Römerhof stud
The Römerhof Stud was founded by the Berlin banker Georg von Bleichröder , the owner of the Lechenich Palace . After a few years it was one of the leading thoroughbred studs in Europe.
history
Römerhof stud under Georg von Bleichröder
The end of 1894 acquired Georg von Bleichröder to about two kilometers from Lechenich located on the old Roman road Trier-Cologne , today Agrippa Street Cologne-Trier , located farm "Römerhof" to there on an approximately 35 hectare site racehorses to hold and thoroughbred horses to breed. He transferred the previous name to his stud, which was named v. Bleichrödersche Gestüts Direction Römerhof near Lechenich Rheinpreußen .
On a tour of leading English and French studs , Bleichröder got to know the latest standards that he implemented at his stud. He used stud farms in Childwick ( Hertfordshire ) and in Lormoy ( Essonne Department ) as a model for the entire complex . Bleichröder attached great importance to the equipment of the stables. After he had received approval from the Oberpostverwaltung in Cologne to lay a telephone connection between the castle and the stud, he had it built at his own expense. Each stable received a telephone connection to the groom's apartment, so that the stud manager could be notified immediately if necessary. In addition, all boxes in the stables were illuminated by an in-house power system. The stall for the stallions was next to the stud manager's apartment. Opposite the stud on Römerstraße were the newly built houses for the employees with a canteen.
The outdoor area was divided into nine paddocks, each about two hectares in size, separated by paths. A galloping track ran along the outside. The facility had a covered riding arena, illuminated by a skylight, for the yearlings and the wintering racehorses.
Since 1902, the stud has also had a connection to the municipal water supply , which supplied stables and apartments, but also moved the paddocks and the racecourse. It also served to irrigate the racetrack, for which a pumping station was available in connection with the electrical system. A first-class, modern facility was built within a year, which, like Schlenderhan Stud, was one of the leading in Europe.
The horse breeding started in 1896 , mainly with English breeding horses , which he bought in England , brought him great success in horse races after just two years .
Römerhof stud under the successors of Bleichröder
After Georg von Bleichröder's death in 1902, the stud passed to the Bleichröder community of heirs , represented by Georg's brother James von Bleichröder . In September 1905 the Bleichröder family sold the Römerhof stud to the Prussian stud administration. It became a branch of the Graditz Stud . Several of the Graditz horses hired at the Römerhof were winners at racing events such as the German Derby . By 1909 the area was expanded to about 50 hectares.
After the First World War , the Römerhof was used by the British Army to house their horses in the first years of the occupation .
Leo Lewin leased the stud from 1925 to 1933 . Under him, the Römerhof regained its old importance in thoroughbred breeding. The annual auction of yearlings , which were held at the stud and brought top prices, made the Römerhof the leading auction stud in Germany.
After 1933 the tenants changed several times. Towards the end of the Second World War , the horses were brought to the Hoppegarten Union Stud .
After the end of the Second World War, the stud came into the possession of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). It was rebuilt with some of the horses returned from Hoppegarten and with horses from the tenants.
When the state of North Rhine-Westphalia wanted to use the land of the stud for settlement construction after the death of the last tenant, the Andree family managed to acquire the stud through an exchange of goods in 1955, which is operated as an auction, pension and stud stud.
In 1968 the family leased half of the area to the Cologne breeder Jean Harzheim, whose descendants took over the Bona stud in 1976. For several years the horses of this stud have been boarding horses in the Erftmühle stud owned by Heinz Hönning.
Today's plant
The almost triangular area of Gestüt Römerhof, surrounded by high hedges, is delimited by Römerstraße, L263 and Konradsheimer Weg, which runs around the site to the east.
On the north side of the site there are residential, administrative buildings and stables. Other buildings are located in the south of the facility. The old stallion house still meets the requirements for housing the stallions. Most of the terrain is the pasture area. It is divided into paddocks between which chestnut avenues run.
Web links
literature
- Frank Bartsch (ed.): Continuity and change in the country. The Rhine Prussian mayor of Lechenich in the 19th and early 20th centuries (1815-1914). Landpresse, Weilerswist 2012, ISBN 978-3-941037-91-5 . (History in the Euskirchen district, vol. 26)
- Frank Kretschmar: Mills, buildings and hidden corners in the Rhein-Erft district . Cologne 2004. ISBN 3-7616-1834-4
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Frank Bartsch: Continuity and change in the country. The Rhine Prussian mayor of Lechenich in the 19th and early 20th centuries (1815-1914). Pp. 660-663.
- ↑ Ralf Othengrafen: First World War and occupation in the area of today's city of Erftstadt. In: Yearbook of the City of Erftstadt 2011. pp. 6–23.
- ^ Gestüt Römerhof (Ed.): 1896-1996. Over 100 years of Römerhofer Scholle
- ↑ Homepage of Stud Bona viewed on July 19, 2013
- ^ Frank Kretschmar: Mills, buildings and hidden corners in the Rhein-Erft district, p. 103