Augustfehn

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Augustfehn
Apen municipality
Coordinates: 53 ° 13 ′ 0 ″  N , 7 ° 45 ′ 38 ″  E
Height : 1 m above sea level NN
Postal code : 26689
Area code : 04489
Augustfehn train station
Catholic Church "John the Baptist"
The community center of EFG Augustfehn in Osterkamp

Augustfehn is a village in the municipality of Apen in the Ammerland district in Lower Saxony . Augustfehn is about 3 km west of Apen and has around 3000 inhabitants.

history

The pre-founder period

The prehistory of Augustfehn basically begins in 1814, when Friedrich Georg Orth, who fled from Hildesheim to the Oldenburger Land , made several petitions to the ducal government in Oldenburg in order to build a fehn (canal) in the “Bokeler Moor”, the previously unused “ Lengener Moor” “To tap into.

However, due to the still insurmountable customs barriers in the direction of East Friesland , this could not be carried out. The East Frisian areas were very important for the success of the project as sales areas for the peat to be extracted and for obtaining fertilizer. At the time, peat imported into East Frisia was subject to 50% duty, so that it would no longer be competitive with East Frisian peat.

It was not until 1836 that the customs barriers fell and in May 1837 and June 1838 Friedrich Georg Orth again turned to the government with two further petitions. This ordered the geometer Woebcken, who carried out the necessary surveying and leveling work in the summer of 1839. Since the technician was heavily overburdened, the information from Friedrich Georg Orth was not confirmed until March.

The main issue here was that a strip of land had remained free for the canal because the former communities of Hengstforde and Bokel waived their claims. It was precisely at this point that the later Augustfehn Canal should begin. This beginning was at the " Aper Tief ", from which you can continue on the water for z. B. in the direction of East Frisia. The canal was supposed to lead over the remaining piece of land to the raised bog behind it, which at that time was in no way cultivated. Friedrich Georg Orth stated that the canal should serve to drain the inaccessible bog. The peat extraction would give many people a livelihood, and the canal could also be used to transport the excavated peat away.

And so the ducal government informed by Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August the Office Westerstede with that the channel should be dug at the specified location. It should also be determined whether it would make sense to create a fen colony in the area.

The first part of the canal was completed as early as October 4, 1841. But the plan to found a colony on the newly created canal took another four years. The Westersted Office was commissioned to provide the government with 500 m of the moorland on both sides of the canal. As these strips were located on both sides of the new canal in areas worked on by stallion demands and Bokelers, they were assigned replacement areas. The construction of the canal and the fen colony was now accelerated in order to avoid the u. a. because of the bad harvests of 1845 and 1846, giving people in need the opportunity to work and earn a living.

The next plan was to extend the canal 1200 m to the north in the first construction phase. In the autumn of 1850 the colonies were assigned to the first five settlers and settlement had begun.

The foundation and the first years

The official naming took place in December 1850. In order to honor the Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August, who played a key role in the founding, the colonists expressed the wish to name the new settlement "Augustfehn".

Friedrich Georg Orth did not experience the construction of the actual Augustfehn Canal and the establishment of Augustfehn, he died in 1848. His son Johann Friedrich Orth was one of the first five settlers in the newly founded Augustfehn.

All of the colonists' settlers, each measuring 90 × 500 m, had to build a house on it within 5 years. The land could only be sold with permission. There were other regulations that had to be fulfilled, so every settler had to dig peat on a certain area, which remained the property of the colonist. Overall, the conditions for the settlers were kept favorable.

The first few years were still very difficult. By 1854 the new place had grown to eight colonies, but then it did not want to go any further. The proceeds from the peat obtained through hard physical labor did not even cover the transport costs.

The Augustfehn ironworks.

