Herrenhaus Höltigbaum

Did the name “Höltigbaum” ever strike you as odd? Herrenhaus Höltigbaum, right here before us, carries a name as intriguing as its history. Herrenhaus Höltigbaum started its life not as a grand manor, but as a humble “Krugkate,” a tavern with a small cottage attached. This was back in the early 1700s when the land was known as Mannhagen. The land was initially farmed communally by local farmers, although ownership was divided into strips. One particular strip, belonging to Claus Krohn, extended all the way to the main road between Hamburg and Lübeck. Krohn, being the village’s “Bauernvogt,” a kind of local official, also had the right to run a tavern. In 1756, Heinrich Stehr purchased the land, tavern, and a barn from the Krohn family. He then sold it on to Claus Kratzmann in 1775. The property was relatively small at first, only about 5.4 hectares. However, Kratzmann expanded his holdings through land acquisitions and the Oldenfelder land consolidation in 1786. Herrenhaus Höltigbaum’s name emerged when Kratzmann’s brother, Carsten, became a customs officer. He moved the customs post to Mannhagen, near the tavern. Claus became his brother’s assistant, collecting tolls at the newly erected barrier. This “Haltebaum,” or stopping post, eventually evolved into “Höltigbaum.” The Napoleonic Wars brought hardship to the estate. The Continental Blockade crippled trade and thus the customs revenue. The area also saw fighting between French and Russian troops, adding further strain through the quartering of soldiers and outbreaks of diseases. Both Claus and his son, Hans Jacob Andreas, died in 1813 from an “infectious nerve fever,” likely typhus or something similar. After changing hands several times, Herrenhaus Höltigbaum was bought by Julius Simmonds in 1889. Simmonds, a merchant born in Saint Thomas in the Danish West Indies, rebuilt the existing structure in 1892 into the magnificent villa we see today. It was a lavish building, featuring Italian-painted silk wallpaper, painted ceilings, central heating, running water, and electric lights. Unfortunately, Simmonds had to sell the estate just a few years later. The 20th century saw Herrenhaus Höltigbaum serve various purposes, including as a labor camp during the Nazi era, a refugee shelter after World War II, and finally, a nursing home run by the Adalbert family. Today, Herrenhaus Höltigbaum is privately owned and operates as a venue for events. The grandeur of Simmonds’ vision lives on, offering a glimpse into a fascinating past within these walls.