Perhaps overshadowed by the grandeur of Lubeck’s more famous landmarks lies a village named Wesenberg. Let’s uncover its story.
Wesenberg is a municipality in Stormarn. It lies in Schleswig-Holstein. This area is the easternmost part of the district.
Wesenberg was first mentioned in 1251. This happened in a sales contract of Reinfeld Monastery. The village is likely much older. The monastery had dominion over the village from 1358. The village became part of the old state office Reinfeld with the introduction of the Reformation. The Reformation included abolishing the monastery’s secular rights.
Serfdom was abolished when the Klein Wesenberg estate was shut down in 1743. Wesenberg became part of the newly founded Stormarn district in 1867. This followed Prussia’s annexation of Schleswig-Holstein in 1867. The introduction of the Prussian municipal constitution in 1889 made Klein Wesenberg the seat of the district of the same name. Ahrensfelde, Klein and GroB Barnitz, Klein Schenkenberg, Westerau, and the Trenthorst estates also belonged to it.
In 1948, the district was dissolved. Klein Wesenberg came to the Reinfeld-Land office. The village came to the Nordstormarn office with the administrative reform in 1972.
Klein Schenkenberg was likely founded by Reinfeld Monastery in the late 12th century. It was first mentioned in 1428. The village became part of the state office Reinfeld after the Reformation. It was assigned to the state office Rethwisch in 1671. Serfdom was abolished in 1743. Klein Schenkenberg was assigned to the new Stormarn district in 1867. This followed Prussia’s annexation of Schleswig-Holstein. The introduction of the Prussian municipal constitution in 1889 brought affiliation to the Klein Wesenberg district. After the village came to the Reinfeld-Land office in 1948, it switched to the Nordstormarn office in 1972.
Klein Schenkenberg was incorporated into Wesenberg on January 1 1974. Klein Schenkenberg then had 50 inhabitants.
A separate parish for the town has been proven since the 13th century. In 1666, the church acquired the old stone font made of limestone from the Lubeck Cathedral for six marks. This font came from the island of Gotland.
In the local elections on May 14 2023, a total of eleven seats were awarded. The Allgemeine Aktive Wahlervereinigung received five seats. The Freie Wahlergemeinschaft and Aktiv-Anders-Agil each received three seats.
The mayor was Herbert David from the AAW. He was mayor from 1996 until his death in late July 2022.
The municipality has a coat of arms. It features a church and wheat. This shows Wesenberg’s history.
Wesenberg offers a look at the past. It is a quiet contrast to Lubeck’s busy streets. Its history shows the changes in this region of Schleswig-Holstein. From old contracts to local elections, Wesenberg retains its charm.