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Across the Lüneburg Heath

Journal of Samuel Kiechel
5 – 8 July 1585

From Brunswick to Lüneburg

“We arrived in Oesingen in the middle of the Heath, where we rested for two hours. Around midnight, we found another carter who took us as passengers. It got very cold in the early morning hours despite being the dog days of summer. I had to leave the cart and walk alongside it to keep warm.“

Die Reisen des Samuel Kiechel aus drei Handschriften, K. D. Haszler (ed.), Stuttgart 1866, pp. 9-10; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Brunswick

Samuel Kiechel had arrived in Brunswick. The city was an important political and economic centre since the Early Middle Ages. Its strategic position on trade routes and proximity to the ore-rich Harz Mountains contributed significantly to its prosperity. According to Kiechel, Brunswick was an imperial city. It was beautiful and fortified with walls, bulwarks and two moats. A small river from the Harz Mountains, the Oker, flowed through it. The city was home to many craftsmen who made weapons, armour and other items used in warfare, such as bit mouthpieces, stirrups, currycombs, spurs and belts.

Panoramic view of Brunswick showing the city’s fortifications and numerous churches.

Brunswick, 1572

This image from the Civitates Orbis Terrarum shows the city in profile view. The low angle means that most houses are hidden behind the walls. The fortifications themselves appear very strong. The land outside the walls consists of suburbs and what seem to be gardens and orchards. Churches dominate the skyline of Brunswick. Eleven churches are depicted and named in the view.

The emphasis on churches in many early modern city-views served as a display of wealth and a symbol of the population’s piety. Sometimes the churches appear to have been depicted at a slightly larger scale than the surrounding buildings, making them stand out more. Religion was a dominant aspect in daily life, and with the Protestant Reformation less than a hundred years old, religious views were highly politicised. Therefore, showcasing a city’s Christian virtue was as important as displaying its wealth or defensive strength. Publications like the Civitates were used as advertisements for the depicted cities. The published views often highlighted those elements, while others, such as neglected buildings or the poor’s low-quality housing, were omitted.

Crossing the Lüneburg Heath

Samuel Kiechel departed from Brunswick on 5 July. His journal recounts how early modern public transport worked: Our traveller went to a city gate in the morning. Under the gate, carters from various villages in the Lüneburg Heath had gathered, awaiting passengers. These carters had presumably delivered goods to Brunswick and were now returning, taking passengers to avoid travelling with empty carts.

At the gate, Kiechel encountered a “nadler gesell”1 (Nadlergeselle) and a woman eager to travel to Lüneburg. A Nadlergeselle was a journeyman skilled in drawing wires from different metals such as iron and copper. Our traveller and his two new companions paid a carter to take them four miles to the next village.

Carters waiting for passengers

The route from Brunswick to Lüneburg passed through the Lüneburg Heath, with both cities roughly one hundred kilometres apart. Today, the Heath is a protected nature reserve, a popular tourist attraction, and a recreational area.

The cart set off from Brunswick at noon. Carters waiting beneath the gate in Brunswick only drove to the surrounding villages. Travellers who wanted to go further would need to change transport at various hamlets within the Heath. After travelling the agreed-upon distance, Kiechel and the other two passengers disembarked. They paid another man to take them three miles to the village of Groß Oesingen, situated in the heart of the Lüneburg Heath.

Small cart with passengers and a traveller walking beside it.

Groß Oesingen was a small settlement. Contrary to our traveller’s account and according to modern maps, it is not situated in the centre of the Heath but in its southern part. The location was along the main road connecting Brunswick with Lüneburg and Hamburg, and it is mentioned in some itineraries. The road ran from Brunswick via Meinersen, Osen (Groß Oesingen), Sauerborg, and Ollendorf to Lüneburg.2

Samuel Kiechel and his two companions reached Groß Oesingen three hours after nightfall. They rested for two hours before seeking an opportunity to continue their journey. Just after midnight, the travellers found a carter willing to take them along.

It was rare in sixteenth-century Europe to travel at night. Towns and cities usually operated under a curfew, and their gates were locked. When Kiechel travelled at night, it was often out of necessity or because he was in a remote rural area. The Lüneburg Heath could be considered such a remote location, at least according to Kiechel. Our traveller describes it as a flat plain with few trees or settlements. Sometimes, he saw no villages for miles. The inhabitants of the Heath breed sheep for a livelihood.

Early morning scene with carts and travellers on a rural road

Despite it being midsummer, it became very cold in the open heathland at night. Our traveller had to get off the cart and walk to stay warm. At dawn, the group reached another village on the other side of the Heath from Brunswick. The travellers then hired another cart driver to take them to Lüneburg, where they arrived in the evening.

