Mainz-Layenhof
The name Layenhof is now used synonymously for the Layenhof settlement southwest of Mainz-Finthen , which emerged from the conversion area of the Finthen Army Airfield. Originally the Layenhof was an estate that no longer exists today, the name of which has been handed down. The designation Mainz-Layenhof is factually incorrect. It arose from the desire to expand Layenhof as a new district. In this hope a place-name sign was erected, but further steps were not taken.
The Layenhof
The Layenhof estate 1783–1968
The Hofgut Layenhof was built in 1783 by Franz Georg Zumbach, an official of the Mainz cathedral provost Damian Friedrich von der Leyen "as" Leyen'scher Hof ". The estate was on the ostrheinhessischen plateau in the southwest of the district Finthen in parcel "On the Hayde". Until the establishment of the Layenhof the area to the area of the then 800 meters southern Birkerstraße court, a part grange of the monastery Eberbach . For this, 230 Spun off from its possessions tomorrow .
The manor was used as an agricultural property and served in this function with a short interruption until 1949. In 1968 the ruined buildings were torn down, the area is now a desert. The last known buildings consisted of the old manor house , a new villa, an administrator's house, two barns , the new horse stable and various outbuildings for chickens, pigs and cows. To the south of the building complex there was a small park with some exotic trees. The site was last enclosed by a low wall.
The owner changed hands for the first time as early as 1792 as a result of the French Revolution . In 1801 Johann Wilhelm Leonhard Schubert acquired the farm and expanded it to 680 acres. He also has additional stables built. After his death in 1840, the owners changed frequently.
Significant structural changes took place only under two successors. In 1869, the former Nassau Finance Minister Wilhelm von Heemskerck acquired the Layenhof and had a villa built south of the manor house .
In 1896 banker Borgnis from Frankfurt am Main bought the estate. By the Finther building contractor Peter Joseph Schütz, he had a representative horse stable built in half-timbered in the style of the Wilhelminian era to the east of the large barn .
In 1905, Julius Fischer acquired the estate and expanded it again into a flourishing agricultural business. In 1912 steam heating and electric lights were installed.
In 1939 Julius Fischer handed the estate over to his son Ernst. He only enjoys it for a short time, in the same year the family is de facto expropriated in favor of the air force of the Wehrmacht . An air base was built northwest of Layenhof as part of the " Schafheide Ober-Olm " military base . For this purpose, a forest, consisting of Münchwald and Finther Forest , was cleared. At the same time, the centuries-old network of roads was smashed and the water balance of the plateau was greatly changed.
Up until the construction of the airfield's accommodation and operations buildings, officers and airmen were housed in Layenhof. In general, the estate served as the Air Force's own agricultural operation to supply the teams. Russian prisoners of war were used as harvest workers.
In September 1944 prisoners from the Hinzert concentration camp were transferred to Finthen as forced laborers. It was mainly Dutch and Luxembourg resistance fighters who had to clear and repair the slopes at risk of death . SS guards come with them . The prisoners are cooped up in a barracks south of Layenhof on the edge of the Ober-Olmer Forest, under primitive conditions. The Luxembourger Jean-Pierre Jungels , who was wounded by air strikes and a street further east in the Mainz-Finthen industrial park is named in his memory, died here.
After the end of the war, the airfield was placed under French administration and restored after the war damage. The municipality of Finthen was allowed to lease the Layenhof from 1946 onwards. In 1950 the French occupation demanded the property back because of their own needs. What the yard was used for is unclear. In 1958, US units practiced firing their Redstone missiles as part of a NATO exercise in the Layenhof area . At this point the building structure of the courtyard is already badly damaged.
In 1961 the US Army took over Finther Airfield. The Layenhof served as a training area, also for tanks. In 1968 the buildings were so ruined that they had to be demolished. This ends the history of the historic Layenhof estate, the name has been forgotten.
Finthen airfield
Between 1939 and 1968, the history of Layenhof, especially its end, is closely linked to the history of Mainz-Finthen airfield . Its separate development is not considered further here. Only the construction of the “Finthen Airfield Housing Area” in 1965 on the area of the airfield is worth mentioning. The housing area formed the basis for the development of today's Layenhof settlement.
