Die Wischhoffs und die Wiehherren
(The Wischhoffs and the Lords of the Holy Forest)
Liberally translated from a newspaper article which appeared in the Sunday special "Der Niedersachse”
of the Soltauer newspaper Der Böhme Zeitung, 30 May 1964.
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In his “Wanderbildern aus der Heide” (Walking Pictures from the heath), Adolf Arnold wrote in 1935 about the Wieheholz, which would mean as much as Holy or Devoted Forest. One hypothesis is that around this forest seven villages were located with names all ending on “ingen”. These villages would be situated according to the layout of the Pleiades (or sky wagon) in the starry sky. The village Schneverdingen would in this constellation be the Pole-Star. One glance at the map shows that the Wieheholz lies square between the villages Reimerdingen, Gilmerdingen, Wiedingen and Wolterdingen. To this imaginary wagon is connected the pole, consisting of the villages Hillerdingen, Heberingen and Schneverdingen. Heber and Hillern have changed their names in the course of time, so that the original ending “ingen” has disappeared. Loverdingen should in this case be counted to Gilmerdingen, and Ellingen to Wiedingen.
In the old times, the Wieheholz belonged to the possessions of the Duke. It is assumed that before 1400 A.D., this was the location of the seat of the old Schleppegrellen or Hohnhorst knights' dynasties. Both families had extensive holdings in that area, and were closely interconnected.
In the 15th Century, the city of Soltau was ravaged three times by large fires. The most devastating was in 1500 or 1511 (the years are stated differently by Dr. Schäffer and Wilhelm Ehlers). That fire is believed to be caused by one of the city’s inhabitants, Jürgen Wischhoff, as reported by Ehlers. Dr. Schäffer mentiones Reinecke Wischhoff as the culprit. As punishment for his guilt, his possessions were confiscated by the Duke, and given as feudal estates to the Lords of Behr auf Stellachte. This comprised the Wieheholz with tenant farms Thees- and Jürshof in Ahlften, Clashof in Ellingen, Wiedherrnhof in Wiedingen, and Eitzhof near Frielingen. Thus the Wischhoff’s had had (part of the) the Wieheholz in their possession until 1500 A.D. Based on their joint possessions, the Röders from Theeshof-Ahlften, the Bostelmanns from Jürshof-Ahlften, the Eggers from Clashof-Ellingen, and the Eggers from Ahlften-Wiedingen called themselves the “Wiehherrn”, or Lords of the Wieheholz.
The name registers of the citizens of Soltau in 1452 and subsequent decades do not state the name Wischhoff. The already mentioned Jürgen or Reinecke is the first Wischhoff in Soltau whose name appears in print. The family thus had to have moved to the city around 1500. In the archives of the Grossvogtei Celle the name Wisthoff is mentioned in the village of Oeningen in 1438, and a Wisthoff in the village of Wolterdingen. The proximity of Wolterdingen to the Wieheholz, and the relation of the Schleppegrells to the Wolterdingen church suggest a connection.
The aforementioned loss of possessions for the Wischhoffs is contradicted by the family’s apparent rise in the next century, and the later proved share in the Wieheholz possessions. For the year 1549, reverend Salfeld in his Church history mentions a Karsten Wischhoff as Ratsherr or Justice. From 1560 to 1578 Lüdke Wischhoff had the important job of City Guardian, one of the Duke’s counsellors. A 1596 charter mentions the sale by the Wiehherren of former Schleppegrell estates in Wieheholz to various citizens. Among the sellers were the brothers Lüdke and Hans Wischhoff, citizens of Soltau and definitely the sons of the aforementioned City Guardian Lüdke Wischhoff. Hans is listed himself as City Guardian from 1611-1623.
In 1635, Lüdke and Heinrich Wischhoff are mentioned in accounts of the 30-year War (1618-1648). Here the question poses itself how the Wischhoffs have regained their possessions in Wieheholz, or did they not lose everything in 1509?
After the 30-year War, the Wischhoffs could be found in various farms in the Soltau parish. Aside from the Wischhoff that was mentioned in the church history by Reverend Salfeld, Wischhoff families were living on Theeshof (Thees farm) in Deimern and on the Tönnershof in Dittmern. In Hambostel lived a Marten Röhrs a.k.a. Wischhoff, and Hans Röhrs a.k.a. Wischhoff, in Hötzingen Heinrich Wischhoff, and in Oeningen Hans Wischhoff. The latter was already known as Wisthoff in 1438 as shown before. After this Hans Wischhoff, a certain David Brümmerhoff came to Oeningen. The Wischhoffs (Peter and Jürgen) at Theeshof were succeeded by the Willenbockel family in 1710.
The Wischhoffs at the Tönnershof in Dittmern were also replaced by others, such as the families Bade and Von Loh und Bisping. In Hambostel both owners were known as Röhrs a.k.a. Wischhoff. In 1293, Reimer von Honborstelde and in 1370 Cord von Honborstelde were mentioned as church leaders. They would have had holdings in Hambostel. In 1438 it was Hennecke von Hambostel, but this name is now extinct. Then followed the Peters and Röhrs who gave both farms their name: 1657 Carsten Röhrs and David Peters. Very soon a Wischhoff came to Hambostel and this family settled on the Peetshof. In 1964 one Hermann Wischhoff lived there.
From documents dated 1681 it appears that Heinrich Wischhoff in Hötzingen was also a Wiehherr. After that the farm in Hötzingen carried the name Wiehherrnhof. How did this name come about? Wilhelm Ehers in his “Geschichte der 96 Höle” (History of the 96 holes) correctly assumes that a son of a Wiehherr married into a Hötzinger family. It was not known to him then that before 1681 Heinrich Wischhoff owned the farm. Ehers had interpreted the letters W. z. H. at the farm’s fence post as Wieherr zu Hötzingen, but it could also have meant Wischhoff zu Hötzingen. But already during the lifetime of Heinrich Wischhoff his successor Joachim Drewes, his son-in-law, appeared. The Drewes family stayed at the farm for over two centuries. Here it appears to have been that Heinrich Wischhoff from Soltau was married into Hötzingen, or took over the as a result of the 30-year War dilapidated farm. With him the title Wiehherr came to this place. Perhaps he sold his part in the Wieheholz estates to pay for the Hölzinger farm, as Ehlers states that later Hinz- and Lüttjens-Hof in Ellingen acquired parts in Wieheholz.
Ehlers statement that the Springhorns in Soltau are descendants of the Wischhoffs in Wieheholz is not valid. In 1755, Hans Heinrich Springhorn bought from Paul zur Etz in Eitze his half share in Wieheholz. Hans Heinrich Springhorn (1696-1761) was a son of mayor Heinrich Springhorn and himself a church registrar. His grandchildren Springhorn-Dittmann sold their Wieheholz share in 1906.
Around 1800 came Joh. Jürgen Wischhoff at the Romeiershof in Meiern. Inbetween the name of the Eggers was separated, who came from the neighboring Lührshof. Three brothers Eggers from Meiern acquired land in Wieheholz and built their new farms before and after the Fist World War.
In the city of Soltau Wischhoffs remained after the 30-year War. Records exist of 2 namesakes in 1716, 3 in 1730, and 4 in 1734 and 1757. But already in 1800 no Wischhoff lives in the city anymore. Only at the Böhmheide lived a Wischhoff family for another century.
The spelling of the name changed in time from Wisthof to Wiskhof to Wischhof to Wischhoff. Although the name does not occur frequently anymore, this old Soltauer dynasty has passed much heritage to other families.