Amt Neuhaus
Encyclopedia
Amt Neuhaus is a municipality
in the District of Lunenburg (Lüneburg)
, in Lower Saxony
, Germany
.
the area of today's Amt Neuhaus became a part of the Duchy of Saxony
. The area was named as the Land of Darzing, when the co-ruling Saxon dukes Albert II
and his nephews Albert III, Eric I and John II partitioned Saxony into Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg
before 20 September 1296. The Land of Darzing was then a part of Saxe-Lauenburg, colloquially also called Lower Saxony.
A ducal castle, dat Nyehus (the new house) was first mentioned in 1369. The name of the castle became eponymous for Neuhaus upon Elbe, a component of today's Amt Neuhaus. It served the duchess dowager
Catherine
(*1488 – 29 July 1563*, Neuhaus), widow of Magnus I, as residence until her death. Around 1600 Duke Francis II restored Neuhaus Castle. In 1616 the ducal residential castle in Lauenburg upon Elbe
, started in 1180–1182 by Duke Bernard I
, burnt down and Duke Francis II then used Neuhaus Castle as his residence. On 23 May 1624 Francis' daughter Sophia Hedwig (Lauenburg upon Elbe, *24 May 1601 - 21 February 1660*, Glücksburg
) married Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
in Neuhaus Castle.
On his ascension in 1619 Duke Augustus, son of Francis II, moved Saxe-Lauenburg's capital from Neuhaus upon Elbe towards Ratzeburg
, where it remained since. Neuhaus Castle passed into the hands of Augustus' younger brother Francis Charles (*2 May 1594 - 30 November 1660*, Neuhaus) and his wife Agnes of Brandenburg (Berlin, *27 July 1584 - 16 March 1629*, Neuhaus), daughter of Elector John George
.
After the Brunswick and Lunenburg
ian Duke George William
, prince of the branch of Lunenburg-Celle, had captured Saxe-Lauenburg and de facto taken the throne, inhibiting the ascension of the Duchess Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg
in 1689, Neuhaus Castle stood empty. It was torn down in 1698 and the bricks were used to build the hunting lodge in Göhrde
. Lunenburg-Celle and Saxe-Lauenburg passed by inheritance to the new Electorate of Brunswick and Lunenburg (colloquially Electorate of Hanover) in 1705.
After the French
victory over the electorate the Neuhaus area became part of the ephemeric Kingdom of Westphalia
in early 1810, forming part of its Lower Elbe département. When after the Great French War the bulk of Saxe-Lauenburg was separated from Hanover in 1815, the Neuhaus area, however, remained with Hanover, which had been elevated to Kingdom of Hanover
the year before. After the Prussian annexation of Hanover Neuhaus became a part of the new Province of Hanover
in 1866. At the introduction of Prussian style district administration
in Hanover on 1 April 1885 Neuhaus area became part of the Bleckede
district, merged into the District of Lunenburg (Lüneburg)
on 1 October 1932.
With the Allied occupation of Germany the situation changed again. Between the bulk of the Hanover province south of the Elbe
, being part of the British zone of occupation in Germany, and the north Elbian Amt Neuhaus, actually also part of the British zone, there was no bridge, so the Britons decided a territorial redeployment and ceded the Neuhaus area to the Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany, state of Mecklenburg. With Mecklenburg the area became part of the East German Democratic Republic
in 1949. The East German control zone along the Inner German border, hermetically sealed off since 1952, made the West and the Elbe banks inaccessible for the inhabitants of the Neuhaus area. Families considered to live too close to the border were evacuated, their houses demolished, including part of the village Vockfey.
After the downfall of the communist regime in East Germany in 1989 (Die Wende
) the first democratic municipal elections took place in May 1990. Today's municipality of Amt Neuhaus then still consisted of eight independent municipalities, to wit Dellien, Haar, Kaarßen, Neuhaus upon Elbe, Stapel, Sückau, Sumte and Tripkau. They became part of the restituted state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in August/October 1990. On 31 March 1992 the eight municipalities formed components of the new collective municipality Amt Neuhaus. The eight newly elected municipal councils all decided unanimously for a redeployment into the District of Lunenburg, which belonged since 1946 to the West German state of Lower Saxony
.
