Question: What if these cobblestones beneath our feet could talk? They would tell tales of farmers, merchants, and even a black pig. Today, we are standing on the Hafermarkt. It is a place whose history is etched into the very ground we walk on.
The Hafermarkt in Flensburg is more than just a square. It is a crossroads where five streets converge. These are Angelburger Straße, Bismarckstraße, Glücksburger Straße, Kappelner Straße, and Heinrichstraße.
In the Middle Ages, this area was undeveloped. Roads met here outside Flensburg’s city walls near the Johannistor. By the late 16th century, some private houses appeared. But the city, enforcing a long-standing building ban, ordered their demolition to hinder any approaching enemy.
The Hafermarkt gets its first official mention in 1764. In 1777, the building ban was relaxed, but only for agricultural businesses. Craft and trade businesses that might compete with the city were still prohibited. Yet, more space was needed. The Neustadt district emerged north of the Fjord by the end of the 18th century. The building ban was finally lifted in 1796.
Despite restrictions, farmers from Angeln sold their grain here since the 18th century. This was a convenient trading place due to the five converging roads. By the late 18th century, a district for smallholders developed above the Hafermarkt in the Hohlwege area. The Johannistor at the end of Angelburger Straße was torn down in 1840.
The Hafermarkt remained a marketplace until the late 19th century. Afterward, the streets were widened and buildings were renovated. In 1987 and 1988, a small shopping center was built at the lower end of the Hafermarkt. The old houses were torn down to make way for it.
In the early 1990s, an alternative scene of punks occupied a house at Heinrichstraße 8 near the Hafermarkt. This led to the subcultural Wohn- und Kulturprojekt Hafermarkt.
Today, the Hafermarkt is near Flensburg’s city center, but it has only a few shops. There are many vacant spaces from the upper Angelburger Straße to the Hafermarkt. Aldi is the largest shop there, located in the shopping center. Lidl closed its branch there in January 2014. KiK is also in the lower area. Fahrrad Petersen has a large store in the southern upper area of the Hafermarkt. Bus stops for lines 3, 7, 10, and 11 are on the western and northeastern sides. A long-established kiosk is also at the Hafermarkt, along with some smaller shops. The shopping center is slated for demolition in the coming years. The SPD Flensburg also has its party office on the Hafermarkt.
Now, let’s talk about a legend. It speaks of a spring above the Hafermarkt called Gröne Keel. Its clear, tasty water flowed from four taps, enjoyed by St. Johannis residents. But a prophecy warned of a black pig. On a Sunday morning, as people left church, the pig would rush to the Gröne Keel and unearth the stones. This would unleash a flood, destroying Flensburg. The Flensburgers swept their streets and covered the spring with a large stone and pavement.
The legend links a spring to the drowning of a city. Flensburg was known for its many springs with clear drinking water. There were about 30 man-high fountains between the Hafermarkt and Südermarkt. An old saying goes: “Because Flensburg arose from water, it must one day perish in water.”
Johannsen Rum sells a licorice liqueur called Swattes Swien, Low German for black pig. The Schlips restaurant, at the start of Glücksburger Straße, was formerly named after the Gröne Keel.
So, as we stand here on the Hafermarkt, remember its layers of history. From grain market to building bans, from legends of black pigs to the realities of modern commerce. The Hafermarkt continues to evolve.