Behrenhoff: Brick Gothic and Historic Residential Houses

Behrenhoff lies 12 km south of the university town of Greifswald. The village’s appearance is still shaped by its impressive farmworkers’ houses; the village church adds a medieval architectural history to this residential architecture. The manor house, which no longer exists, is also part of the village’s history. If you are looking for a destination with specific historical points of interest, architecture and local history take centre stage in Behrenhoff.

Farmworkers’ Houses and the Village Landscape

The farmworkers’ houses were built in the 1860s by Count Carl Felix Woldemar von Behr and in the 1920s by Count Carl Friedrich Felix von Behr. Their architectural history therefore spans two clearly distinct periods. The houses continue to shape the village’s appearance today. Alongside the village church, the residential architecture is therefore also important to understanding Behrenhoff: the houses add their own building heritage, created over several generations, to the picture of the village.

Village Church: Architecture and Paintings

Behrenhoff village church was built between the late 13th century and 1415 and is an example of North German Brick Gothic. Originally, it was a three-aisled, three-bay brick basilica with buttresses. The nave has an eight-part rib vault with ornamental paintings dating from the first half of the 14th century. Medieval wall paintings in the choir were uncovered in 1897. The dates refer to different stages: the construction period indicates when the church building took shape, the ornamental paintings date from the 14th century, and 1897 marks the uncovering of the wall paintings. This makes it possible to distinguish the dates of the architecture and decoration, rather than reducing the church’s entire history to a single date.

The Manor House in Local History

Behrenhoff manor house no longer exists. Following a fire on the night of 8–9 May 1945, it was demolished. Its history also includes its earlier uses: during the Nazi era, lectures by the Protestant theologian and resistance fighter against Nazi terror Dietrich Bonhoeffer were held at the manor house under the auspices of Countess Mechthild Behr. From 1942, the building was used to store works of art and cultural property from St. Mary’s Church in Greifswald. To get your bearings in the village’s history, it is worth distinguishing the vanished manor house from the residential houses that still shape the village’s appearance today.

The Wider Region: Vorpommern-Greifswald

Behrenhoff can also be considered as part of the wider travel destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald. Other themes complement the local architectural history there: the Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald displays the Croy Tapestry of 1554, a unique cultural and historical artefact from the Reformation era. The Ueckermünde Heath is ideal for hiking, cycling and horse riding. If you look beyond the individual village, museum culture and activities in the heath sit alongside Behrenhoff’s local history. These regional examples belong to the wider setting of Vorpommern-Greifswald; the farmworkers’ houses and village church are the specific historical points of interest in Behrenhoff.

Discover more destinations: Levenhagen, Hinrichshagen, Diedrichshagen, Dersekow, Wackerow, Neuenkirchen, Dargelin, Weitenhagen.

To the overview of the wider travel area: Amt Landhagen.