Dinklage
Dinklage is a town in the district of Vechta, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 45 miles southwest of Bremen, and 30 miles north of Osnabrück.
Geography
Dinklage is located in the North German Plain, within the so-called Dinklage Basin, an extensive lowland area approximately 60 miles south of the North Sea coast and about 40 miles east of the Dutch border, roughly midway between Bremen and Osnabrück.To the east and northeast, beyond the municipal boundaries, there are extensive peatland areas. To the northwest lies the Cloppenburger Geest, to the southeast the Dammer Berge, to the west the Hasetal, and to southwest the Ankumer Höhe.
The municipal area is predominantly flat and slopes gently from southeast to northwest. The highest elevation, at about 105 ft above sea level, is located in the southern part of the municipality, in the rural district of Langwege near Federal Highway B 214. The lowest point, at 75 ft above sea level, lies in the northwest of the municipal area along the Lager Hase in the rural district of Wulfenau. The town center is situated at an elevation of approximately 85 to 92 ft above sea level. The landscape is characterized by rows of trees and hedgerows, which give structure to the area.
Surface water
Several lowland streams flow near Dinklage from the right into the brook Dinklager Mühlenbach – from south to north these are the brook Trenkampsbach, the brook Dinkel, and the brook Hopener Mühlenbach. The brook Dinklager Mühlenbach flows northward to the municipal boundary of Dinklage, where it joins the stream Aue, a boundary stream also flowing in from the east, to form the stream Lager Hase. Via the Hase river and the Ems river, the water ultimately drains into the North Sea. From the left, the brook Bünner Bach flows into the brook Dinklage Mühlenbach.The brook Handorfer Mühlenbach, flowing from the southeast from the rural district of Langwege, discharges into the canal Bünne–Wehdel Grenzkanal, which forms the western boundary of Dinklage and thus of the Vechta district. This canal flows into the canal Essener Kanal, a branch of the inland Hase delta, which merges with the river Lager Hase west of the town of Essen. Part of the surface water from Dinklage drains north of Quakenbrück via the Lager Hase river, while another part flows via the boundary canal and the Essener Kanal into the Große Hase river. Via the lower reaches of the Hase river and the Ems river, the water eventually reaches the North Sea.
Stream restoration and flood protection
- Hopener Mühlenbach: The creek was ecologically stressed for a long time; in 2009 its condition was assessed as “moderate.” Since 2013, continuous restoration measures have been implemented, including the installation of large woody debris, gravel, a riffle structure to improve longitudinal connectivity, and more dynamic flow patterns, all of which have enhanced habitat quality.
- Dinklage Mühlenbach & Aue: These watercourses exhibit significant ecological deficits and have been rated as being in poor condition, with substantial losses in ecological quality. Designated floodplain areas have been established to reduce flood risks.
Peatlands and other wetlands
The "Bockhorster Moor" is designated as a landscape protection area within the district of Vechta. In the southern part of the "Bockhorster Moor", at least two ponds are documented as habitats for amphibians and insects and as hunting grounds for birds such as the kingfisher. Owing to its water bodies, wet areas, and riparian vegetation, the site offers strong potential for biodiversity. Amphibians, dragonflies, birds, and other water- and moisture-dependent species are known or expected to occur in the area.
Subsurface conditions
The subsurface in the Dinklage area consists predominantly of glaciofluvial sediments from the Pleistocene, mainly loamy and sandy deposits. Borehole investigations have shown that the upper soil layer is approximately 16 – 20 ft thick. Beneath this lies a roughly 33 ft thick layer of loamy and marl-bearing sediments.Groundwater conditions
The Dinklage area lies in a landscape shaped by past ice ages. The ground consists mainly of loose sediments such as sand and clay. Sandy layers can store and transmit groundwater well. Usable groundwater is found close to the surface. Deeper sandy layers at around 80 – 100 ft also provide good groundwater resources. Clay and loam layers allow little water to pass through and act as natural barriers, while sandy layers let groundwater flow more easily.Since 2017, the Burgwald Dinklage has been under formal protection. However, the site’s water balance remains critical, as development pressure and the isolation of the biotope by commercial and industrial areas threaten groundwater levels and ecological connectivity.
