Beneath this stone slumbers a legacy. The Hermann-Löns-Denkmal. It stands as a tribute to a man who loved nature. This memorial was erected by Altenkirchener hunters in 1937. They chose the stone from the Wahlroder Forest.
Who was Hermann Löns? He was born August 29 1866 in Kulm. Kulm was in West Prussia. His father was a gymnasial teacher. Löns studied medicine after graduating. He also studied natural sciences and mathematics. He attended universities in Münster Greifswald and Göttingen.
In 1890, Löns left his studies. A year later he became an assistant editor. He worked for the Pfälzische Presse in Kaiserslautern. He then worked for various newspapers. In 1894, the Hannoverschen Anzeiger published his satirical poems. He used the pseudonym Fritz von der Leine. From 1904 to 1913, Hermann Löns published more works.
Löns volunteered for military service during World War I. He kept a war diary. In September 1914, Hermann Löns marched into battle. He died on September 26 1914 at the front near Loivre.
Löns was a journalist and writer. He was known as a nature and homeland poet. People also knew him as a natural scientist and conservationist. His ideal landscape was the heath. He became known as the “Heidedichter”.
Löns wrote novels short stories and poems. His works often featured nature. He wrote about animals and hunting. He described landscapes. Some of his famous works include Der letzte Hansbur Dahinten in der Heide and Das zweite Gesicht. His novel Der Wehrwolf gained popularity during National Socialism.
Löns was also a talented reporter. He was a dedicated local journalist. He reported on events with enthusiasm. He covered royal visits and military maneuvers. He also reported on train accidents and forest fires.
From Hanover, Löns took trips to the Lüneburg Heath starting in 1893. Around 1900 he began writing poems. Many were set to music.
In 1907, Löns became editor-in-chief. He worked for the Schaumburg-Lippische Landes-Zeitung in Bückeburg. He hoped for peace to write novels. But he clashed with his employer. He wrote a satire called Duodez. It mocked the small states of Germany.
In 1909, Löns returned to Hanover. He worked as a freelance writer. He suffered a nervous breakdown in 1910. He stayed in a sanatorium in Bad Zwischenahn.
Löns loved hunting. From 1898 to 1914, he often hunted at Westenholzer Bruch. He stayed in a hunting lodge. It was later named the Löns Hut.
Shortly after World War I began Löns volunteered for military service in Ostenholz. He was assigned to a Füsilier Regiment. He refused the offer to be a war correspondent. He wanted to fight at the front. On the evening of September 7 he crossed the French border. Two weeks before the Battle of the Marne began.
The legacy of Hermann Löns is complex. Some criticize his nationalist views. Others question his attitude towards women. Despite these criticisms he remains a significant figure. He advocated for nature conservation. His works continue to be read and adapted.
In 1964 a Hubertus Mass was held here on the 50th anniversary of Hermann Löns’ death. May this Hermann-Löns-Denkmal remind you of the writer’s love. His love for nature. His contributions to German literature.