Artland (region)

The Artland is located in the district of Osnabrück ( Lower Saxony) and includes a landscape at a size of approximately 180 km ² today Samtgemeinde Artland ( which in turn consists of the municipalities Quakenbruck, Badbergen, Menslage and Nortrup ) and the community Gehrde. When one speaks of the Artland as uniform landscape structure, it extends within the glacial Endmoränenbogens the Dammer and Bippener mountains.

The Artland has never been a political unit; its parishes were not even in the same offices of the Bishopric of Osnabrück. Rather led economic, cultural and family ties to the Artland as a unit. In the sparsely populated region today dominate between fields, crops, the typical North German Geest landscapes hedgerows, copses and woods more than 700, often listed, half-timbered farms in individual layers.

The term Artland for this land is occupied for the first time for the year 1309.

History

After the end of the Ice Age the area now Artland was a big melting water basin, which was slowly filled from the local river, the hare or its predecessor, with silt. The resulting surfaces allow a productive agriculture that shaped the present to rural landscape dominated for centuries.

The first time in 1309 for this emerging area designation Artland has been used over the centuries in varying scope, a clear, stable boundaries there has never been.

Prerequisite for the economic independence of the Artland were the good natural conditions and the very fertile soils in the " Quakenbrücker pool ". The rabbit caused by their low gradient in the plains below Bersenbrueck for the deposition of fertile Schwemmsande ( alluvial sand) from the Osnabrück Bergland, resulting in a very fertile farmland could develop. The higher ash soils were revalued by Plagge fertilization, which were taken from the rich meadows. In addition to the throughout the Osnabrück region prevailing until the Thirty Years' War, livestock farming was operated in Artland has always been, where besides oats and rye, the more demanding and more sought-after barley could be grown. Nowadays, however, the cultivation of maize crops, as well as in the rest of the Weser- Ems region predominates. This high-yielding farmland, which stood in contrast to the often suffering from lack of grain remaining Osnabrück country, resulted in the " granary of the Bishopric of Osnabrück " the emergence of a prosperous rural elite with numerous Einzelhofanlagen, which together with hedges, woods and Hofeichenkämpen created a park-like landscape.

The Samtgemeinde Artland founded in 1972, covers with Quakenbruck, Menslage and Badbergen only a part of the original heartland, which also Gehrde heard the like Menslage, Quakenbruck and Badbergen benefited from the fertile lowland rabbit. Nortrup however, does not count for Artländer heartland. It came off until the beginning of the 20th century, politically and ecclesiastically of Ankum, where in 1908 the first Catholic parish was founded. Also Ankum is often identified as Artland ( Artländer Dom ), but the place was for centuries the center of Farngaus, which also belonged Nortrup.

Name

The origin of the name Artland is controversial. For one thing, artland, as can be seen from a variety of ancient writings, generally the name of " farmland " or generally fertile land and was derived from the Old High German ard / art or ord / ort or " plow " the Latin for arare from. This general term might have emerged as a name specifically for this in contrast to the adjacent areas remarkably fertile land, especially since the first settlers were called Ortland and has been preserved as a frequent family name to this day.

Another interpretation suspects a connection with the Altgermanischen locations, the settlements and headlands designated and would be understood here as a forward in the lowland settlement.

Ultimately, is also speculated that the name of something to do with the Low German aort has ( hardpan or bog iron as solid soil layer was present in the area ).

Early Travel Reports

1800 toured the preacher Johann Gottfried Hoche ( 1762-1836 ) from Groningen in Halberstadt, the Artland and reported:

Cultural treasure Artland

The project cultural treasure Artland that the Osnabrück district had put conservation in cooperation with the German Foundation, is devoted mainly to the farm Cultural and historical architectural substance of the region. This farm culture is characterized by a large number of magnificent, centuries-old half-timbered farms, their trim. They have a unique architecture that differs significantly from other timber styles.

More than 100 of these Eindachhöfe ( Lower Housing ) are listed buildings; the total number of listed buildings in this area is over 6 000 Doors of the buildings are often crowned by magnificent half- rosettes. Rosettes can also be found on the decorated Artländer furniture, with the ingeniously designed display sides of oak wood furniture, such as tunnels or box chests - mostly bridal chests are striking. By the middle of the 17th century appears on this as the only ornament of the six-pointed star, while the oldest dated sites dated chest with carved rosettes from the year 1656, where it is likely to have been a seamless transition. Towards the end of the 17th century a motif that was used for the Arländer furniture culture for guidance function appears: the wavy vine with dragon head, which occurs on studs chests exclusively in Flachschnitzerei.

The wave tendrils dragon head ornaments come from pattern books of the 16th century ornament engravers, such as Cornelis Floris and Vredeman de Vries, which also marked the strapwork style of the Weser Renaissance and their ornaments on the facades of palaces and town houses in the Weser region and beyond in many parts of Lower Saxony find and Westphalia. Of these ornamental forms, the folk art took inspiration. Here, the features around 1572 resulting churches and choir stalls of St. Sylvester Church in Quakenbruck one of the most striking examples. A comparison of the decorative forms in the Sylvester Church and Artländer furniture shows that a number of designs and arrangements was adopted without significant modification.

According to the research of the group around Helmuth Ottenjann and of the museum village Cloppenburg the wave tendrils -Dragon Head Ornament appears for the first time in 1602 on a piece of furniture from the parish Badbergen, to become widespread, however, until 1660 and is maintained until the end of the 18th century.

According to the then Minister of Lower Saxony, Christian Wulff, has " a unique rural culture of building [ ... ] the region UNESCO World Heritage level and is considered from the viewpoint of preservation as a figurehead for the whole of Lower Saxony. " However, established in 2006, Harald Plachter, Alexandra Kruse and Helmut Kruckenberg in a report for the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation that:

As a regional contribution to the Germany -wide Day of the Open Monument open every second weekend of September 25 Artlandhöfe and monuments that are not available to the public generally otherwise. The event takes place regularly since 2004 and now attracts over 10 000 visitors.

As part of the " PROLAND " program, the Land of Lower Saxony " model for the future Heritage - Village renewal composite planning Artland " in the years 2000-2006, the project encouraged. Since the structural change threatens the rural cultural landscape Artland in agriculture, has formed in the four municipalities of the Artlands a citizens' initiative that the problem of vacant buildings arises in the courtyards. A receipt of the cultural and historical heritage is only possible through a sustainable economic use of rural Hofimmobilien. In addition to securing previous agricultural use should be "New ways for old farms " searched, found and identified under the Village Renewal composite planning Artland.

Farmhouse in Vehs

Farmstead in Grönloh

Farmstead in Lechterke

Cleats at a farmhouse in Wulften

Hallway of a farmhouse in Vehs

Cottage garden on a farmstead in Wulften

In the Museum Cloppenburg rebuilt " Wehlburg " (original location: Wehdel )

Tourism

It was not until the 1990s began advertising for the peculiarities of the landscape and culture of the Artland slowly. Business Agency Artland ( WAAL ) and beyond the ARTour ( Artland tourism ) have been established to promote business and tourism in the region. Every year, many farms and other buildings are seen in the Artland (September second weekend), on " Heritage Day ".

In Quakenbruck begins and ends 142 km long holiday road called " Artland route". The sights of the Artland can also be explored on special bike paths (on the " gable Tour", the "Art Tour" and the "Garden Tour" ).

Others

From the characteristic - and concerned only the Artland region - Tradition of the Dragon head carving on the oak wood from house beams and antique furniture representative, the name of Quakenbrücker basketball team Artland Dragons derived.