Ever wonder where the name Meierwik comes from? This small place near Flensburg has a history rooted in its name. Meierwik is more than just a location. It is a story of administration, bays and changing landscapes.
The name Meierwik comes from the words “maior” and “wik”. “Maior” is Latin. It refers to a “Meier”. A Meier was an administrator. “Wik” means bay. So Meierwik means Major Bay or Meier Bay. The name originally described the bay here. It is now called Meierwiker Bucht.
In the 16th century Duke Christian built a Frohnhof here. It was managed by an administrator. This administrator managed the Duke’s lands according to fixed rules. This Meierhof was later called “Alter Meierhof”. The Alte Meierhof and the settlement of Meierwik belonged to the Munkbrarup parish.
In 1841 Baron Schack von Brockendorf bought the western part of Meierwik. He turned it into his country estate. He called it Solitude. In the eastern part of Meierwik was an old watermill. The Mühlenbek stream powered it. The stream came from the nearby Tremmeruper Forest.
In 1845 the miller Erich Nicolai Nissen built a windmill in Meierwik. It was named “Hoffnung” meaning hope. By 1868 Erich Nicolaus Nissen realized his mill’s location was not ideal. He had few customers nearby. He moved his mill to Munkbrarup. Munkbrarup had no windmill before. The mill was dismantled. Its parts were transported by horse wagon.
In 1910 Solitude became part of Flensburg. At that time the Marineschule Mürwik was built. Mürwik became a military area of Flensburg. Later a barracks was built in Meierwik on the eastern edge. In May 1945 Meierwik was in the special area of Mürwik. In the 1950s the Flottenkommando moved into the barracks in Glücksburg-Meierwik.
The Alte Meierhof had a restaurant in the 20th century. It benefited from its location on the fjord. However the restaurant burned down in the 1990s. Gerlinde and Gerd Theilen built a hotel there. It opened in 1999. Dirk Luther has been the head chef since 2006. He also became the hotel manager in 2014.
Until the 20th century the watermill was still in Meierwik. Today only the small millpond of the Mühlenbek remains. Also the street name “Zur Alten Wassermühle” remains. The “Hoffnung” mill still stands in Munkbrarup. The old Mittkoppel manor house is now a kindergarten.
In the early 21st century construction increased in Meierwik. This continues today. Meierwik has now grown together with Flensburg via Solitude. The distance from the Meierwik access road to the Flottenkommando is 650 meters. The Flottenkommando was dissolved in 2012. But the site has not yet been released.
Today Meierwik is a blend of history and modern life. It is a place where the past is remembered. The future is actively shaped.