village site. The village’s name was first mentioned in 1213 in the monosyllabic form “On” (in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, a final -e is usually pronounced, and given the “schwa
Schwa
In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa can mean the following:*An unstressed and toneless neutral vowel sound in some languages, often but not necessarily a mid-central vowel...
” sound, making the name “Ohne” two syllables).
In Ohne is also found the municipal area’s only windfarm
WindFarm
WindFarm is wind energy software used to analyse, design, optimise and visualise wind farms. It calculates and optimises the energy yield subject to natural, planning and engineering constraints. WindFarm has the wind modelling software MS-Micro integrated. MS-Micro is based on the same...
, built according to municipal planning and already realized.
Culture and sightseeing
The village has kept its traditional village character. L 68 (state highway) and K 25 (district road) keep through traffic well away from the village road. The finely designed, small village square lying in the middle of the village, where the warriors’ memorial once stood, is marked by old tree growth. There are four pollardedPollarding
Pollarding is a pruning system in which the upper branches of a tree are removed, promoting a dense head of foliage and branches. It has been common in Great Britain and Europe since medieval times and is practiced today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a predetermined...
linden
Tilia
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
s and a further linden trimmed in a more usual way, and also two tall hawthorn
Common Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
trees. The square also still fulfils transport functions. The roadways are cobbled, and red paving stones have been laid over the park areas. The surrounding buildings fit in quite harmoniously with their red-brick façades or red clinker dressing.
Atypically, the village church does not stand right on the square, but rather one row of buildings back. From the square, a path runs through natural areas down to the Vechte. With its tall hawthorn trees, the path leads behind the church to a wooden bridge over the river. There are a table and benches for those who wish to tarry. East of the river, the path continues, bordered on each side by hedges, and ends at the district road as a cycling path.
Clubs
- Schützenverein Ohne-Haddorf e.V. (marksmen’s club, founded 1827)
- Spielmannszug Ohne Haddorf e.V. (band, founded 1904)
- Ortsfeuerwehr Ohne (fire brigade, founded 1934)
- Landjugend Samern Ohne (founded 1947)
- Landfrauenverein Samern-Suddendorf-Ohne (rural women’s club, founded 1949)
- Sport- und Spielvereinigung Ohne e. V. (sport and games, founded 1966)
- Schießsport-Freunde-Ohne-Haddorf e.V. (shooting sports)
One peculiarity at some clubs is that some members come from the community of Haddorf, which is in North Rhine-Westphalia, outside Ohne’s state of Lower Saxony.
Buildings
The Evangelical-Reformed church is said to be Grafschaft Bentheim’s oldest church, built as it was in the earlier half of the 13th century.Regular events
- Kermis (on the first Tuesday in September and the Sunday before that)
- Evangelical-Reformed parish’s Christmas Market (on the last Saturday before AdventAdventAdvent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday, called Levavi...
)
Transport
Autobahn A 31Bundesautobahn 31
is a German Autobahn that connects the coast of the North Sea near Emden to the Ruhr area. It is also known as Emsland-Autobahn or East Frisian Skewer....
can be reached 8 km from the community.
Since the beginning of May 2007, the Bürgerbus, line 510, has been running from Schüttorf by way of Ohne and Bilk to Wettringen, and by way of Haddorf, Ohne and Samern back to Schüttorf. The drivers work for free, and manage to keep the considerable costs down.
Two tourist cycling path projects, the Grafschafter Fietsentour (Fietse is a local word for “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....
”) and the Vechtetalroute (“Vechte Valley Route”) lead through the village, showing the visitor how tightly knit the village is, and revealing something of communal life.
Development
In the community of Ohne, with its building lots as shown in its hitherto operative land use planning, there are still development opportunities to be had that will largely fulfil foreseeable demand.Further reading
- Herbert Wagner: Die Gestapo war nicht allein... Politische Sozialkontrolle und Staatsterror im deutsch-niederländischen Grenzgebiet 1929–1945. LIT Verlag. Münster 2004 (contains among other things election results 1919–1948).