Hümmling

The Hümmling (Homelinghen, from hömil = small stone) is a ground moraine landscape, up to 73 m above sea level (NN), in the Emsland region on the North German Plain in the western part of the German state of Lower Saxony.

Location

The wooded Hümmling, which is about 28 km long and only a few kilometres wide, is situated in the northern part of the region of Emsland and the district of the same name, an the drainage area of Ems river. It is limited by the Ems valley in the west and the Saterland in the east. It is located around the village of Werlte which is about 22 km northeast of Meppen. Various streams rise in the Hümmling which discharge into the Hase to the south, the Ems to the southeast and the Leda to the north.

History

There are over 100 more or less well-preserved dolmens of the megalith culture in the Hümmling hills. In times of the Holy Roman Empire, Hümmling region was the northern part of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster, called the Niederstift Münster (i. e. analogously "Lower Prince-Bishopric of Münster"), whereas in ecclesiastical respect the area was part of the Diocese of Osnabrück. In those days, Emsland was a part of the region of Westphalia. Clemens August, prince-bishop of Münster ordered to build Clemenswerth Castle to be built as a summer residence for his hunting holidays. It became a main example of Westphalian Baroque. When ge tried to use their soccage in order to build that castle, the peasants of the "Free Hümmling" fought a log successful trial at the Imperial Chamber Court in Wetzlar that they were not enfeoffed to anyone.

Hümmling (district)

Hümmling district existed 1815 to 1932 and was a district in what is now western Lower Saxony, Germany. It was named after the Hümmling hills, a ground moraine landscape in Emsland region

History

There are over 100 more or less well-preserved dolmens of the megalith culture in the Hümmling hills.

Niederstift Münster

Until 1803, in times of the Holy Roman Empire, Hümmling region was the northern part of the diocese and clerical territory of Münster (Niederstift Münster). When Clement Augustus, prince-bishop of Münster tried to use their soccage in order to build his castle at Clemenswerth, the peasants of the "Free Hümmling" fought a log successful trial at the Imperial Chamber Court in Wetzlar that they were not enfeoffed to anyone.

Napoleon, Hanover, Prussia

With the secularisation of all clerical states in Germany, the Niederstift Münster was given to the Duchy of Arenberg (1803 to 1810). Then it was part of the French Empire (1810 to 1814).

By the Congress of Vienna the former Niederstift Münster was given to the Kingdom of Hanover in 1814. The Hanoveran administration created a district of Hümmling, called Amt of Hümmling. The capital of that district was Sögel.