Neuenkirchen (Lüneburg Heath)

New Churches is a municipality in the district Heidekreis, Lower Saxony. It lies on the western edge of the Lüneburg Heath on the main road 71 between Rotenburg ( Wümme) and Soltau. New Churches is a recognized health resort.

• 3.1 municipal
• 3.2 Mayor

• 4.1 traffic
• 4.2 Economics
• 4.3 Social Institutions

Geography

New churches located in forest, heath and moorland in the Lüneburg Heath, from which large parts are under conservation, including the Stichter lake.

Community structure

Ten villages belong to the municipality of New Churches. Population figures (as of 1 January 2009):

Total 5,720

History

New churches evolved from the earlier " Kerkspel Nyenkerken " as it was first mentioned. It also included some older villages like Delmsen, Tewel, Horror, Ilhorn, Sprengel and Behningen.

Founding legend: Once you wanted to build a church and chose it from a place in Delmsen, which appeared suitable. But the church is under construction burned down three times, and so the people thought that the devil lived in this place. But since you could not agree on a suitable place to, it was decided to build up a horse to a cart and load the cart with the church bell. Make sure the horse is not back, but just randomly walked back into his stall through the area, they blindfolded him. The horse ran off and stayed right in Hahnenbach stand. Since you could not build in selbigem the church, the people drove the horse to continue until it stopped on a beautiful green meadow in the middle of town. There were built without incident the church, which still stands today, and gave new churches not only a name but also a coat of arms which reflects this history. In the Middle Ages the town was a " free spell", which meant that the majority of free peasantry in New churches exercised the jurisdiction itself.

New churches was in 1629 affected by witch hunts: The wife of Claus Boling (or Böhling ) was caught in a witch trial. In the district Behningen there was before 1664 a witch hunt against Marie Brüggemann, wife of Christopher Brüggemann. In the district Schwalingen three men and a woman were in the 1665-1671 witch hunts affected. A man was punished with banishment. After 1945 New churches experienced strong growth by refugees and displaced persons from the former eastern territories of Germany, Czechoslovakia and Bessarabia.

On 1 March 1974, the former independent municipalities Behningen, Brochdorf, Delmsen, Gilmerdingen, Horror, Ilhorn, Schwalingen, Sprengel and Tewel were incorporated into the municipality 's New Churches in the course of administrative and territorial reform.

On the morning of October 20, 2004, an earthquake shook the community. It had its epicenter in New churches and had a magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale.

Policy

Parish council

The council currently consists of 17 members.

• CDU 9 seats
• SPD 3 seats
• Citizens Union 3 seats
• FDP 1 seat
• GREEN 1 seat

Mayor

Mayor since May 20, 2010 Carlos Brunkhorst, a member of the CDU.

Economy and infrastructure

Traffic

New churches located on the main road 71 There is also a road to Bad Fallingbostel and the provincial road 171 from Schneverdingen to Verden ( Aller).

The previously existing, operated by the OHE railway Soltau- New Churches has since been partially dismantled. On the remaining distance in New churches existed since 1 January 2014 Draisinenbahn to be officially opened on 3 May 2014.

Local public transport is by bus routes 205 ( Soltau - New Churches - Sprengel - Vahlzen ) handled, 105 ( Schneverdingen - - New churches ) and by the citizens of bus line 881 ( New churches Visselhoevede ).

Economy

In the village there are two commercial areas: The area Siemens road along Route 171 towards Visselhoevede and the area Robert -Koch-Straße on the main road 71 towards Rotenburg.

Social institutions

In New churches are two general practice and a nursing home.

Personalities

• Hawoli ( b. 1935, actually Hans -Wolfgang Lingemann ) is a German painter and sculptor.