Did you know Tornesch owes its existence to a railway line? This town in Schleswig-Holstein has a fascinating story. It began with a farmer named Jürgen Siemsen.
Let’s journey back to the 19th century. King Christian VIII of Denmark wanted a railway. It should connect Altona and Kiel. The citizens of nearby Uetersen and Esingen were against the railway. They feared it would disrupt their lives. They rejected the idea of a train station.
Enter Jürgen Siemsen. He saw an opportunity. Siemsen offered the King land for a station. In return, he received the right to run the station’s tavern. This marked the birth of Tornesch.
Factories sprung up around the new station. Workers flocked to the area. Tornesch grew quickly. Soon, it surpassed Esingen in size and importance. Businesses used Tornesch as their address instead of Esingen.
In 1930, the community decided to rename itself Tornesch. The initiative came from the landowners’ association. Ahrenlohe and Esingen remained districts of Tornesch.
During World War II, a distillery in Tornesch produced additives for aviation fuel. These additives increased the fuel’s knock resistance. It is surprising that Tornesch wasn’t bombed more often. Only five manufacturers existed. The Tornesch distillery was one of the most efficient. This occurred after the Jewish owners were expropriated.
After a construction halt, soil excavation from the Tornescher Hof area went to the Ecklak special waste dump. Groundwater remediation took years in the second construction phase. Today, only parts of the old laboratory remain. The office of Stadtwerke Tornesch and other businesses were housed here. An Italian restaurant was also there for a time. The main parts of the former distillery were demolished. This made way for shopping facilities and a redesigned town center.
Tornesch officially became a town on January 1, 2005. The requirements for this status were met years earlier. The application was submitted after changes to municipal laws. The mayor and some local politicians hoped for greater recognition. They also wanted to attract new investors.
The name Tornesch is interpreted as a combination of “Turm” and “Esche”. That means tower and ash tree in English. The Low German word for tower is “Torn”. The town’s coat of arms reflects this. It features a golden brick tower and two ash leaves.
Tornesch is twinned with the Danish municipality of Jammerbugt since 2008.
The oldest part of Tornesch is the village of Esingen. Experts believe it originated in the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It was first mentioned in 1285. Ahrenlohe was mentioned in the second half of the 17th century.
Today, Tornesch is a growing town. Around 14,000 people live here. It is ideally located near Hamburg. You can reach Hamburg in just 20 minutes by regional train. Tornesch is surrounded by eight neighboring communities.
The town offers plenty of green spaces. The Esinger Wohld is a large forest area. There are also remnants of raised bogland. Much of the town is a designated landscape conservation area.
The Ostermannscher Hof dates back to 1738. Today, it serves as the Tornesch local history museum. The Esingen elementary school “Johannes-Schwennesen-Schule” was inaugurated in 1906. The former Ahrenlohe elementary school was built in 1882. Since 2018, it has been a cultural center.
The best-known clubs are the mixed choir Esinger Liedertafel. It was founded in 1876. It is Tornesch’s oldest club.
Each year, Tornesch hosts several popular events. These include the Easter bonfire. It is organized by the volunteer fire departments. There is also the biennial wine festival. And the Christmas market takes place around the “Pomm 91” senior citizens’ center.
The largest church community is the Evangelical Lutheran Church. It is located on Jürgen-Siemsen-Straße. The origin of a separate church building in Tornesch was the church hall in the Esingen school. It was restored to its original condition in 2006.
Since May 2007, Tornesch has a museum. The Mölln Hof folklore museum displays a collection. It showcases local traditions.
So, as we conclude our visit here, remember Tornesch. Remember its humble beginnings. Remember the farmer who seized an opportunity. And remember the town that grew from a railway station.