Rechtsupweg: Mill, St. John’s Church and Local History

Rechtsupweg offers several specific points of interest for a stay: the history of a former moorland settlement, the architecture and artistic design of St. John’s Church, the Döschkefest and the wildlife park. When planning, it is worth distinguishing between these topics by their character: mill history and church architecture can be placed in context by their dates, the festival takes place annually, and animal populations may change.

Local History and Mill Heritage

Rechtsupweg is a former moorland settlement with a dispersed settlement pattern. The term describes a settlement spread across an area and thus draws attention to the layout of the town. The early settlement is anchored in two consecutive years: the first colonist settled on the moor in Rechtsupweg in 1769; six more followed in 1770, and together they are considered the founders of the town. This makes the town’s founding tangible as a sequence of several settlements over time, rather than reducing it to a single year.

The Rechtsupweg Mill was built in 1926 as a single-storey Dutch windmill with a gallery and tailpole. It is privately owned and is intended for restoration.

The mill stump of a former windmill in Rechtsupweg is a protected historic monument.

St. John’s Church: Architecture and Design

St. John’s Church is a rectangular, brick-clad reinforced-concrete skeleton structure, built in 1963/64 to plans by the architect Gerald Marquardt from Norden. It was consecrated on the third Sunday of Advent in 1964. The term reinforced-concrete skeleton structure describes the load-bearing construction; brick cladding refers to the outer covering of bricks.

St. John’s Church has abstract stained-glass windows by Max Hermann from Oldenburg. On the altar wall is an abstract brick mosaic entitled “The Heavenly Jerusalem.” The windows and mosaic are both abstract in design, but differ in material and location: stained glass in the windows, brick on the altar wall.

Döschkefest and Wildlife Park

The “Döschkefest” takes place every year in the village and market square in the centre of Rechtsupweg. Traditional crafts can be seen at the festival. If the festival is important to your trip, check the current dates and programme in advance; the programme may vary.

The wildlife park is an excursion destination in Rechtsupweg. It has petting animals, birds, llamas, monkeys and many other animals. As animal populations may change, check the current situation before your visit if you are particularly interested in specific species.

More Topics in the Wider Travel Destination of Aurich

In the wider travel destination of Aurich, the Fehntjer Tief Nature Conservation Station is an out-of-school learning centre for environmental education, as well as a place for meetings and public outreach. It works to preserve the natural and cultural landscape of “Fehntjer Tief.”

In spring and summer, students and visitors can experience the plant and bird life in the damp meadows of Fehntjer Tief on walks or bike rides. This connection with nature is therefore explicitly seasonal, unlike the local and architectural histories of Rechtsupweg.

The listed Gulfhaus, a typical East Frisian farmhouse dating from 1843, is located at the nature conservation station. Thus, in the wider travel destination of Aurich, the topics include a historic building and its regional architectural style, as well as environmental education and landscape conservation.

Discover more destinations: Südbrookmerland, Halbemond, Großheide, Berumbur, Aurich, Osteel, Marienhafe, Upgant-Schott

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