The polders in Germany

There are many polders in Germany, the total surface area is at least 175,000 hectares. For example, there are polders in the Wilster Marsch and Kremper Marsch in Schleswig-Holstein. As part of the Hinrich Lohse plan of 1933, various areas were reclaimed along the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein. Among these reclamations were the Adolf Hitler Koog and the Hermann Göring Koog. These were later renamed Dieksander Koog and Tümlauer Koog, respectively. There are various polders on the islands off the west coast, such as on the islands of Pellworm and Nordstrand. There are also a number of polders along the mouth of the Dollard, partly in Germany and partly in the Netherlands.

The German name for polder is Koog, or in East Frisia Groden. These words can also be found in many names of polders. This is especially the case with polders with koog in there name. In alphabetical order the following may be mentioned: Adenbüller Koog, Adolfs Koog, Beltringharder Koog, Blumen Koog, Cecilien Koog, Desmercieres Koog, Dieksander Koog, Elisabeth Sophien Koog, Fahretofter Wester Koog, Friedrichsgabe Koog, Friedrich Wilhelm Lübke Koog, Gottes Koog, Grothusen Koog, Hattstedter Neuer Koog, Hauke Haien Koog, Hedwigen Koog, Herren Koog, Juliane Marien Koog, Kaiser Wilhelm Koog, Kleiseer Koog, Kronprinzen Koog, Louisen Koog, Neufelder Koog, Norderfriedrichs Koog, Norderhever Koog, Nösse Koog, Osewoldter Koog, Pohnshallig Koog, Rickelsbüller Koog, Sönke Nissen Koog, Sophien Magdalenen Koog, Tümlauer Koog, Waygaarder Koog, Wesselburener Koog. There are fewer polders with Groden in the name, but still a reasonable list: Carolinen Groden, Elisabeth Groden, Enno-Ludwig Groden, Friedrichs Groden, Friedrich-Augusten Groden, Groden westlich Harlesiel, Kiel Groden, Neu-Augusten Groden, Schwerings Groden, Sophien Groden, Werdumer Alten Groden.

You often see the name of a person in the polder name. Usually these were not too large reclamations along the coast, which were realized by the person in question, or by his or her spouse. Examples include: Charlotten Polder, Ernst August Polder, Lorenz und Friederiken Polder, Magots Polder and Teltings Polder.

There has been regular Dutch input into reclamation in Germany over the centuries. The first input dates back to 1106 when Priest Heinricus and a number of followers reclaimed lowlands in Northern Germany. This were probably not yet polders at that time, but because they had a toplayer of pear they will undoubtedly be polders now. Priest Heinricus is honoured with a statue in Steinkirchen. The famous hydraulic engineer, Jan Adriaensz. Leeghwater, was also involved in reclamation, namely in 1626 in the draining of two lakes in Schleswig-Holstein, and in 1634 in the parcelisation of the Dagebüller Bocht. From 1740 onwards, large polder systems were developed along the lower reaches of the Oder based on the Dutch reclamation model. In Brandenburg, large reclamation works were carried out by Dutch colonists in the second half of the 17^th century. Each of them received fifty hectares under certain conditions.

Several polders in Germany played a certain role in the memorable discussions about the reclamation of the Haarlemmermeer in the Netherlands in the middle of the 17^th century. For this reclamation, Jan Adriaansz. Leeghwater, among others, made a plan. This was opposed by C.A. Colevelt. For this purpose, he referred in his objections to several polders in Germany - Meggerzee, Butsloot and Noordstrandt - that had been flooded. In his reply, Leeghwater points out that sinful people lived there. In other words: if you sin, your polder will be flooded.