Today's Layenhof
With the fall of the Wall and the reunification of Germany in 1990, the Cold War ended . The US armed forces began to reduce troops; the withdrawal from the airfield was completed in 1992. When the federal government, to which the real estate assets had fallen, announced in the same year as the owner of the site that they would be setting up 150 government apartments in the former Airfield Housing Area , discussions arose about the future use of the airfield site, which continues to this day. The Mayor of Mainz, Herman-Hartmut Weyel, was delighted with these first settlers in the new Mainz-Layenhof district that he was promoting. The name of the district should be reminiscent of the no longer existing manor “Mainz-Layenhof”. The area was soon referred to simply as "the Layenhof".
Although the plans had not progressed far in 1994, a Mainz-Layenhof sign was erected at the entrance to the airfield. In fact, there is no Mainz-Layenhof district , the Layenhof still belongs to the Mainz-Finthen district to this day (as of June 2018) and, in the west, to the area of the Ingelheim district of Wackernheim .
In 1996 the plans for the Layenhof became more specific. An urban development competition was announced with the aim of creating a district for 10,000 - 12,000 people. The houses were to be built in an energy-saving manner, an infrastructure with retail, social facilities and sports facilities was required. Living and working should be done on site if possible in order to avoid car traffic. In place of the former Layenhof estate, a memorial was to commemorate the outpost of the Hinzert concentration camp. These ambitious plans never came to fruition. Instead, a mixture of airfield and residential or commercial area established itself at Layenhof. Numerous clubs, institutions, bands and other groups rented rooms in order to pursue their purpose there.
In 2006, the regional capital Mainz and the municipality of Wackernheim jointly set up the Layenhof / Münchwald association . In the preamble it says:
“The former American airport is located on the ridge south of the L419 in the area of the district-free state capital Mainz and the local community of Wackernheim, which is part of the Heidesheim-Wackernheim community. The city of Mainz and the local community of Wackernheim intend to jointly create the prerequisites for urban planning for civil use in this area and to support its implementation. In order to achieve the goal, urban planning related to the entire area of the association, an appropriate land arrangement, the expansion, production and operation of an efficient development as well as a needs-based marketing of the site and the structures located in the area are required. The associated legal, organizational and financial requirements make the merger of the regional authorities Mainz and Wackernheim necessary to form a special purpose association. "
In May 2008, after intensive negotiations and the approval of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks, the purchase contract for the Layenhof site was notarized. With its effectiveness, all buildings, streets, paved areas and the air landing area including the glider pilot area became the property of the association. The buildings used for residential purposes were not acquired. The goal was still a long-term urban development.
In connection with this, there was also the signing of the public law agreement with the Aviation Association Mainz . The aim of the agreement is primarily to ensure rapid and effective noise protection for the neighboring population, to create legally secure development opportunities for the association and to open up sustainable future prospects for the aviation association. The agreement contains amicable regulations to reduce and limit the number of flight movements to the level of 2004 as well as the conditions for leasing or transferring space to the aviation association or an operating company yet to be founded. The maximum number of starts is set at 23,500 per year.
In autumn 2015, the State of Rhineland-Palatinate set up an initial reception facility for refugees at Layenhof , which is operated as a branch of the reception facility for asylum seekers Ingelheim (AfA) by the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund . The first around 100 refugees (initially from Syria, Iran and Afghanistan) arrived there on November 1, 2015, and another 300 were expected in the following weeks. This has now been converted into a communal accommodation facility for the city of Mainz for refugees assigned to the community.
Under the double name Wiesen am Layenhof - Ober-Olmer Wald , a nature reserve was set up in 2017, which in addition to the Ober-Olmer Wald u. a. includes the Mainz-Finthen airfield and areas near Layenhof still used by the US Army. The area of the former Layenhof estate is also part of the new nature reserve.
The Layenhof desert
Today a small part of the former Layenhof estate is in a restricted military area and is claimed by the United States Army , which maintains a training area there. Only two chestnut avenues are reminiscent of the entrance to the former estate and the entrance to the villa. No building structures are recognizable above ground. However, the area is an excavation reserve . The old trees in the former park are remarkable; underneath is a sequoia tree . The location of the former concentration camp barracks is also no longer visible in the area. No signs point to the desert.
Remarkable: old trees, rare bird species , natural monument , excavation reserve , local recreation , branch of the SS special camp in Hinzert
Web links
- The Layenhof , a comprehensive overview on the website of the home and history association Finthen
- Layenhof on the pages of Regionalgeschichte Rheinhessen
Individual evidence
- ↑ Neli Mihaylova: The first refugees have arrived at Layenhof in Mainz-Finthen. In: Allgemeine Zeitung of November 1, 2015, accessed on November 5, 2015
Coordinates: 49 ° 58 '23.3 " N , 8 ° 8' 42.7" E