So both states stipulated in an interstate treaty to disentangle the Amt Neuhaus from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with effect of 30 June 1993, when it was annexed to Lower Saxony. The treaty also included the historically Mecklenburgian village Niendorf, which belongs to Sumte since 1 January 1974, and the north-Elbian suburbs of the else south-Elbian city of Bleckede
, which were also reunited after their secession by the Britons in 1945.
On June 30 the number of component municipalities of Amt Neuhaus shrunk to six, before the remaining ones merged into the unitary municipality of the same name. With the Elbe bridge between Darchau and Neu Darchau
a solid street connection between Amt Neuhaus and the rest of Lower Saxony is in the process of planning. In a referendum the inhabitants of Amt Neuhaus voted for a merger with the city of Bleckede on 7 June 2009. Bleckede, however, did not decide yet.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the District of Lunenburg (Lüneburg)
Lüneburg (district)
Lüneburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Lüchow-Dannenberg, Uelzen, Heidekreis and Harburg, and the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .-History:The Amt of Lüneburg appeared in 1862...
, in 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...
, 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...
.
History
In the course of the eastern colonisationOstsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
the area of today's Amt Neuhaus became a part of the Duchy of Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
. The area was named as the Land of Darzing, when the co-ruling Saxon dukes Albert II
Albert II, Duke of Saxony
Albert II of Saxony was a son of Duke Albert I of Saxony and his third wife Helen of Brunswick and Lunenburg, a daughter of Otto the Child. He supported Rudolph I of Germany at his election as Roman king and became his son-in-law...
and his nephews Albert III, Eric I and John II partitioned Saxony into Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg
Saxe-Wittenberg
The Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg was a medieval duchy of the Holy Roman Empire centered at Wittenberg, which emerged after the dissolution of the stem duchy of Saxony. As the precursor of the Saxon Electorate, the Ascanian Wittenberg dukes prevailed in obtaining the Saxon electoral dignity.-Ascanian...
before 20 September 1296. The Land of Darzing was then a part of Saxe-Lauenburg, colloquially also called Lower Saxony.
A ducal castle, dat Nyehus (the new house) was first mentioned in 1369. The name of the castle became eponymous for Neuhaus upon Elbe, a component of today's Amt Neuhaus. It served the duchess dowager
Dowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
Catherine
Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg
Catherine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel was a member of the house of Welf and a Princess of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and by marriage Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg.- Life :...
(*1488 – 29 July 1563*, Neuhaus), widow of Magnus I, as residence until her death. Around 1600 Duke Francis II restored Neuhaus Castle. In 1616 the ducal residential castle in Lauenburg upon Elbe
Lauenburg/Elbe
Lauenburg/Elbe is a town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated at the northern bank of the river Elbe, east of Hamburg. It is the southernmost town of Schleswig-Holstein. Lauenburg belongs to the Kreis of Herzogtum Lauenburg and had a population of 11,900 as of 2002...
, started in 1180–1182 by Duke Bernard I
Bernhard, Count of Anhalt
Bernhard, Count of Anhalt was a German prince of the House of Ascania, Count of Anhalt and Ballenstedt, and Lord of Bernburg through his paternal inheritance...
, burnt down and Duke Francis II then used Neuhaus Castle as his residence. On 23 May 1624 Francis' daughter Sophia Hedwig (Lauenburg upon Elbe, *24 May 1601 - 21 February 1660*, Glücksburg
Glücksburg
Glücksburg is a small town in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.It is situated on the south side of the Flensburg Fjord, an inlet of the Baltic Sea, approx. 10 km northeast of Flensburg...
