Papendorf

Nestled within the serene landscape of Brunsbek lies the quaint village of Papendorf. Papendorf’s story begins between 1256 and 1259. Holstein Counts Gerhard I and Johann I granted a wooded area to the Hamburg Cathedral Chapter. This marked the birth of Papendorf, initially known as Pfaffendorf. The Cathedral Chapter cleared the land, establishing their own village. Records from 1342 mention Papendorf as one of the chapter’s villages raided by Holsteinian knights. A tax list from 1492 provides the first record of Papendorf’s taxpayers by name. The Reformation brought significant changes. In 1558, the Cathedral Chapter lost Papendorf. Amtmann Moritz Rantzau seized the surrounding villages, leading to a 50-year legal dispute. By 1573, Papendorf was ceded to Duke Adolf I of Holstein, in exchange for annual payments to the Cathedral Chapter. This agreement was renewed for another 50 years in 1604. The Thirty Years’ War devastated Papendorf. In 1627, Wallenstein’s and Tilly’s troops plundered the region, leaving Papendorf in ruins. The plague followed in 1638, further decimating the population. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 officially transferred the 14 chapter villages, including Papendorf, to the Duchy of Holstein. However, the obligation for payments to the Cathedral Chapter continued. In 1825, Papendorf and Langelohe shared a newly built schoolhouse. Land was divided between the two villages in 1834 and 1835. During the Schleswig-Holstein War in 1851, the 3rd Battalion Count Nügert was quartered in Papendorf. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw Papendorf modernize. The Siek district was established in 1889, encompassing Papendorf and other nearby villages. A volunteer fire brigade formed in 1890, a telephone exchange arrived in 1906, a new schoolhouse was built in 1909, and electricity finally connected the village in 1913. World War II brought its share of turmoil. Bombs fell near Papendorf in 1940, and refugees arrived in 1945. German troops, including the SS, gathered in the village. British troops shelled Papendorf on May 2, 1945, causing minor damage before occupying the village. Post-war Papendorf joined the Siek administrative district in 1947. The Papendorf/Langelohe school closed in 1966, following the opening of a regional school. A pivotal moment in Papendorf’s history occurred on January 1, 1974. Papendorf, Langelohe, and Kronshorst merged to form the municipality of Brunsbek, with Theodor Wulf from Papendorf becoming the first mayor. Papendorf’s rose window design on the Brunsbek coat of arms symbolizes its historical connection to the Hamburg Cathedral Chapter.