Steinfurt - History

History

Burgsteinfurt is one of the most remarkable places in Münsterland. Mostly influenced by Protestants, it is home to one of the oldest academies of continuing education in Westphalia. It has buildings of all ages and one of the most beautiful moated castles in the entire region. These landmarks distinguish “Stemmert” – as it is often called by its inhabitants – from the neighbouring countryside. Additionally a delightful landscape can be found in Burgsteinfurt, especially the Bagno, a green amusement park from the 18th century with one of the oldest free-standing European concert halls.

The origins of Burgsteinfurt are unknown. Probably several circumstances led to the foundation of the city, especially farming, the river “Aa” and the Order of the “Knights of St. John of Jerusalem” (Johanniter).

The farming communities Hollich, Sellen and Veltrup are significantly older than Burgsteinfurt. The centre of Burgsteinfurt developed around the main farm of “Veltrup,” which already existed in 890 as “villa veliun.” Probably “villa veliun” was the main homestead of a small settlement, which was located on the territory of today’s inner castle ward. At that time there was a market square at the current entrance of the castle, which later developed into the “Old Town” of today.

Another settlement that could not be dated precisely was found in the course of archeological excavations in the area of the contemporary “Steintorfeldmark.” All three farming communities had their own sanctuaries in pre-Christian time. After the era of Christianization they built a church in honour of Irish missionaries, which was the predecessor of today’s “Great Protestant Church.“ Still today the farming communities celebrate their own feasts and customs with their own special atmosphere, although they were incorporated into the city in 1939.

Steinfurt’s name originates from an old stone passage (or “ford”) across the river “Aa.” This passage was probably located at today’s crossways of “Wasserstraße” and “Europaring.“ Being a part of a military connection between the east and west, it was one of only few possibilities to cross the river with coaches. The authority controlling the “ford” was powerful, being able to demand tolls, and fords were also places of commerce. Therefore it is not surprising that a group of knights – the ancestors of today’s Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt – seized power over the passage and all the roads around. In a document from 1129 there is the first reference to two noblemen “de Steinvorde” (of Steinfurt). They probably had a moated castle built in the place of the main farm of Veltrup near the “ford” in order to take control of it.

The first rival was the Ascheberg clan living in a castle near today’s road to Emsdetten, the old road of army and commerce to Münster and other eastern Germanic areas. There was a permanent war between the House of Ascheberg and the House of Steinfurt. In 1164 the Ascheberg clan is said to have destroyed the castle of the Steinfurt clan while the latter were on a trip to Cologne. After their return back to Steinfurt they satisfied their desire for revenge and destroyed the castle of Ascheberg.

Obviously the noblemen of Steinfurt put forward a liberal settlement policy offering tradesmen, craftsmen and other citizens favourably situated houses near the “ford.” In return they had to give money, wax or chicken to the Steinfurt clan so that the old farming community “Villa Veliun” became a market place. In a document from 1338 the settlement is named “unse Stat to Stenvorde” (our city of Stenvorde). From 1816 up to the administrational reform in 1975 the city was called “Burgsteinfurt” and now there is just the city of “Steinfurt” uniting the two parts – Burgsteinfurt and Borghorst.

The “Knights of St. John of Jerusalem” was a religious and military order of particular importance for Steinfurt, which came to Burgsteinfurt together with the nobleman Rudolph II after they had taken part in several crusades to the Holy Land. Rudolph settled his fellow soldiers in and around Steinfurt. He made a foundation for the salvation of the Earl of Bentheim-Steinfurt and his family – the so-called “Thirteen-Pauper-Endowment” and provided the knights with manors around Steinfurt. Next to the major church the “Knights” founded their settlement called “Kommende” in 1244 of which most of the old buildings have survived until today.

From the 12th century on there was another settlement developed in the neighbourhood of the “Kommende,” which is now the district of Burgsteinfurt called “Friedhof” (free area).

The wealth of the Order of St. John grew continuously. The noblemen gave them the right to supervise the major church, including the right to choose chaplains or priests and to manage its funds. Additionally they accepted donations of several rich farms as well as possessions in the surrounding area. The settlement of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in Steinfurt, which was the first settlement of the order in Westphalia, became the biggest one in the region. In Münster they also founded a branch settlement. The Knights of St. John and the “Friedhof” (cemetery)-district formed an important unity. The “Friedhof” (free zone)-district was an independent area outside Steinfurt with its own civil rights. The name “Friedhof” has nothing to do with a cemetery, but reminds the reader of a pre-Christian sanctuary, which was located in the place of today’s “Great Church.” A person reaching this holy place was free; even criminals could not be punished here. In 1347 Steinfurt was awarded autonomy. A hundred years later the County of Steinfurt was integrated into the community of counties immediate to the Empire, so that Steinfurt was only subordinate to the Emperor of Germany. Nevertheless, the ambitions of Münster kept growing. The self-government of Steinfurt had always annoyed the Bishop of Münster.

But Steinfurt prepared itself. The citizens built walls, ramparts, ditches and so on at their own expense. A complete wall around the city was put up. This fortification consisted of the city wall, the inner moat, the rampart, the outer moat and a forward wall. The course of this fortification can be traced in today’s cityscape. It develops around the old city centre from the “Schüttenwall” via the “Wilhelmsplatz,” the “Kalkwall,” the “Stampenwall” and the “Neuen Wall.” The small lanes “Türkei,” “Löffelstraße,” “An der Stadtmauer,” “Drepsenhoek” and “Viefhoek” run parallel to the old city wall.