) married Philip, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
The House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg , known as the House of Glücksburg for short, is a German ducal house, junior branches of which include the royal houses of Denmark and Norway, the deposed royal house of Greece, and the heir to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms The House...
in Neuhaus Castle.
On his ascension in 1619 Duke Augustus, son of Francis II, moved Saxe-Lauenburg's capital from Neuhaus upon Elbe towards Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
, where it remained since. Neuhaus Castle passed into the hands of Augustus' younger brother Francis Charles (*2 May 1594 - 30 November 1660*, Neuhaus) and his wife Agnes of Brandenburg (Berlin, *27 July 1584 - 16 March 1629*, Neuhaus), daughter of Elector John George
John George, Elector of Brandenburg
John George of Brandenburg was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and a Duke of Prussia...
.
After the Brunswick and Lunenburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
ian Duke George William
George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
George William was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled first over the Principality of Calenberg, a subdivision of the duchy, then over the Lüneburg subdivision. In 1689 he occupied the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg....
, prince of the branch of Lunenburg-Celle, had captured Saxe-Lauenburg and de facto taken the throne, inhibiting the ascension of the Duchess Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg
Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg
Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg was the legal Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg in the eyes of the Holy Roman Emperor, the overlord of Saxe-Lauenburg, from 1689 until 1728; however, because her distant cousin George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, conquered the duchy by force in 1689, she...
in 1689, Neuhaus Castle stood empty. It was torn down in 1698 and the bricks were used to build the hunting lodge in Göhrde
Göhrde
Göhrde is a municipality in the district of Lüchow-Dannenberg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.The municipality was named after the Göhrde State Forest, which has an area of about , famous for its oaks, beeches and game preserves. The hunting lodge situated in the forest was built in 1689 and was restored...
. Lunenburg-Celle and Saxe-Lauenburg passed by inheritance to the new Electorate of Brunswick and Lunenburg (colloquially Electorate of Hanover) in 1705.
After the French
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
victory over the electorate the Neuhaus area became part of the ephemeric Kingdom of Westphalia
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a new country of 2.6 million Germans that existed from 1807-1813. It included of territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte...
in early 1810, forming part of its Lower Elbe département. When after the Great French War the bulk of Saxe-Lauenburg was separated from Hanover in 1815, the Neuhaus area, however, remained with Hanover, which had been elevated to Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
the year before. After the Prussian annexation of Hanover Neuhaus became a part of the new Province of Hanover
Province of Hanover
The Province of Hanover was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1868 to 1946.During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation...
in 1866. At the introduction of Prussian style district administration
Kreis in Prussia
Prussian districts were administrative units in the former German state of Prussia. The districts , also known as counties, usually took the name of the district's capital . A typical district had a rough diameter of 20 to 40 miles, though few were circular in shape...
in Hanover on 1 April 1885 Neuhaus area became part of the Bleckede
Bleckede
Bleckede is a town in the district of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated mostly on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. 20 km east of Lüneburg.Bleckede is located on the German Framework Road.-History:...
district, merged into the District of Lunenburg (Lüneburg)
Lüneburg (district)
Lüneburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Lüchow-Dannenberg, Uelzen, Heidekreis and Harburg, and the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .-History:The Amt of Lüneburg appeared in 1862...
on 1 October 1932.
With the Allied occupation of Germany the situation changed again. Between the bulk of the Hanover province south of the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
, being part of the British zone of occupation in Germany, and the north Elbian Amt Neuhaus, actually also part of the British zone, there was no bridge, so the Britons decided a territorial redeployment and ceded the Neuhaus area to the Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany, state of Mecklenburg. With Mecklenburg the area became part of the East German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
in 1949. The East German control zone along the Inner German border, hermetically sealed off since 1952, made the West and the Elbe banks inaccessible for the inhabitants of the Neuhaus area. Families considered to live too close to the border were evacuated, their houses demolished, including part of the village Vockfey.
After the downfall of the communist regime in East Germany in 1989 (Die Wende
Die Wende
marks the complete process of the change from socialism and planned economy to market economy and capitalism in East Germany around the years 1989 and 1990. It encompasses several processes and events which later have become synonymous with the overall process...
