Didn’t someone say that Bollen could mean a settlement on hills? Bollen is a quaint village near Bremen with a history stretching back over 900 years. Its name might hint at its geography.
In Bollen, nearly all the old farmsteads were built on mounds. These mounds protected against Weser River floods. Deichs were strongly enhanced in the 1960s. This significantly improved the village’s safety.
Bollen was first mentioned in a document before 1110 or 1111. The document mentions an exchange of goods. In 2011, Bollen celebrated its 900th anniversary with a village festival. A large memorial stone was unveiled at the village entrance.
Administratively, Bollen belonged to the Gogericht Achim. Since the 13th century, there was “die Gow zwischen Langwedel und Bremen”. Around 1600, the Gograf Lüder Clüver renamed it “Gohgericht Achim”. Until 1932, the villages of the Arbergen parish belonged to the Achim district. Then it became part of the newly formed Verden district.
For centuries, Bollen was an independent municipality. It had its own council and mayor. Bollen collected its own taxes. It had its own budget and school. On July 1, 1972, Bollen lost its independence. It joined the town of Achim with other villages.
Since then, Bollen has a committee for its affairs. The Achim city council appoints this committee based on its share of votes. The chairman does not have to live in Bollen. Bollen also has a local representative. The party with the most votes in the local election nominates this person.
Bollen has maintained its village character. In 1757, Bollen had 150 residents. After the war, the number nearly doubled. This was due to displaced persons and refugees. In 1939, there were 196 residents. On December 1, 1949, there were 384 residents. By 1960, the population was around 257. In 2012, it was 214. The village has largely stabilised unlike other municipalities.
The number of houses increased slowly. From 1780 to 1930, it rose from 33 to 39. After the war, there were 44 houses. In the 1960s, three houses were demolished. Six new houses were built in the village.
Until January 1, 1977, house numbers were consecutive. The last number assigned was 51. Then street names were introduced. Now Bollen has Bollener Landstrasse. It also has Bollener Dorfstrasse, Bollener Deich, and Bornweg.
Centuries ago, Bollen had 11 Bauleute and 14 Kötner. Bauleute were farmers. Kötner owned a smallholding. From 1717, Brinksitzer appeared. Around 1830, Anbauer emerged. In 1852, there were 11 Bauleute, 14 Kötner, 5 Brinksitzer, and 5 Anbauer. A few craftsmen existed and Häuslinge. Häuslinge were families without their own house or land.
Until 1918, all important decisions were made in village assemblies. Only men could vote. Rich farmers had the most votes. They held the power to make decisions. In 1864, a Baumann had 42 votes. A Kötner had 6. A Brinksitzer had 3. An Anbauer and Häusling had 1 vote.
The balance of power remained almost unchanged until 1918. During the Weimar Republic, everyone had the right to vote. Each eligible voter got one vote.
Though women had the right to vote, they were absent from a meeting in 1919. Despite the new laws, old voting rules were used to elect members for a tax commission.
For centuries, the village head came from the Bauleute. In 1874, Hinrich Meyer became the first Kötner to hold political office. He was elected as an assessor. In 1877, he became the village head.
Bollen can only be reached via Bremen-Mahndorf. Public transport is limited. The nearest bus stop and train station are in Mahndorf. Since the Weser ferry closed in 1963, there is no river crossing.
Since 2000, Bollen has been an alternative part of the Weser Cycle Path. The official path goes over the Uesen bridge. The alternative route runs through Bollen.