Neu Barstede: Local History and Cultural Heritage

Neu Barstede represents the history of a peatland colony founded in 1822; an early religious connection leads to Barstede. If you would like to include other cultural and historical themes in the wider Ihlow destination, you will find a range of topics there, from monastic history and crafts to landscape history.

Neu Barstede and its history

Neu Barstede was established in 1822 as a peatland colony. Before the colonists were assigned a parish, they had their church rites performed in Barstede. This identifies two aspects of the area’s early history: the founding of the colony and the religious practices of the time in Barstede. The connection describes the colonists’ religious rites, while the year dates the founding of Neu Barstede.

The church in Barstede: architecture and furnishings

The church in Barstede has its own history of construction and furnishings. Its freestanding brick bell tower dates from the 13th century; the church building was rebuilt in 1952 on older foundations. Its historic furnishings include a Renaissance triptych, a baptismal font dating from around 1200, and the monumental organ built in 1801/02. The different dates provide several historical reference points: from the medieval tower and baptismal font to the triptych, the organ, and the 20th-century rebuilding.

Cultural sites in the wider Ihlow destination

The Ihlow monastery site offers a different focus. It includes a partial reconstruction of the former Cistercian abbey “Schola Dei,” an underground archaeological exhibition, and a space for spirituality. The grounds also include a monastery garden, a bakery, a historic forester’s lodge, a café, and a shop selling regional products and crafts. The monastery site is freely accessible year-round; admission is free. Check the current visiting conditions before your visit.

Other cultural sites in the wider Ihlow destination focus on architecture, crafts, and religious art. The Grootsche Huus in Ihlowerfehn is an original fen house from the 18th century. In its historic rooms, you can learn about traditional East Frisian crafts and see the preserved traditional furnishings of the brick building. The church in Bangstede dates from the 13th century. It still contains the partially preserved body of the suffering Jesus on the cross, a carved work that is among the most significant carvings of medieval East Frisia.

If you are interested in landscape history, the Schlickmuseum Riepe explains the sedimentation project run by the Emden-Riepe Water and Soil Association. From 1954 to 1994, the project changed the landscape of Riepe and Riepsterhammrich; visits are possible by prior arrangement. The “Schola Dei” pilgrimage route offers another perspective: it starts at the Ihlow monastery site and leads to St. Ludger’s Church in Norden. The entire route is 40 kilometres long and has 16 stations. Thus, in the wider Ihlow destination, individual buildings and collections are complemented by a longer route with a clearly stated distance and number of stations.

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