The history of the Harhof goes back a long time
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- Created on Sunday, 03 March 2013 17:33
- Written by Ursula Holz
Author: Werner Heukamp
Transleted by Ingrid Seliger, January 2014
The following story is part of his series “Unnerwäggens düör Riecke” (“Going around in Recke”); based on his written licence of august, 28th, 2012 it may be published here.
The history of the Harhof goes back a long time
The Harhof is one of oldest farms in Recke. Probably it was founded already about 400 a. C. in Saxonian times. In the deed of donation (1189) to found a monastery in Recke, the Harhof was mentioned as Harhus. The historical Harhof was lying on a relatively good high and therefore never had to suffer from the water of the Aa (river, transl.). The depth of the top soil of the old Esche (special field, manured by sod plugging, transl.) is one Meter (1,0936 yards) as the Agraramt (office for agriculture) of Münster found out. Fertilization of the soil only by manure was not enough, therefore it was additionally done by sod plugging.
Up to 100 tons of sods had to be brought for the Harhof every year. The owners of the Harhof called themselves Harmeyer, later Haermeyer. The last heir of the farm sold the Harhof in 1895 to the Langemeyer company in Mettingen. After Langemeyer bought additional land he at last owned 80 ha (197,688 acres), which is the same as 320 Morgen of fields and meadows. That was large enough to have a hunting area at his own. A tenant and eight farm workers cultivated the farm. In 1900 some barns and the 200 years old farm house with farmstead and cattle sheds were destroyed by fire.
A pen drawing gives an impression of this magnificent building. The front of the old Westphalian house in frame work was plentifully arranged and decorated on the top with horse heads. In 1981 the community of Recke bought the Harhof of the Langemeyer company, so that the farmer Verfahrt could move to the Harhof, who had to leave his farm because of land consolidation. The buildings, 1900 constructed, were taken down because they were damaged.
(It follows a story, concerning the Harhof, in Nether German dialect. Transl.)
Et was an’n Enne van den 30-jäöhrigen Krieg. Eenes Dages tröck düör uese Duorp en utländsket Regiment. De Böverste van de Truppe lait den Vogt van Riecke kuemen un sagg to em: „Breng us 300 Goldmark. Wenn du’t nich döös, dann plünnert wi jue Hüser. Wi wochtet bes de Sunne unnergaiht“. De Vogt raip gau ne Koppel Kerls bineen un schickte se nao de Buern to’t Kollekteern. Män et was kien Geld uptodriewen. De Lüe wassen daomauls, äs man so sägg, arm äs’ne Kiärkenmuus. Den Harhoff hadden de Mannslüen noch nich besocht. Villicht was dao doch noch wat to halen.
Gau laip een van de Kerls lös nao den Hoff buten Duorps un sagg wier sien Sprüeksken up. De Buer verschrock sik. Män wat dai de Mann? He klaide nao de Upkammer un halde en Strump met 300 Goldmark, de he in dat Inkästken van de Truhe verstoppt hadde, und gaff em den Buoden.
Et was kiegen Klock of sieben. De Sunn stonn al daip. Nu was kiene Tied mähr to verlaisen. Up Socken kann ik gauer laupen, sinnerde de Mann, und lait siene Holsken up’n Harhoff stauhn. Unnerwäggens flog em noch den Hood van den Kopp in’n Grawen. He lait em liggen. Bloss nich to late kuemen, dachte he, denn de Sunne sackte in’n Westen ümmer daiper to de Äer.
De Vogt stönn up’n Riecker Markt un saog den Laiper al van wieten, ielde em in de Möite, namm den Strump met dat Geld un brachte em gau nao de Soldauten. De können sik nu bi de Kauplüe, de alltied ächter de Truppe hertröcken, dat besuorgen, wat iähr feilde. De Lüe van Riecke föll en Steen van’t Hiärt. De Buer van’n Harhoff hadde se vör en graut Leed bewahrt.