Krabbenkamp

Hidden within Reinbek, a charming town in Schleswig-Holstein, lies the unique suburb of Krabbenkamp. Krabbenkamp is an island of sorts. It’s nestled between the winding Bille River and the bustling Hamburg-Berlin railway line. This gives it a secluded feel. Almost 900 people call this place home. Krabbenkamp’s housing, mostly rows of houses and detached homes, was built in two phases starting in 1978. Its closest neighbors are the towns of Wohltorf and Aumühle. Because of Krabbenkamp’s location and limited transport links to Reinbek, the community leans on Wohltorf for its kindergarten, primary school, and church. Even the closest shops are in Aumühle and Wohltorf. Beyond the residential area south of the railway line, the Fürst-Bismarck-Quelle also belongs to Krabbenkamp. This spring is located north of the tracks on the Sachsenwaldstraße. For years, this spring served as a polling station for Krabbenkamp. Due to a lack of public buildings in the residential area, the Fürst-Bismarck-Quelle was the obvious choice. However, this ended in 2013 without explanation. Now, residents of Krabbenkamp cast their votes at the Schőnningstedt primary school. Before that, they voted in a temporary building used by Reinbek’s reservist association. This building was originally built in the late 1980s at the entrance of Krabbenkamp to house Russian repatriates. The name Krabbenkamp, first appearing on a map in 1777, likely means “field with many grubs”. Back then, Krabbenkamp was part of the Hammer Heide. The history of Krabbenkamp is rich with development disputes and legal battles. The idea to develop the area, which belonged to Schőnningstedt at the time, dates back to 1947. Plans changed over time from a large “garden city” to the current collection of single-family and row houses. The development finally started in 1978, after decades of legal wrangling. Even access to the suburb was a point of contention. Initially, it was only reachable via a temporary access road under the Bille railway bridge near the Wohltorf school. Aumühle and Wohltorf resisted a new road bridge over the river to connect Krabbenkamp to their road networks. This led to the construction of an underpass beneath the railway line. This connected Krabbenkamp to the road between Schőnningstedt and Aumühle.