Börsteler forest

The Börsteler Wald , also known as " Börstel " in the area , is a wooded moraine elevation up to 90 m high from the Saale Ice Age in the northern district of Osnabrück in the north German lowlands. It can therefore be assigned to the geest landscape type that is widespread in northern Germany .

geography

The Börsteler Wald is located on the north-western edge of the Osnabrück district and is essentially bordered by the villages of Berge and Grafeld . Landstrasse 102 and Kreisstrasse 124 form the southern border of the Börsteler Forest. The contiguous forest area continues several kilometers south, although this is no longer part of the Börsteler Forest. The northern border is formed by the nature reserve Hahlener Moor / Oldenburger Moor, a low moor . The border can be easily recognized by a spring horizon lying there, which was said to have a healing effect in the Middle Ages. There are approx. 4 km between Hahlener Moor and the K124, and around 5 km from Grafeld to the east side of the forest area. In the east there is the natural spatial unit Artland with intensively agriculturally used areas, immediately to the west is the also agriculturally characterized Emsland . The Ems-Hunte-Geest, which consists of several closed geest plates, begins just a few kilometers north. In addition, the Börsteler Wald is part of the natural spatial unit of the Dümmer-Geest lowland .

geology

The Börsteler Wald as part of the Ankumer Höhe is a relic of the Saale Ice Age . The Scandinavian ice sheets, which developed over the millennia after the end of the so-called Holstein warm period , covered all of northern Germany. With the onset of the Eem warm period 125,000 years ago, the protracted melting process of the ice masses began. The glaciers, which functioned as “bulldozers”, left the walls of rubble in front of them. What was in the glacier was deposited on the ground. The latter element of the glacial series is known as the ground moraine. The Dammer Mountains further to the east were created both at the same time and in the same way as the range of the Ankumer Höhe. During the thawing of the ice masses, both mountain ranges were still connected, but this ended with the increasingly steady thawing. In the south of the mountain ranges these were broken through by the immense amounts of melt water and the glacial valley of the Artland was created. Incidentally, the formation of the moors within the natural spatial unit Artland can also be explained by the glacial valley. As already mentioned above, the Artland adjoins the Ankumer Höhe to the east. It was also created at the same time as the existing moraine ridges. The immense weight of the glacier masses formed a kind of basin in the landscape we know today. The meltwater ultimately collected in this basin and an extensive inland lake was created. Now the hare (river) also comes into the light. In “cooperation” with other rivers, some of which have their source on the moraine ridges , the inland lake is being filled more and more with fine sand. The same process can be applied to a pond. One observes that this silts up over time, and so it was with the inland lake. This silted-up lake favored the formation of a swampy landscape, which is also dominated by fens. We find remnants of this landscape in the form of swamp forests .

history

As in the rest of the Ankumer Höhe, some prehistoric graves can also be found in the Börsteler Wald. In the western part of the wooded ridge, between Stift Börstel and Grafeld, a large stone grave can be found, which is now on an agricultural area. It is called De Smäe in Low German , and in High German "Die Schmiede". Further barrows within the forest area have been confirmed. There, where the forest area on the eastern edge merges into the nature reserve Suddenmoor of the farmers Anten, we find the red column , which was called "De Rohen Sulen" in the last century and in the Low German vernacular. Different meanings are assigned to them. On the one hand, it is said that the "Red Pillar" was a border post between the former communities of Hahlen, Anten and Börstel Monastery. A border dispute is said to have occurred here at the beginning of the 18th century. Börstel drew a border ditch with which the farmers in Anten did not agree, whereupon they drew a new border ditch. Little by little, a fight developed in which an Antener was slain. In a later process the border was set and "De Rohen Sulen" was built. On the other hand, the legend was handed down that a certain general wanted to ride from the direction of Menslage to the Börstel monastery. He got lost near today's “Red Column” and drowned in the moor. To this day nobody knows whether the content of the traditions actually happened.

Surveys

The highest point in the Börsteler Wald is the Kreuzberg at around 90 m above sea level. NHN . As the name suggests, there is a cross on the highest point, which was rebuilt in the 20th century after a storm damage. In the Middle Ages a small chapel is said to have stood here, which was destroyed during the Thirty Years War .