In 1856 the entrepreneur Julius Schultze and the Dutch consul of the house of Aldenburg-Bentinck in Varel, JCH Bley, founded the Oldenburg Ironworks Company and their first plant was an ironworks in Augustfehn. Julius Schultze had chosen Augustfehn because this colony offered both a deposit of the raw material, namely turf iron stone , as well as abundant and inexpensive fuel for the charging of ovens, namely the peat and peat gas from the surrounding moors, and last but not least, a transport connection via the Leda to Railway in Leer . Together with other well-known people from all over the Oldenburg region, the capital of 300,000 thalers was raised; even British and French investors participated. With the ironworks in Augustfehn, an iron foundry, puddle furnaces and rolling mill were built by the summer of 1857 . An enamelling plant and a blast furnace were also planned. The iron content of the local lawn iron ore turned out to be too low. The Oldenburg Ironworks Company switched to the processing of pig iron that was bought from the Ruhr area and England. For this purpose, a new process for firing with peat gas was developed. Augustfehn experienced a strong economic boom.

Due to the ironworks, the population increased very quickly. Skilled workers came from many parts of Germany and many other workers from the surrounding area who extracted the large quantities of peat that was needed for the ironworks. By 1859, 18 new colonies had been issued, and the first single-class school was established in that year. In 1860 more than 30 more colonies were established. Augustfehn became a flourishing town primarily through the ironworks company. In 1861 280 workers were employed in pure production alone.

In 1869 Augustfehn was connected to the newly built Oldenburg-Leer railway line and received its own train station. This was also very welcome for the ironworks, as they had to deal with transport problems for their products. The workshops were able to be expanded considerably thanks to their own rail connections and the resulting significantly simplified transport. The railway was also a blessing for the colonists, because the fact that at the time the locomotives were still fired with peat and the passenger cars were heated with peat meant that peat sales could be increased considerably.

Further growth

Until 1856 there was a small shipyard in Augustfehn called Helgen. The shipbuilder Stege built many ships in the area where the canal flows into the Aper Tief. A street called “Steges Helgen” still reminds of this today. In 1863, Johann Friedrich Hemmen began building a windmill and it was completed in 1864. The year 1872 brought another boost in Augustfehn's development. August Schultze, the son of Julius Schultzes, and Johannes Fimmen founded the Augustfehn steelworks, which still produces today and exports all over the world.

The fact that the top layer of the peat, the so-called white peat, could not be used, gave Wilhelm Hollmann (1831–1896) the idea of ​​using it as peat litter, now known as "peat mull". The first factory to produce peat was therefore in Augustfehn. Until 1911, large quantities of white peat were processed in Augustfehn. A big fire destroyed u. a. also the peat litter factory, which was not rebuilt afterwards. In 1901 a dairy was established to process the milk obtained in the area. After it was considerably expanded, it contributed significantly to the further growth of trade. After the establishment of a dairy cooperative, the location was given up in favor of a new location in Apen around 1930.

Another big step forward was the construction of a gas works in 1907, which also continued to illuminate the place. The neighboring town of Apen was also connected to the gas network.

Augustfehn's population grew steadily and had quadrupled since 1858. In 1875 there were already more inhabitants than the much older neighboring town of Apen. Numerous businesses were opened around the ironworks by merchants, craftsmen and innkeepers.

The ironworks also continued to grow. After the 90 hectares made available by the government had been peeled off, they were made available to the settlers for further cultivation. The ironworks then got another 256 hectares in the raised bog further away. In order to transport the excavated peat, a narrow-gauge railway about 8 km in length was built on the canal up to the high bog with rails rolled by the steelworks itself. The carts were initially pulled by horses, later a small locomotive was used.

Around 1880, difficult times began for the peat farmers because the railway switched from peat to coal firing. In addition, the government had worsened the conditions for the colonies since 1872. Since then, money has been asked for the purchase of the land. More frequent changes of ownership quickly showed how bad the settlers were. This only got better after 1900, when only a small basic rent was to be paid for new colonies, whereby the first ten years of settlement were even free of charge. This left more money for the colonists, and it should not be long before further growth resulted. By 1909 another 56 colonies had been assigned. Thanks to the artificial fertilizer that appeared at the beginning of 1900, it became increasingly easier for the settlers to wrest higher yields from the agriculturally unproductive moorland and thus to feed the family. So the Augustfehner finally managed to build a flourishing village in the moor. Where there was only one house in 1846, there were around 350 in mid-1932.

