Ever wondered about a place where history whispers from every corner? That place is Gollwitz. Gollwitz is part of Brandenburg an der Havel. Today we’re standing before Gutshaus Gollwitz. It is more than just a manor house. It is a symbol of resilience. It stands as a testament to transformation.
The history of Gollwitz dates back to 1375. It was mentioned as “Golwitz” in the Landbuch der Mark Brandenburg. The name suggests a “barren forest area”. For centuries Gollwitz was closely linked to the von Rochow family. They were an old noble family from Brandenburg. Their estate became one of their four ancestral seats.
Let’s turn back time. Imagine Gollwitz in 1375. Most of the 32 free hides belonged to the Rochow estate. It was the oldest knightly estate in Zauche. The village layout extended north to south. Sadly nothing remains of the medieval structures. A huge fire destroyed the village in 1808.
The village was rebuilt methodically. The farm of Lehnschulze and Kossäten sites lined both sides of the main street. That street is now Schlossallee. For centuries the social structure was agricultural. It consisted of the estate. Most of the arable land belonged to it. There were also Hüfner Kossäten and landless Büdner.
In 1647 Ludolf Erdmann von Rochow exchanged the estate. He traded it for neighboring Jeserig. The Gollwitz estate went to the Schlabrendorf family. But Joachim Friedrich von Schlabrendorf sold it in 1664. Georg Christoph von Görne became the new owner.
Friedrich von Görne had a post mill built on the Steinberg in 1701. It stood until 1956. The Görne family did not manage the estate themselves. They owned other estates in Havelland. Between 1705 and 1795 all fields were leased to the Kossäten. So they expanded their own farms.
In 1775 the church records listed 232 residents. These included a Lohnschulzen seven Kossäten and 16 day laborers. There were also eight new day laborers and ten “boatmen”. A new industry emerged: barge shipping. The boatmen transported hay and agricultural products. They mainly went to Berlin. After 1835 they also transported peat.
In 1795 Friedrich Christoph von Görne inherited the estate. Five years earlier he had been released from prison. He expanded pasture farming. This was thanks to a decree by Frederick the Great in 1782. It regulated drainage of Havel and Emster meadows.
The devastating fire of 1808 spared only the manor church and mill. The reconstruction created a regular layout. The Lehnschulzengehöft and Kossätenstellen lined the main street.
In 1816 Friedrich Christoph von Görne was heavily in debt. He had to watch as his estates were forcibly auctioned. In 1817 Friedrich Bennecke acquired Gollwitz. He invested in the remodeling of the manor house. In 1819 he bought the Lehnschulzengut. This was the last remaining Hufenbauernstellen.
Between 1831 and 1837 the Gollwitz estate passed to the von dem Hagen family. The rights of the manor lords gradually decreased. The new Prussian district order of 1872 changed things. The municipal administrator was no longer appointed by the manor lord. The community members elected him instead.
In the 1870s clay deposits were developed. Two brick factories were built. This created a boom for the Gollwitz Havel shippers. In 1805 there were 15 shippers in Gollwitz. By 1871 almost 40 shipper families lived there. They owned 13 sailing barges. The era of Gollwitz barge shipping ended in the 19th century.
Hertha von Rochow inherited the Gollwitz estate in 1918. In 1919 she married Harry von Rochow. He owned the Reckahn estate and manor house. The couple mainly lived in Gollwitz. In 1929 the manor house burned down. Because the Havel was frozen the fire couldn’t be extinguished. The current neo-baroque building was built that same year.
In 1945 Gollwitz was occupied by the Red Army. A hospital was set up in the manor house. The Soviet troops used most of the buildings for 14 months. The estate was expropriated. The land was distributed to former estate workers. New farmers and resettlers also received land.
Since April 2009 Gutshaus Gollwitz has been a meeting place. It welcomes Jewish and non-Jewish youth. It fosters understanding. It promotes dialogue. The Gutshaus Gollwitz stands as a symbol. It represents hope. It shows reconciliation. It reminds us of the importance of community. It encourages us to build a better future together.