Landkreis
Emsland is a
districtThe districts of Germany are known as , except in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein where they are known simply as ....
in
Lower SaxonyLower 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...
,
GermanyGermany , 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...
named after the river Ems. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of
LeerLeer is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Emden, the districts of Aurich, Wittmund, Friesland, Ammerland, Cloppenburg and Emsland, and by the Netherlands ....
,
CloppenburgCloppenburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Ammerland, Oldenburg, Vechta, Osnabrück, Emsland and Leer....
and
OsnabrückOsnabrück is a district in the southwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. With 2,121 km² it is the second largest district of Lower Saxony.- History :...
, the state of
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth 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...
(district of
SteinfurtSteinfurt 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...
), the district of
BentheimCounty of Bentheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe, the district of Emsland, and the districts of Steinfurt and Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :The District has roughly the same territory as the County of...
and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(provinces of
DrentheDrenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
and
GroningenGroningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
).
History
For a long time the region of the Emsland was extremely sparsely populated, due to the
fenA fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s on both sides of the river. Small villages were established in medieval times along the river and on the
HümmlingHümmling district existed 1815 to 1932 and was a district in nowaday's western Lower Saxony, Germany.It was named after Hümmling hills, a ground moraine landscape in Emsland region- History :...
. In the 13th century the bishops of
MünsterThe Bishopric of Münster was an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lower Saxony...
gained control over the region; the Emsland remained property of the bishop until 1803, when the clerical states were dissolved. It came under rule of
PrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and
ArenbergArenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a historic county, principality and finally duchy located in modern Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian aristocratic family.- History :...
, but after the
Napoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
the
Congress of ViennaThe Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
decided to hand the territory over to the
Kingdom of HanoverThe 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 Duchy of Arenberg continued to exist as a fief of the Hanoverian kings. When Hanover was annexed by Prussia (1866), the dukes were deposed soon after.
The now Prussian Province of Hanover was subdivided into districts in 1885; four districts were established on the territory of what is now the Landkreis Emsland. The districts were merged in 1977 to form the present district.
During the Nazi period,
labour campsNazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
known as the
Emslandlager ("Emsland camps") held thousands of political opponents of the Third Reich, located outside of Börgermoor, now part of the commune
SurwoldSurwold is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, not far from
PapenburgPapenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
. A memorial of these camps, the Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) Emslandlager, is located at Papenburg. The well known resistance song "Peat Bog Soldiers" was composed by political prisoners at one of these camps.
In 1950 a governmental plan for the development of Emsland was adopted. Its aim was to turn the region into an industrial location. This was accomplished by draining the fens and establishing projects like the test track of the maglev "
TransrapidTransrapid is a German high-speed monorail train using magnetic levitation. Based on a patent from 1934, planning of the Transrapid system started in 1969. The test facility for the system in Emsland, Germany was completed in 1987...
" and several large
shipyardShipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s such as the Meyer-Werft in
PapenburgPapenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
. Although the Landkreis Emsland lost much of its original character, some areas retain their natural character, for example the Hümmling.
1977 district reforms in Lower Saxony unite the former districts of Lingen, Meppen and Aschendorf-Hümmling in the district of Emsland, with Meppen as administrative seat. The Emsland remains a very Roman Catholic region compared to other parts of Lower Saxony.
Geography
The district is located on the Dutch border. It is named after the Ems river, which crosses the region from south to north. It is an absolutely plain countryside, which was once full of fens. The only elevations are in the
Hümmling, which is a hilly forest area east of the Ems.
Although the Emsland region is nowadays primarily a county among many others in Lower Saxony, its locals have what could be called a distinct sense of regional pride which will unlikely be found elsewhere in this state.
Coat of arms
|
The coat of arms displays:
- a megalithic grave, typical for the Hümmling area
- the roses from the arms of the Duchy of Arenberg
Arenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a historic county, principality and finally duchy located in modern Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian aristocratic family.- History :...
- the anchor from the arms of the County of Lingen
The wavy line symbolises the river Ems. |
Cities and municipalities
(Population 2005)
Free municipalities and townsA 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...
- Emsbüren
Emsbüren is a municipality in the Emsland district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Ems, approx. 15 km south of Lingen, and 15 km northwest of Rheine.It has a railway station: Leschede....
(9,749)
- Geeste (11,279)
- Haren
- History :Haren was first mentioned in the Middle Ages in a registry of the Corvey Abbey. Around 1150 the settlement of Neuharen was founded, while the nearby Altharen formed around a local castle, belonging to the bishop of Munster, who bought it around 1252 from Duchess Jutta von Ravensberg...
, town (22,754)
- Haselünne
Haselünne is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, in the district of Emsland. It is situated on the river Hase, approx. 15 km east of Meppen....
, town (12,549)
- Lingen
Lingen is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2008 the population was 52,353, and in addition there are about 5,000 people who have registered the city as their secondary residence...
, town (51,318)
- Meppen
Meppen is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund-Ems canal...
