Oak Cross Castle
| Oak Cross Castle | ||
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_IMG_4657.jpg) Oak Cross Castle |
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| Alternative name (s): | Oak Cross Castle | |
| Creation time : | 1927/28 | |
| Castle type : | Modern youth castle | |
| Conservation status: | Renovated 2001-03 | |
| Construction: | Original building in stone, wooden extensions | |
| Place: | Bissendorf -Wietze | |
| Geographical location | 52 ° 30 '9.7 " N , 9 ° 46' 7.8" E | |
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The oak cross castle was built in 1928 in the style of a youth castle with a high defense tower in the municipality of Wedemark near Bissendorf-Wietze . The closed, rectangular complex was built as a country home by the Vahrenwalder parish from Hanover. It was used from the beginning for youth work, especially church work. Today the Eichenkreuzburg is the conference center of the Evangelical-Lutheran City Church Association of Hanover .
location
The Eichenkreuzburg is about 15 km north of Hanover and about 500 m from Bissendorf-Wietze in a wooded area. Immediately adjacent is a landscape protection area with arable and meadow areas. Access is via a forest path from the district of Wietze. Despite its proximity to the city, the facility is secluded and the distance to Hanover is around 25 km by road.
investment
The castle is partially surrounded by a moat , over which a small wooden bridge with an entrance portal leads. The structure has the approximate dimensions of 25 m × 15 m in the original stone construction. In addition, there are additions built later, the outer facades of which are clad with wood. The approximately 12 m high castle tower looks like a medieval keep despite its modern date of construction . The rectangular complex with a closed inner courtyard is largely separated from the outside by buildings. At the front with the castle gate, a smaller piece of a circular wall with battlements is indicated. Immediately next to the castle in a small forest clearing is a weathered open-air pulpit made of large stone blocks. It used to be used for preaching at open-air church services .
history
Establishment
The initiative to build the castle as a country home came from the Vahrenwalder parish in Hanover , which was founded in 1922. The Vahrenwald district was heavily influenced by the workforce at the Continental plant. In order to keep men away from the streets, work with young men, especially in the fields of sports and music, gained a strong boost under Pastor Wilhelm Brase, who had been active since 1925. In the same year a Christian youth club was founded under the name Eichenkreuz , to which around 250 people belonged in 1932. The idea arose to avoid the “harmful effects of the city of Hanover” by building a country home. For this purpose, with financial support from Vahrenwalder business people, a piece of heather land north of Hanover between the Wietze and Maspe settlements was acquired. It was about 15 km as the crow flies from the church. The foundation stone was laid in May 1927, and the inauguration took place in September 1928. The construction costs amounted to about 40,000 marks. The building materials used were stones that were brought from the zeppelin hall in Hanover-Vahrenheide , which was demolished in 1918 . According to the Versailles Treaty , this building had to be demolished because it was an armaments facility. The idea of a youth castle was so popular in Hanover that from 1926 there was the publication “Monatsanzeiger Eichenkreuzburg”, with an edition of 4,000 copies. Before the Second World War , the castle was mainly used for youth work by the Eichenkreuz youth club, the boy scouts and the Vahrenwalder church. Their parishioners took regular Sunday outings with up to 100 participants to hold church services. The parish also spent its annual festivals here, which were a high point in parish life.
time of the nationalsocialism
At the beginning of the Nazi era in the 1930s, there was rivalry between Christian youth work and the Hitler Youth (HJ). Despite the National Socialists ' seizure of power in 1933, the young men' s union, which was active on the Eichenkreuzburg, recorded a large wave of entry. In 1934, however, its members had to convert to the Hitler Youth as part of the Gleichschaltung . In 1935 members of the Hitler Youth tried to storm the castle, where church youth work continued to take place. The castle remained in the private property of the Vahrenwalder pastor under land registry law, so that it could not be confiscated by the Nazi state.
During the Second World War , the castle tower was used to set up a searchlight for a nearby flak position . The crew was quartered in the castle.
post war period
The complex survived the war unscathed by the effects of the war and served as accommodation for displaced persons in the post-war period until 1952 . After that, the tradition of Sunday excursions to the castle by the Vahrenwalder parish was revived. The structural condition of the premises, especially in the sanitary sector , deteriorated over time so that the building in 1958 baubehördlich was locked. In 1966 ownership passed to the Hannover City Church Association, which was able to finance the necessary renovation. A bed wing and a kitchen were added to the previous castle complex. Only in 1974 could the youth castle be used again for overnight stays. In the years 2001–2003 renewed renovation work took place at a cost of around 250,000 euros, affecting the castle tower, knight's hall , inner courtyard and bed block.
Todays use
Today the Eichenkreuzburg is a conference and seminar house for the youth work of the City Church Association of Hanover. The castle offers overnight accommodation for 35 people in single and multi-bed rooms. Guests can use the group and conference rooms as well as a kitchen in the castle. Users are mainly church groups through seminars, training courses, confirmation and youth camps. The castle is also used for school classes, kindergartens or social institutions.
literature
- Festschrift for the inauguration of the youth castle “Eichenkreuz” of the young men’s association of the Vahrenwalder community, Hanover , inside title Festschrift for the inauguration of the youth castle “Eichenburg” September 16, 1928. “Einkreuz” young men’s association of the parish Hannover-Vahrenwald , brochure, 16 pages pulse cover, Hanover: Hofbuchdruckerei Harzig & Möller, 1928
- Ev. City Youth Service Hanover (Ed.): Festschrift "60 Years Eichenkreuzburg". Hanover 1988.