Climate
Dinklage has a temperate maritime climate influenced by moist northwesterly winds from the , characterized by mild winters, warm summers, and moderate precipitation evenly distributed throughout the year. Summers are often dry and sunny, while snowfall occasionally occurs in winter.In 2023, the average annual temperature was 11.2 °C and shows an upward trend. Over the past ten years, the average temperature was 10.6 °C, while the long-term average over the past 100 years was 9.2 °C.
Between May and August, an average of 20–25 summer days can be expected.
Depending on measurement methods and definitions, the area receives approximately 1,627 to 2,275 hours of sunshine per year.
The average annual precipitation for the period 2012–2021 was 528 mm.
History
Middle Ages
King Heinrich I founded a mounted army that developed into a group of knights. Moated castles were built to provide refuge in times of war. The Dersgau Count of Calvelage built a castle at Dinklage around 980. The builder may have been named Ferdinand.- Count Bernhard I – 980
- Count Hermann I – 1020
- Count Bernhard II – 1051
- Count Hermann II married Ethelinde, daughter of the heroic Otto of Nordheim, in 1075. The sphere of influence shifted northward and she wanted a larger, more magnificent castle, so they moved to Vechta around 1080. He left the castle to his vassals, who then called themselves the "Lords of Dincklage".
Southeast of the settlement, a motte-and-bailey castle, the Ferdinandsburg, was probably constructed in the 13th century; the exact date of its construction is unknown.
Around 1372, the Lords of Dincklage attempted to establish their own territorial lordship. This led to conflicts with the Bishop of Münster, who had their castle destroyed in 1374. As a result of an inheritance division, four new castles were built by around 1400: the Hugoburg, the Herbordsburg, the Dietrichsburg, and the Johannsburg. Of these, only the Dietrichsburg survives today, although in a later architectural style. The former Herbordsburg and Hugoburg are commemorated only by the former rent office and the castle chapel. The location of the Johannsburg is unknown.
On 4 June 1349, the first church in the settlement was consecrated, Dinklage was elevated to an independent parish, and it was separated from the mother parish of Lohne.
The region was affected by outbreaks of plague in 1360 and 1380.
Early modern period
Further plague epidemics occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries.Johann von Dincklage, a prominent member of the Lords of Dincklage, supported Martin Luther’s Reformation in 1543, leading a large proportion of Dinklage’s inhabitants to adopt the Protestant faith.
In 1575, a devastating fire destroyed numerous houses and buildings in Dinklage.
By 1588, the Lords of Dincklage were facing severe financial difficulties. Against this background, Magdalene von Dincklage married Caspar von Ledebur. Through this marriage, the Dietrichsburg passed by inheritance into the possession of the Ledebur family. After her husband’s death in 1597, Magdalene von Dincklage-Ledebur continued the expansion of the Dietrichsburg. In 1614, she commissioned the construction of a barn that today serves as the church of the Benedictine community.
During the Thirty Years’ War, marauding Protestant troops under the command of Count Mansfeld invaded the region in 1622. From the autumn of 1623 until the spring of 1630, Dinklage was occupied by foreign troops. When the occupiers withdrew, the church was left in a state of severe disrepair.
In 1641, the Bishop of Münster sent his trusted associate Johann Heinrich von Galen to Dinklage, appointing him Drost of the Vechta district and granting him the corresponding authority. As the town of Vechta was still occupied by Swedish troops, von Galen took up residence at Dinklage Castle, leasing the Dietrichsburg from Caspar von Ledebur. From there, he worked to regain control of and consolidate the Vechta district.
After the end of the Thirty Years’ War in 1648, the Counter-Reformation, originally initiated in 1613, was resumed, despite resistance from the majority of the population. By the end of his tenure as Prince-Bishop of Münster in 1678, Christoph Bernhard von Galen had almost completely re-Catholicized the Lower Bishopric of Münster, to which Dinklage then belonged. In the same year, the church was restored under the direction of the Counts of Galen.