When the railway line from Ocholt to Cloppenburg was opened, this was also clearly felt in Augustfehn. So far, the entire peat from Elisabethfehn was loaded onto the railway in Augustfehn, now this could be done directly in Elisabethfehn.

Great Depression and World War II

Augustfehn also felt the adverse effects of the global economic decline since 1929. In spite of the progressive peat extraction, bog areas were probably given up to the unemployed. The peat price went up and down. To improve the economic situation, many settlers also raised rabbits and poultry.

And naturally the situation became more and more difficult. The fact that the bog as a natural water reservoir had been severely decimated meant that meadows and pastures were repeatedly flooded, especially in the winter months. There was a lack of money for dyke construction and drainage everywhere. The floods destroyed fertile pasture and arable land and nothing wanted to grow properly. The bog colonists faced economic ruin. In addition, short-time work began in the ironworks in 1930. After a brief rebellion due to an order from the Reichseisenbahn, the ironworks was completely closed at the end of 1932.

Then the NSDAP came to power in Augustfehn, too, which had an easy job due to the great need. As in large parts of the country, large loans were taken out in Oldenburg, which paid for job creation measures. This led to a sharp drop in unemployment in the municipality of Apen.

1937 was a good year, especially for the children and young people. Directly at Aper Tief, the so-called local community built a public bathing establishment with self-made 1 m and 3 m diving boards, changing rooms and a specially dug children's area. The entire facility was destroyed by vandalism and looting after the war. Overall, Augustfehn was almost completely spared from acts of war, but of course, as in the rest of the country, there were many who died in the war. Only on May 1, 1945, a demolition squad passed through Augustfehn with the order to blow up all bridges.

From the post-war period until today

After the Second World War , around 2000 displaced persons had to be housed from mid-1946, which was a challenge due to the rural structure with almost exclusively single-family houses.

Job creation was a top priority. The steel mill was spared war damage and turned out to be an important cornerstone for the reconstruction in Augustfehn. The plants were modernized over the next few years, new products were developed and exports were successfully expanded. Augustfehn took part in the German economic miracle with the help of the steelworks . In the meantime the steelworks belonged to Krupp Rheinhausen, but has been privately owned by the Finkernagel family again since 1987. Today the steelworks is equipped with modern technology and delivers to customers all over the world.

For a long time, attempts were made in vain to establish new businesses. In the autumn of 1961 the construction of a textile factory began, which was taken over in 1970 by the “ Gardeur ” company. The company produced in Augustfehn until 2009. She then ran a processing center for clothes imported from the Far East , which was closed at the end of September 2011, and 60 jobs were lost. However, thanks to the factory outlet on the site, Gardeur remains an important employer in Augustfehn.

Another settlement project in 1963 was the settlement of the Brötje-Heiztechnik company, which set up a branch for radiators and boilers. Brötje still produces steel radiators in Augustfehn and thus contributes significantly to the economic power of the place.

Today Augustfehn has become a modern residential and shopping area. The former ironworks site was completely changed. Unnecessary halls were mostly demolished, only one of Augustfehn's landmarks - a boiler house with a tower - and two more than 100-year-old shed roof clinker halls remained. A new village square was created where, among other things, the traditional "Festival of 1,000 Lanterns" is celebrated. In addition, two hypermarkets ( ALDI and Edeka ) were located on the site . The company Börjes, a specialist market for motorcycles and accessories, renovated the shed roof halls for their business down to the last detail according to the historical model.

The long neglected and completely silted canal was completely rehabilitated in 1999. The canal width was reduced to increase the flow rate and a so-called “towpath” was created on the new areas as a walkway for pedestrians.