) the first democratic municipal elections took place in May 1990. Today's municipality of Amt Neuhaus then still consisted of eight independent municipalities, to wit Dellien, Haar, Kaarßen, Neuhaus upon Elbe, Stapel, Sückau, Sumte and Tripkau. They became part of the restituted state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in August/October 1990. On 31 March 1992 the eight municipalities formed components of the new collective municipality Amt Neuhaus. The eight newly elected municipal councils all decided unanimously for a redeployment into the District of Lunenburg, which belonged since 1946 to the West 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...
.
So both states stipulated in an interstate treaty to disentangle the Amt Neuhaus from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with effect of 30 June 1993, when it was annexed to Lower Saxony. The treaty also included the historically Mecklenburgian village Niendorf, which belongs to Sumte since 1 January 1974, and the north-Elbian suburbs of the else south-Elbian city of Bleckede
Bleckede
Bleckede is a town in the district of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated mostly on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. 20 km east of Lüneburg.Bleckede is located on the German Framework Road.-History:...
, which were also reunited after their secession by the Britons in 1945.
On June 30 the number of component municipalities of Amt Neuhaus shrunk to six, before the remaining ones merged into the unitary municipality of the same name. With the Elbe bridge between Darchau and Neu Darchau
Neu Darchau
Neu Darchau is a municipality in the district Lüchow-Dannenberg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
a solid street connection between Amt Neuhaus and the rest of Lower Saxony is in the process of planning. In a referendum the inhabitants of Amt Neuhaus voted for a merger with the city of Bleckede on 7 June 2009. Bleckede, however, did not decide yet.
Coat of arms
The coat-or-arms combines the coats of arms of the Saxon and Saxe-Lauenburgian dukes of the House of Ascania, a barry of ten in sable and or with a crancelin bendwise, the Saxon horse of modern Lower Saxony (also used by the pre-1180 Duchy of Saxony) and an image of the former Neuhaus Castle.Villages and localities in Amt Neuhaus
The municipality comprises the following seven component localities: Dellien, Haar, Kaarßen, Neuhaus upon Elbe, Stapel, Sumte and Tripkau. They include the following settlements and places: Banke, Bitter, Bohnenburg, Brandstade, Darchau, Dellien, Gosewerder, Gülstorf, Gülze, Gutitz, Haar, Herrenhof, Kaarßen, Klein Banratz, Konau, Krusendorf, Laake, Laave, Neu Garge, Neuhaus, Niendorf, Pinnau, Pommau, Preten, Privelack, Raffatz, Rassau, Rosien, Stapel, Stiepelse, Stixe, Strachau, Sückau, Sumte, Tripkau, Viehle, Vockfey, Wehningen, Wilkenstorf and Zeetze.Sons and daughters of Amt Neuhaus
- Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-LauenburgAnna Maria Franziska of Saxe-LauenburgAnna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg was the legal Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg in the eyes of the Holy Roman Emperor, the overlord of Saxe-Lauenburg, from 1689 until 1728; however, because her distant cousin George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, conquered the duchy by force in 1689, she...
(1672–1741), duchess and heiress of Saxe-Lauenburg - Carl PetersKarl PetersKarl Peters , was a German colonial ruler, explorer, politician and author, the prime mover behind the foundation of the German colony of East Africa...
(1856-1918), German politician, commentator on politics and current affairs, colonialist and explorer of Africa - Werner ConzeWerner ConzeWerner Conze was a German historian in Nazi Germany and in post-World War II Germany. He was one of the notable members of the Schieder commission. He came from a family of academics and lawyers...
(1910-1986), historian - Jürgen SchultJürgen SchultJürgen Schult is a former German track and field athlete and the current world record holder in the discus throw since 1986, currently the longest standing record in men's track and field...
(*1960), German track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete and the current world record holder in the discus throw since 1986