Kreuzberg ( 90 m )
Rosenberg (approx. 72 m )
Heidberg (approx. 71 m )
Tannenberg (approx. 57 m )
Röneberg ( 53 m )
Long mountain ( 52.1 m )

Forestry use

The Börsteler Wald has been used for forestry for centuries. Due to the faster growth, larches, Scots pine, fir and spruce were widely planted in the 20th century. These conifers were reforested in the form of plantations in order to be able to operate with forestry equipment. Originally left and not cultivated, older rows of trees, consisting of oaks and beeches, are located near the Börstel monastery . Some of them are hundreds of years old.

hunt

Driven or driven hunts take place every year in the Börsteler Wald in the autumn months. Usually the most frequent is killed this boar . In the rest of the season, the focus is on hide hunting, which takes place in particular on the border between maize monocultures and the forest area or in clearings. The main concern here is the hunting of both roe deer and wild boar. Fallow deer are hunted less due to their relatively small population.

Attractions

The Börsteler Wald is particularly known for the Börstel monastery - a former Cistercian convent that is still inhabited by canons today. According to the tradition of the Cistercians, such monasteries were usually built far away from natural settlements. In the north German brick Gothic built monastery church “St. Marien “church services take place weekly; the monastery itself has opened its gates to visitors. Not far from the monastery is the “Börsteler Wald fishing park”, which opened its doors in the summer months. Only a few minutes' walk away is an old cemetery in the middle of the forest, where abbesses of the Börstel monastery are buried.

fauna

A large number of Central European game species are at home in the Börsteler Forest. The deer , which is primarily hunted, can be found in abundance in the forest areas and can be observed simply and in large numbers in clearings and adjacent fields, especially in the evening. Wild boar is also found in considerable numbers and across the country. Thanks to the maize and potato crops in the area, their population is growing significantly and can only be kept in balance with great difficulty, even with intensive hunting. You can only see the extent of their existence on hiking trails - these trails have often been plowed up. For several decades, fallow deer have also been found in the Börsteler Wald , which have been released into the wild in the Bersenbrück area for hunting purposes over the past few decades. This game is under the work of the "Fallow Deer Conservation Association Altkreis Bersenbrück". Since the forest area corresponds to the habitat and there are no more predators for the fallow deer, their populations are also on a steady upward trend. However, it must be avoided that the stand density exceeds the threshold of 3 specimens per 100 hectares, which is currently not the case. In addition to the common hoofed game, there is a population of red foxes, martens and other predators. Birds of prey that have specialized in the "forest" habitat, such as the sparrowhawk or hawk, and some species of owls such as the tawny owl , also appear.

flora

A considerable part of the Börsteler Forest consists of coniferous forest . As also mentioned above, this was largely planted for the purpose of intensive forestry use. A distinction is made between Scots pine , various types of fir, and European larch. In the immediate vicinity of the Börstel monastery, however, the trees have remained natural. These are deciduous tree species, consisting of red beech and English oak . These species in particular serve as a nesting base for numerous bird species. Until the 19th century, some parts of today's forest were only covered with heather. This was particularly the case in the western part of the forest area. These former heather areas were then planted with conifers, as these tend to accept the sterile soil. Some remains of this heathland in the form of natural clearings can still be found today. Roe deer and fallow deer in particular are attracted to graze at dusk.

swell

First edition of TK 3312 - Königl. Prussian land survey 1898, published in 1900 - Lower Saxony State Administration Office - Land surveying - Hanover
TK 3312 - Lower Saxony State Office for Land Surveying and Geospatial Information - 2007.
Soil map of Lower Saxony 1: 25,000 - basic map - 3312 mountains - Lower Saxony State Office for Soil Research - Hanover 1977
850 Years of Berge- 1186-1986 - p. 173 - "De Rohen Sulen" - Heinz Krümpelmann- 1986
Heimat-Jahrbuch 2004- Osnabrücker Land

Web links

52.6439 7.7179Coordinates: 52 ° 38 ′ 38 " N , 7 ° 43 ′ 4" E