Pröbsten
Encyclopedia
Pröbsten was a village in the former district (Altkreis) of Fallingbostel, located in the Heidmark
in the German state of Lower Saxony
. Its inhabitants were resettled in 1935/36, because the German Wehrmacht
wanted to establish a major military training area, the Truppenübungsplatz Bergen
on the heathland and forest of the Heidmark.
n, that were common in the area until the 19th century.
Pröbsten was eventually grouped together with the villages of Fahrenholz
and Deil
into to the parish of Böstlingen
. At the time of the resettlement in 1935/36 208 inhabitants lived in Pröbsten.
After the Second World War Heimatvertriebene
were accommodated in the buildings that were left.
Heidmark
The Heidmark is an area of the Lüneburg Heath, much of which has not been accessible to the population since about 1935/1936. The establishment of a large military training area by the German armed forces, the Wehrmacht, as part of their rearmament and preparation for war resulted in the...
in the German state of 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...
. Its inhabitants were resettled in 1935/36, because the German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
wanted to establish a major military training area, the Truppenübungsplatz Bergen
Bergen-Hohne Training Area
Bergen-Hohne Training Area is a NATO military training area in the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath, in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It covers an area of , which makes it the largest military training area in Germany.It was established by the German armed forces, the...
on the heathland and forest of the Heidmark.
History
Pröbsten was first mentioned in the records in 1337. It has been documented that there was a noble family named von Pröbsten. Pröbsten was home to heath farmers. It is likely that the keeping of moorland sheep, known locally as HeidschnuckeHeidschnucke
The Heidschnucke is a group of three types of moorland sheep from northern Germany. Like a number of other types from Scandinavia and Great Britain, they are Northern European short-tailed sheep...
n, that were common in the area until the 19th century.
Pröbsten was eventually grouped together with the villages of Fahrenholz
Fahrenholz (Heidmark)
Fahrenholz was a village in the former district of Fallingbostel, located in the Heidmark in the German state of Lower Saxony. It was abandoned in 1935/1936 when the German Wehrmacht created the Bergen Training Area. Its inhabitants were resettled.- History :...
and Deil
Deil (Heidmark)
Deil was a farm in the old district of Fallingbostel, located in the Heidmark region in the north German state of Lower Saxony. In 1935/36 the farm was commandeered by the barracks built in the vicinity and served as an officers mess. There were probably several farms in a village called Deil in...
into to the parish of Böstlingen
Böstlingen
Böstlingen was a village in the old district of Fallingbostel, located in the Heidmark in the north German state of Lower Saxony. In 1935/36 it was abandoned because the German Wehrmacht wanted to establish a major military training area, the Truppenübungsplatz Bergen on the heath and forest of...
. At the time of the resettlement in 1935/36 208 inhabitants lived in Pröbsten.
After the Second World War Heimatvertriebene
Heimatvertriebene
Heimatvertriebene are those around 12 million ethnic Germans who fled or were expelled after World War II from parts of Germany annexed by Poland and Russia, and from other countries, who found refuge in both West and East Germany, and Austria...
were accommodated in the buildings that were left.
Sources
- Hinrich Baumann: Die Heidmark - Wandel einer Landschaft, Geschichte des Truppenübungsplatzes Bergen, 2006
- Hans StuhlmacherHans StuhlmacherHans Albert Alexander Louis Carl Stuhlmacher was a German pedagogue, Wehrmacht officer and local historian.- Life and works :Hans Stuhlmacher was born on 16 May 1892 in Lüneburg, the son of a district court chancery clerk , Friedrich Stuhlmacher, and his wife, Emma, née Ebbeke...
: Die Heidmark, Schneeheide 1939