In Lüneburg

Panorama of early modern Lüneburg showing its numerous churches and ancient castle.

Lüneburg, 1572

Lüneburg is situated in the German state of Lower Saxony, approximately forty-five kilometres southwest of Hamburg. Samuel Kiechel arrived there on 6 July. He wrote: Lüneburg is a heavily fortified, imperial city, and white salt is produced there. A castle is located on one side of the town and once belonged to the Duke of Lüneburg. The citizens took it from him through guile. The Ilmenau River flows through Lüneburg and joins the Elbe two miles downstream. Boats navigate the Ilmenau.

Two views of Lüneburg appear in the Civitates Orbis Terrarum. The first is a profile view from the north. It is on the same page as Brunswick’s view and resembles it in style. Lüneburg is depicted as a large, fortified city. Churches dominate the skyline, but unlike Brunswick, other structures such as the city’s brickyard (“Dat Teigel hus”), the town hall (“Radt hus”), and one gate (“Dat bardewikhr Dor”) are highlighted and named.

Section of the view of Lüneburg showing a city gate and the brick yard.

Lüneburg’s brickyard (“Dat Teigel hus”), the town hall (“Radt hus”) and Bardowicker gate (“Dat bardewikhr Dor”)

Section of the view of Lüneburg showing the Kalkberg and castle.

The Kalkberg (“Kalck berch”) west of Lüneburg

On the right side of the image is the Kalkberg (“Kalck berch”). It is a distinctive hill amid the otherwise flat landscape of the Lüneburg Heath, composed mainly of gypsum.

Samuel Kiechel mentioned a castle at the city’s edge, which had belonged to the Duke of Lüneburg but was seized by the citizens. In the Middle Ages, a castle stood atop the Kalkberg. During the War of the Lüneburg Succession (1370–1389), the citizens captured and destroyed it in 1371.

Detailed bird’s-eye view of Lüneburg showing the streets, fortifications, and many important buildings.

Lüneburg, 1598

The second view of Lüneburg is a detailed bird’s-eye view from the north. It shows the city’s fortifications, churches, and the Kalkberg. The street layout is visible, with some streets labelled.

The Ilmenau River splits upon entering Lüneburg. One arm flows through the city, while the other runs outside the walls. Along the arm within Lüneburg, the fish market and “De Kunst” are marked on the map. “De Kunst” or “Wasserkunst” refers to early modern waterworks that supplied water for wells and fountains in the city.

In the lower-left corner of the map, along the river, there is an area where wood is stored (“De Holt Hude”). The wood probably arrived via the river to be used in the city or transported further downstream towards the Elbe and Hamburg.

Section of the bird’s-eye view highlighting the Ilmenau River as it passes through the city.

Lüneburg and the Ilmenau River

Lüneburg’s Salt

Salt was the source of Lüneburg’s wealth and was exported to various parts of northern Europe. It was essential to the Baltic Sea herring trade, as it was used to preserve the fish for transport. As a result, Lüneburg became an early member of the Hanseatic League and one of its wealthiest cities.

The salt was produced by boiling brine from local springs in large, rectangular lead pans. During the process, water evaporated from the brine, leaving behind salt crystals.

Print showing the salt production

Salt production

Kiechel visited the saltworks and was amazed to see the large pans workers used to boil the brine. The pans, made of lead, did not melt or break on the fire. He learnt that the pans were used for eight days before being exchanged, melted down, and the lead reused for different purposes. According to Kiechel, they used only English lead. Pans made from the lead of local mines melted after two days on the fire.

The Lüneburg saltworks are located in the upper right corner of the bird’s-eye view of the city. The city walls surround them in a semicircle, and the area is called “DE SVLT”.

Section of the bird’s-eye view showing the place where salt is produced.

Lüneburg saltworks

Samuel Kiechel spent two days in Lüneburg before departing for Hamburg.

Illustrations & References

All images are in order of first appearance with links to sources on external websites:

  1. Die Reisen des Samuel Kiechel aus drei Handschriften, K. D. Haszler (ed.), Stuttgart 1866, p. 9; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. ↩︎
  2. Kronn und Auszbunde aller Wegweiser. Darinne verzeichnet seindt alle die Wege, so gehen ausz 71. den vornembsten Städten von Teutschland, 17. von Niderlandt, 39. von Frankreich, 29 von Italia, und 31. von Hispania …, Cölln 1597, p. 66. ↩︎