, town (34,196)
- Papenburg
Papenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
, town (34,519)
- Rhede
Rhede is a municipality in the Emsland district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Ems, near the border with the Netherlands, approx. 10 km west of Papenburg, and 20 km southeast of Winschoten....
(4,228)
- Salzbergen
Salzbergen is a municipality in the Emsland district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Ems, approx. 25 km south of Lingen, and 10 km northwest of Rheine.It has the oldest oil refinery in the world, opened in 1860....
(7,436)
- Twist
Twist is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated directly at the Dutch border.Situation of the local parts in the municipality of Twist:-History:...
(9,640)
Samtgemeinden
- Dörpen (15,446)
- Freren
Freren is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the town Freren.The Samtgemeinde Freren consists of the following municipalities:# Andervenne# Beesten# Freren# Messingen# Thuine...
(10,834)
- Herzlake (9,821)
- Lathen (10,815)
- Lengerich
Lengerich is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Lengerich.The Samtgemeinde Lengerich consists of the following municipalities:# Bawinkel# Gersten# Handrup# Langen# Lengerich...
(9,083)
- Nordhümmling
Nordhümmling is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.The following towns are situated in Nordhümmling:...
(12,149)
- Sögel (15,484)
- Spelle
Spelle is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Spelle.The Samtgemeinde Spelle consists of the following municipalities:# Lünne# Schapen# Spelle...
(12,653)
- Werlte (15,660)
Dörpen
- Dersum
Dersum is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies between the River Ems in the east and the border with the Netherlands in the west. Haren is about 24 kilometers to the south and Papenburg about 17 kilometres to the north east....
- Dörpen
Samtgemeinde Dörpen is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.Following towns are situated in Dörpen:...
1
- Heede
Heede is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Kluse
Kluse is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Lehe
Lehe is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Neubörger
Neubörger is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Neulehe
Neulehe is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Walchum
Walchum is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Wippingen
Wippingen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
FrerenFreren is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the town Freren.The Samtgemeinde Freren consists of the following municipalities:# Andervenne# Beesten# Freren# Messingen# Thuine...
- Andervenne
- Beesten
Beesten is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Freren
Freren is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km east of Lingen.Freren is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Freren....
1, 2
- Messingen
Messingen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Thuine
Thuine is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
Herzlake
- Dohren
Dohren is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Herzlake
Samtgemeinde Herzlake is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany at the Hase river.Following villages are situated in Herzlake:...
1
- Lähden
Lähden is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
|
Lathen
- Fresenburg
Fresenburg is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Lathen
Samtgemeinde Lathen is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.Following towns are situated in Lathen:...
1
- Niederlangen
Niederlangen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Oberlangen
Oberlangen is a municipality in district Emsland, Lower Saxony , north-western Germany. Population 916 in 2005....
- Renkenberge
Renkenberge is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Sustrum
Sustrum is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
LengerichLengerich is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Lengerich.The Samtgemeinde Lengerich consists of the following municipalities:# Bawinkel# Gersten# Handrup# Langen# Lengerich...
- Bawinkel
Bawinkel is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Gersten
Gersten is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Handrup
Handrup is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Langen
Langen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Lengerich
Lengerich is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km east of Lingen.Lengerich is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Lengerich....
1
- Wettrup
Wettrup is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
NordhümmlingNordhümmling is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.The following towns are situated in Nordhümmling:...
- Bockhorst
Bockhorst is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Breddenberg
Breddenberg is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Esterwegen
Esterwegen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany.In 1933 a concentration camp was established in Esterwegen. In 1936 the camp was dissolved and used till 1945 as a prisoner camp, for political prisoners and later for prisoners of the decree Nacht und Nebel.- Well known...
1
- Hilkenbrook
Hilkenbrook is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Surwold
Surwold is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
|
Sögel
- Börger
Börger is a village and a municipality in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Börger is part of the administrative unit of Sögel.-Early history:An exact age of the village cannot be given...
- Groß Berßen
Groß Berßen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Hüven
Hüven is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Klein Berßen
Klein Berßen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Sögel
Samtgemeinde Sögel is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.The following towns are situated in Sögel:...
1
- Spahnharrenstätte
Spahnharrenstätte is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Stavern
Stavern is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Werpeloh
Werpeloh is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
SpelleSpelle is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the municipality Spelle.The Samtgemeinde Spelle consists of the following municipalities:# Lünne# Schapen# Spelle...
- Lünne
Lünne is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Schapen
Schapen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Spelle
Spelle is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 20 km southeast of Lingen, and 10 km north of Rheine.Spelle is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Spelle....
1
Werlte
- Lahn
Lahn is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Lorup
Lorup is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Rastdorf
Rastdorf is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Vrees
Vrees is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
- Werlte
Samtgemeinde Werlte is a Samtgemeinde in the district Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany.The following towns are situated in Werlte:...
1 |
| 1seat of the Samtgemeinde; 2town |
External links