Historic landscape

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The historical landscape (similar historical landscape ) is a history of scientific research term of the 20th century in the historical geography ( historical geography ). The history of the country as a settlement history understood in terms of the landscape considers a region that is mostly delimited by natural space in its development over the centuries. Regardless of changing rulership and economic structures (and more or less minor changes in borders), there is an identity-creating feeling of togetherness that has evolved over time, especially in the consciousness of the residents.

Differentiation from the geographical concept of landscape

The geographical concept of landscape is also relatively new and not clearly defined. The term landscape is used in different meanings in both literature and specialist books. In contrast to the natural scientific concept of landscape in geography , which emphasizes the spatial aspect, the humanities concept of landscape in the historical sciences mainly considers the temporal dimension. There are overlaps and transitions between the two concepts of landscape, most clearly in the concept of cultural landscape : On the one hand, it is inconceivable without the natural spatial conditions, in particular the geomorphology and the nature of the soil. On the other hand, it also takes into account the process-like transformation of the landscape by humans. Compared to the cultural landscape, however, the historical landscape is primarily characterized by the presence of central locations, especially in their function as centers of power. The ruling structure is of far greater importance for the historical landscape than for the cultural landscape or even the geographical landscape. The historical landscape has a greater need for interdisciplinary research.

Terminology

The variety of viewing options is evident in the use of the two basic terms landscape and space: We speak of cultural landscape, industrial landscape, linguistic landscape, urban law landscape, etc. or natural space , economic area , language area, etc .: All of these terms are spatially oriented, but cannot be imagined without them historical change processes. It is not possible to clearly delimit the diverse concepts of landscape at the interface between geography and history. This is why there is no binding terminology .

In the field of historical science, landscape can also mean the estates , a political body representing the late Middle Ages and early modern times.

Historic landscape using the example of Brandenburg

The Mark Brandenburg as the historical core of the federal state Brandenburg can hardly be described as a historical landscape; in addition, it lacks the unity of natural space. The Altmark , the Mittelmark and the Neumark are more sensible to describe as historical landscapes, because of their natural spatial demarcation from one another by the Elbe and Oder . The Kurmark , on the other hand , is different, the delimitation of which was not based on natural space but rather on legal grounds.

The concept of the historical landscape is also to be understood on a smaller scale: For example, within the Mittelmark the Havelland , the Teltow and the Barnim are considered historical landscapes, delimited primarily by the Spree and Havel and their tributaries ( Rhin , Nuthe , Notte , Dahme, etc. .). These partial landscapes of Brandenburg were created in the Middle Ages at the latest by the influx of German settlers, but in their core they can already be traced back to Slavic tribal areas.

The province of Brandenburg , which was established in 1815, is modern , but it cannot be described as a historical landscape because, due to its size, it lacks both the (relative) spatial closeness and lordly continuity, because both the Land of Jüterbog and Niederlausitz did not count until then to Brandenburg-Prussia . The redesign of the province of Brandenburg was based more on aspects of administrative expediency.

The formation of the districts of Potsdam , Frankfurt (Oder) and Cottbus in the area of ​​the former Mittelmark in 1952 (until 1990) was due to administrative expediency, but also to a conscious departure from the Brandenburg-Prussian past.

Due to the Brandenburg district reform in 1993 , the old historical landscapes are only partially recognizable, for example the Uckermark , the Prignitz (divided into two districts ), but also Teltow and Fläming (Land Jüterbog), combined into one district. The Potsdam-Mittelmark comprises despite its name, only the historical landscape Zauche . The district of Barnim only includes the western part of the Barnim . Its eastern part was combined with the state of Lebus to form the district of Märkisch-Oderland . The residents of Strausberg and its surroundings, today part of the Märkisch-Oderland district, threaten to lose the consciousness that historically they belong to Barnim (apparently only a neighbor). The regional reform took into account natural conditions (in the case of Barnim the Löcknitz - Stöbber -Rinne with the Red Luch ) and established historical structures only to a limited extent; The primary goal was to create administrative units of roughly the same size.

Both the Brandenburg Historical Lexicon and the Brandenburg Name Book are based on ten historical landscapes in their sub-volumes: Barnim, Beeskow-Storkow, Havelland, Jüterbog-Luckenwalde, Lebus, Prignitz, Ruppin, Teltow, Uckermark and Zauche-Belzig. The volume Niederlausitz was published separately.

literature

  • Peter Kurmann and Thomas Zotz (eds.): Historical landscape - art landscape? The Upper Rhine in the late Middle Ages (= lectures and research. Vol. 68). Thorbecke, Ostfildern 2008, ISBN 3-7995-6868-9 ( digitized version ).
  • Heinz Quirin : "Central Germany". Notes on the relationship between space and history. In: Knut Schulz (Ed.): Contributions to the economic and social history of the Middle Ages. Festschrift for Herbert Helbig on his 65th birthday. Böhlau, Cologne 1976, ISBN 3-412-01675-6 , pp. 164-203.