Additionally, there were built four city gates – “Kirchpforte,” “Rottpforte,” “Steinpforte,” and “Wasserpforte.“ There was only a small gate for pedestrians southward to the castle in the “Burgstraße.“ The road to Borghorst was built in the 19th century, when the ancient fortification had almost gone. The “Friedhof”-district had its own fortification – secluded by its own city gate “Blocktor.” The old guarding plans of Steinfurt showed the names of citizens who had to “tho wake und to yse,” i.e., to guard the fortification and keep them clean and to de-ice them. In winter, when the moat was frozen, they had to break up the ice to guarantee the security of the city. Therefore the citizenship was divided into three boroughs – the so-called “Eise” (Kirchsträßner Eis, Steinsträßner Eis, Wassersträßner Eis).

Simultaneously the city became more prosperous. In 1421 Eberwin I von Götterswick, who ruled Bentheim and Steinfurt because the Steinfurt-dynasty had died out, donated the town hall with market stalls of butchers and with a set of scales to the city. All citizens became more and more self-confident. As the Great Church was located outside the fortified city, they built a new Small Church from 1471–1475, on the foundation walls of the poorhouse of the Holy Spirit; until 1807 the annual election of the council took place there on 7 January. Later the Counts of Steinfurt conferred the right to build, and the right to put taxes on routes and beer to the city authorities. In 1561 the citizens proudly built their new town hall, resembling the town hall in Münster, on the foundation walls of the old market hall. This town hall was located at the crossways of the three main streets from Münster (Wasserstraße), from Coesfeld (Kirchstraße) and from Schüttorf (Steinstraße).

In the troubles that followed in the time of the Reformation, Count Arnold II had to convert to the Lutheran denomination at his wife’s request. This led to problems with the order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, which resulted in the assault on the Great Church on 25 January 1564 (Steinfurt Reformation Day). While her husband was sleeping, the young countess had the knights displaced and the Great Church taken. From this time on, only Lutheran church services were held in the Great Church and even today the date is known as the “Robber-Feast.” And the Counts that had by now converted to the Calvinistic Church continued their “mobilization.” From 1591 to 1593 Count Arnold founded a special type of university, the so-called “Hohe Schule,” which was a Protestant institution directed against Catholic Münster.

To reach the status of a real university there was just the right to award a doctor’s degree lacking. Nevertheless, this oldest of all Westphalian universities attracted students and scientists from all over Europe to Steinfurt; the city became wealthy and famous throughout Germany and the neighbouring countries. Especially Protestant Dutch students liked to study in Steinfurt. The professors built Renaissance-style houses, two of which can still be discovered at the old market square. The Count of Steinfurt even provided cover to Calvinists and Mennonites, who mostly came from wealthy families and, therefore, brought many economic resources and also education to Steinfurt. So Steinfurt became and remained a Calvinistic-Mennonite island in the centre of Catholic “Münsterland” for a long time.

But all the prosperity vanished in the Thirty Years' War. The Black Death as well as soldiers from different countries and territories plundering the city made the citizens escape – most of all to the Netherlands. In the end most of the houses had been destroyed. Only a few citizens still lived in town. Even in the post-war period Burgsteinfurt remained turbulent. In 1660 the Bishop of Münster occupied the city and did not even release it after judicial orders by the “Reichskammergericht,” the highest court of the “Holy German Empire” at that time. He even enforced the right of Catholics to perform the mass in the Great Church. The occupation stopped in 1716 because an agreement was reached. Shortly after that a Catholic baroque church was built in Burgsteinfurt. Furthermore, the county of Steinfurt proved to be liberal towards Jews. In 1662 the Count of Steinfurt licensed one of them to live and work in Steinfurt in accordance with his religion. Even though the citizens originally objected to the settlement of Jews, more and more Jews came to live in Burgsteinfurt in the course of time.

A more peaceful period of time began. Moats and walls were flattened and the resulting new land was given to the citizens for cultivation. Count Karl Paul Ernst thought about increasing the economic power of the city. Inspired by several journeys to foreign countries he decided to build pleasure grounds east of the castle – the “Bagno” (Italian: il bagno = bath, spa) – based on French models.

His son Count Ludwig expanded the originally very small lake and reconstructed the garden in the English style. In the time to follow many exotic buildings were put up, among these a Chinese palace, an Arion ship, a Gothic house and the artificial ruin of a castle. Today there are only the concert hall, the island with the ruin and the New Guardhouse (“Neue Wache”) left, but the “Bagno” has turned into an attraction for visitors.

At the same time the conflict between Count and city came to a climax. After a law dispute the Count of Steinfurt deposed the city council, arrested the mayor and deployed 150 French soldiers. He banned the town guards and, consequently, the town guard festivals called “Schützenfest.” Later peace was restored through a settlement and a new council was elected. In 1806 the French allocated Steinfurt to the grand duchy “Berg.” Steinfurt was now the head of the “arrondissement” and therefore its administrational centre. Thus, a decision had been made which is still valid today. Steinfurt is still the seat of the local government, the local district court and the financial authorities. The French also closed the “Kommende.”

The decision of the French to choose Steinfurt as an administrational centre was simultaneously the start of the industrial era. Because of bad harvests and mass poverty many citizens emigrated to the USA. Especially in Ohio and Missouri old “Stemmerter” (= citizens of Steinfurt) left their traces at that time. Steinfurt was linked to the existing road networks. Old city gates were torn down to establish new housing estates beyond the old city boundaries. In 1851 the first house was built outside the ancient urban area. Railroad connections were established from Steinfurt to Münster, Enschede, Rheine, Oberhausen and Borken. Textile industries, tobacco factories and the brewery “Rolinck” became famous. The mostly Protestant population grew remarkably. An almost forgotten fact is that the first line of telegraphs existed between Burgsteinfurt and Borghorst. Christoph Ludwig von Hoffmann, MD, scientist and personal physician of the Count, invented the optical telegraph.