Culture and sights

Attractions

  • Ironworks tower as a landmark of the place
  • Augustfehn steelworks (since 1872)
  • Artwork "Augustfehner puddling ovens "
  • Bronze bust of Grand Duke Paul-Friedrich-August von Oldenburg , who was named after Augustfehn
  • Staaßen's bridge is the only remaining original bascule bridge in Augustfehn. In 1993 the bridge from Aper Tief to the Augustfehn Canal was moved. It bears the name of a family who lived near the place where it was built.

societies

  • Local association Augustfehn
  • Gymnastics and sports club "Vorwärts" Augustfehn
  • Rifle Club Augustfehn II
  • DrumBa Drum and Marching Band Augustfehn e. V. (formerly Spielmann- und Fanfarenzug Augustfehn e.V.) since 1949
  • CVJM Apen e. V.
  • Tennis club Blau-Weiss Augustfehn eV
  • Gymnastics and Sports Club (TuS) Augustfehn from 1892 eV

Regular events

  • Spring meeting - the first weekend in April
  • Festival of 1,000 Lanterns - the last weekend in July (Friday to Monday)
  • Autumn meeting - on the weekend in mid-September

Culinary specialties

Economy and Infrastructure

traffic

train

Augustfehn station is on the Oldenburg – Leer railway line . This is the westernmost station of the Bremen-Lower Saxony transport association (VBN) in the direction of Leer. Intercity stops here in the direction of Norddeich Mole or Leipzig Hbf.

Highway

About 5 km north of the federal highway 28 runs between Oldenburg and Leer. Augustfehn can be reached via the “Apen / Remels ” junction.

bus

Augustfehn is served by eight bus routes. All are operated by Weser-Ems-Busverkehr GmbH, which is part of the Bremen / Lower Saxony transport association.

education

  • Evangelical kindergarten "Die Brücke"
  • Augustfehn I Primary School (Janosch Primary School)
  • IGS Augustfehn formerly OBS Oberschule Apen-Augustfehn (formerly HRS Haupt- und Realschule Apen-Augustfehn)

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Hans Friedl: Schultze, Franz August Julius . In: Hans Friedl u. a. (Ed.): Biographical manual for the history of the state of Oldenburg . Edited on behalf of the Oldenburg landscape. Isensee, Oldenburg 1992, ISBN 3-89442-135-5 , pp. 654-655, here p. 654.
  2. ^ Stahlwerk-Augustfehn - Betrieb , accessed on August 24, 2011
  3. ↑ Ascent plans in Mönchengladbach  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed July 8, 2011@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.textilwirtschaft.de  
  4. ↑ Brötje - Heiztechnik , accessed on July 5, 2011
  5. ↑ Börjes American Bikes - History , accessed on October 23, 2017
  6. ^ Nordwest-Zeitung: Exhibition: Iron recalls Augustfehn's history . In: NWZonline . ( nwzonline.de [accessed November 2, 2018]).
  7. ↑ Staaßen's Bridge | Local association Augustfehn eV Accessed on August 7, 2017 (German).
  8. ^ Local association Augustfehn eV , accessed on July 14, 2011
  9. ^ TuS "Vorwärts" from 1897 Augustfehn Stahlwerk eV , accessed on July 14, 2011
  10. ↑ Schützenverein Augustfehn II eV ( Memento of the original from December 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed July 14, 2011  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.schuetzenverein-augustfehn-ii.de
  11. ↑ DrumBa drum and marching band eV
  12. ↑ CVJM Apen e. V.
  13. ↑ Tennisverein Blau-Weiss Augustfehn eV , accessed on July 14, 2011
  14. ^ NK: Geschichte - TuS Augustfehn von 1892 eV (No longer available online.) In: tus-augustfehn.de. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016 ; accessed on December 1, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / tus-augustfehn.de
  15. ^ Spring meeting , accessed on July 7, 2011
  16. ↑ Festival of 1000 Lanterns , accessed July 7, 2011
  17. ↑ http://daten.zvbn.de/ssb/steckbrief.php?hstnr=8000664&VBN station plan Augustfehn