Imagine you’re a Saxon settler named Melling. It is over 1000 years ago. You decided to establish your home here. That’s how Lemsahl-Mellingstedt got one of its names.
Lemsahl-Mellingstedt is a quarter in Hamburg. It is located in the Wandsbek borough. The population was over 7,000 in 2023. Let’s explore this unique area together.
Lemsahl refers to a loamy patch or a waterhole. These were former clay pits that filled with water over time. Mellingstedt refers to a Saxon settlement. Its founder was named Madling or Melling. Both names tell a story.
The area around Lemsahl-Mellingstedt has been inhabited since the Stone and Bronze Ages. Burial mounds near Wittmoor indicate this. Lemsahl and Mellingstedt were first documented in 1271. A Hamburg citizen donated income from several villages. This income was for a chaplaincy at Hamburg Cathedral. “Mellinghestede and Lemsole” were among those villages.
The villages belonged to the Tremsbüttel estate from the 15th century. Lemsahl and Mellingstedt came under the new Tangstedt office in 1693. Residents had to perform compulsory labor until 1848. Disputes about these services lasted until 1876. The owners of Tangstedt estate had to relinquish all manual and animal labor. This marked a turning point for local farmers.
Lemsahl-Mellingstedt has a primary school on Redderbarg since 1780. In 2005, it celebrated its 225th anniversary. It is one of the largest primary schools in the Walddörfer and Hamburg.
The Trillup brickworks gained importance in the 19th century. After Hamburg’s great fire of 1842, many buildings were rebuilt using yellow Trillup bricks. These bricks became a symbol of renewal.
In 1864, the Duchy of Holstein came under Austrian administration. After the Austro-Prussian War in 1867, it was annexed to Prussia. Lemsahl and Mellingstedt were assigned to the Stormarn district. In 1937, the Greater Hamburg Act integrated them into Hamburg.
The old village structures are still visible today in Lemsahl-Mellingstedt. The farmstead on the high Alsterufer became Gut Treudelberg. Today, its buildings and fields are used as a hotel and golf course.
Near the Redderbarg primary school is a memorial. It commemorates the victims of the First and Second World Wars. These locals went off to war.
In 1962, the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Lemsahl-Mellingstedt was formed. It was separated from the Bergstedt parish. The Jubilate Church was built in Lemsahl’s old village center in 1959/60. In 1972/73, it was expanded and got a free-standing bell tower in 1981. This church remains a focal point for the community.
Lemsahl-Mellingstedt has always combined tradition with progress. It has evolved from ancient settlements to a modern Hamburg quarter. Its history is visible in its buildings, landscapes, and community spirit. It is a place where the past and present coexist.