A Walk to Cobbel and Birkholz - May 1, 2016

A Walk to Cobbel and Birkholz

May 1, 2016

While staying at Tangerhütte I decided to walk out to Cobbel to visit the village as my grandfather, Louis Vetter, had worked there as a baker in 1868 after moving from Bittkau.

The walk took me a long a path that for a good part is over grown but I highly recommend the walk.

Albrecht Will, who lives in Tangerhütte, told me that the path was a left over from after World War II when the tanks were moving along here.  The tracks they have left are now been grown over and the walk is definitely not smooth.

The path also takes you past one of the many wind farms in the Altmark

As you come in to Cobbel, you will see a number of spargel farms, and there I went in to one of the farms (Altmark Spargel) and saw how they prepare the asparagus for sale.

I also visited the Kirche where my family attended back in 1868.

The village is quite nice and some of the houses are beautiful.

Though some need a bit of help.

I started to walk back to Tangerhütte along the road that took me through Birkholz.

Here too the feeling of the village was very nice.

A walk to Grieben - April 22, 2016

A walk from Bittkau to Grieben

22 April 2016

On April 22nd, 2016 I travelled by train from Magdeburg to Tangerhütte, where Steffi Kühle very kindly picked me up and drove me to Bittkau, where I was to spend the weekend.

One of the first things I did on arriving in Bittkau was to look at the Elbe.  I do not know why but the Elbe river had held my fascination since I first found out my ancestors (Vorfahren) lived in the Altmark.  

I walked down to the riverbank and immediately turned around to look back at Bittkau, and imagined what it must have been like for my ancestors to be here beside the Elbe 150 years before.

I  then started to walk towards Grieben.
 

Along the Elbe river is a dedicated bike track that runs the length of the river. The Elbeweg is very well known bike route in Germany.             http://www.elberadweg.de/start.html

As you walk along you can see the other villages across the river. The village of Derben can be seen as you head to Grieben.

Near Grieben there is a ferry that can take you across to Ferchland, another village on the other side of the river.  On this day that I was there it happen to be the 271st anniversary of the wedding of my 5 times great grandparents Christian Bauerhortz and Anna Dorothea Gentz in Ferchland, so I cross the river.  (yes there will be another blog update on that!)

After coming back over the Elbe from Ferchland I headed in towards Grieben, where I was to meet Aileen Gruß from Bittkau.  Aileen had been incredibly helpful in helping me plan my trip to Bittkau, and on this afternoon had arranged to meet me at the Windmuhl where we were going to be given a guided tour.  My great grandfather, Louis Vetter, and own and run a windmuhl in Bittkau in the 1860s.

Grieben sits between four of the places where my vorfahren lived, Bittkau, Tangerhütte, Tangermünde and Ferchland.                                                                   

Surrounding the windmuhl and remnants of it's life as a fully functioning  windmill.

 Also beside there is the Backhaus, that has the ovens that were used to bake the bread that was made from the grounded wheat from the windmill.

With Aileen at the windmill was her partner, Thomas Lemme, and Ines Funke, also from Bittkau, and  an amazing gentleman (I feel terrible as I have forgotten his name!) from Grieben who was going to explain to us the functions of the windmuhl.

We told about life in the windmuhl, and how as long as there was a breeze you had to work, so they purposely made the bed small so you could not fall in to a deep sleep.
I was told that with my height I would never get a job in a windmuhl.

We were told how the wheat would be delivered, and how the Müller would have to constantly be there loaded it in.

There were some wasp hives in the roof of the muhl that I reckon were about the size of a large workman's boot.  No sign of the wasps!!

 

The size of the wooden cogs and beams inside of the muhl were enormous.

As you can see I am a tad too tall to work/live in a muhl.

We then went and looked at the Bakery which is set up with the old ovens, and is still used for various functions.

Ines was excellent as my personal translator!

A fabulous start to my weekend in Bittkau and a big thank you to Aileen Gruß for organising the visit to the windmuhl.

April 23, 2016

On April 23 2016 I spent an amazing day in Bittkau in honour of the 150th anniversary of the birth of my grandfather, Theodore Wilhelm Vetter.

My visit to Bittkau had come about with the help of Aileen Gruß of Bittkau, who on hearing of my plan visit had organised a day full of history, walks and meeting the people who live in Bittkau.

It started off with a visit to the home of Florian Sajontz, who has gathered an amazing collection of equipment at the old blacksmith's (schmiede) in Bittkau.

There, Floirian's mother presented me with a print of Bittkau showing the Windmuhls - yes I got a tad emotional.

We started the day with a glass of champagne, a great way to celebrate a great day.

We moved on from the Blacksmith's heading towards the church where my grandfather was baptised on May 10, 1866

Here Florian informed us, myself, Aileen Gruß and Thomas Lemme, about the history of the kirche.

 It was amazing to stand beside the font, where my Urgroßeltern (great grandparents), Louis and Mathilde Vetter, had stood 150 years before.
(and yes again I got a tad emotional)

It was while we were at the Kirche that I was interviewed by Birgit Schulze, of the Stendaler Volkstimme newspaper.

Birgit also spoke with Aileen and Florian, and wrote a great article, not only telling a bit about my connection, but also about the history of Bittkau.

We then proceeded to walk around Bittkau, with Aileen and Florian, telling me about the different parts of Bittkau.

Aileen then led us out along the Rudolf-Breitscheid-Straße on the edge of Bittkau, and there we entered a paddock.  Aileen told me that this is where the windmuhl had stood that my Urgroßvater Louis had owned and worked.

I stood there and felt, and confirmed, that I had an amazing connection with Bittkau.

I had felt it all day as we walked around, but standing there confirmed why I had spent over 30 years looking for my paternal grandfather.

We then headed back to the centre of Bittkau, and went into the Gemeinde (the community hall), where Herr Bornemann and Herr Lemme, told me of the history of Bittkau, and my family's connection with Bittkau.

It was also while we were there that "Benno", the artist Benno Zollner, dropped in and within 10 minutes I had my portrait done!!!

The Gemeibde Bittkau is full of history of the village, and I could spend may hours there going through all the items and books.

The day ended with a fabulous Altmark Abendessen which was  held at the home of Astrid Triebe, and so many new friends were there too.

The day was so perfect, so unique, and meant so much to me.

A big thank you to Thomas Lemme, Ines Funke, Astrid Triebe, Florian Sajontz who helped make the day perfect, but A HUGE THANKYOU to

Aileen Gruß

who from the very beginning of first hearing of my plan to visit Bittkau made it a superb adventure.