750 years of Torsholt: myths and history rediscovered!

750 years of Torsholt: myths and history rediscovered!

Torsholt, Deutschland - The village of Torsholt, located about five kilometers south of Westerstede and belonging to the Westerstede community, can look back on a remarkable story of 750 years this year. The first documentary mention of the place dates to the year 1275, when Torsholt was noted in a loan register under the original name Borchard von Tortsholte. The owner was liable to pay for Graf von Oldenburg-Bruchhausen. Unfortunately, the original of the feudal register was lost in World War II, which made it difficult to preserve historical data.

Chronist Günter Hobbiejanse has dealt intensively with the historiography of Torsholt and reports on the mythological origin of the name, which is made up of the old Germanic words "Thor" for thunder god and "Holt" for wood or forest. Torsholt is described as "anti -settlement" because it is surrounded by fields, bogs and forests, which is significantly difficult.

historical court and settlement development

The oldest documented court in Torsholt is the Ulken family, which was first mentioned in 1385. Other farms, including the family-bound Bohlje, Claus-Hof and family Gerken, were documented in 1581. The relocation of the town center from Burnhörn to the current location of the village community center began building the first school in 1751/52. It is noteworthy that Torsholt did not have his own church, so the believers had to accept a footpath of about five kilometers to Westerstede.

The collective work of hobbiejans extend far beyond the oral tradition. He has compiled information from old church records and the state archive in Oldenburg. The first tours by Alt-Torsholt, which are offered by Hobbiejans, were already very interested, whereby the first tour will take place on May 11th and four of the planned tours have already been fully booked.

For those interested, the website of Hobbiejans offers a genealogical description of the family history of Torsholt, which shows the connections and historical data of the Hobbie family in detail, from the beginning in the 16th century to the modern family structure.

for the more precise background to Torsholt and its residents, the extensive research of nwz online as well as the genealogical information on hobbie.de recommended.