Behrenhoff: Brick Gothic and History

Behrenhoff combines a distinctive villagescape with a rich architectural and commemorative history. Its impressive farm labourers’ houses continue to shape the village today; the village church is an example of North German Brick Gothic, with medieval paintings. Behrenhoff is 12 km south of the university town of Greifswald. If you are looking for accommodation in Behrenhoff, these specific themes can help you decide whether the village suits your interest in architecture and history.

Farm labourers’ houses shape the villagescape

The impressive farm labourers’ houses were built in the 1860s by Count Carl Felix Woldemar von Behr and in the 1920s by Count Carl Friedrich Felix von Behr. The name draws attention to the homes of farm labourers; the two construction periods place these buildings in different chapters of the village’s history. Together with the village church, they make architecture a tangible starting point for discovering Behrenhoff’s villagescape.

Brick Gothic and medieval painting

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. The chancel contains medieval wall paintings that were uncovered in 1897.

Even without specialist terminology, the architecture can be understood through its individual elements: “three-aisled” describes the division into three church aisles, while “three-bay” refers to the sequence of three bays. Buttresses support the masonry from the outside. Inside, the rib vault and paintings provide distinctive features of their own. The church thus combines architectural forms with visible traces of medieval design.

The history of the manor house

Behrenhoff Manor House no longer exists. Following a fire on the night of 8–9 May 1945, it was demolished. Its history nevertheless includes important events: During the Nazi era, lectures by the Protestant theologian and resistance fighter against Nazi terror Dietrich Bonhoeffer were held there under the auspices of Countess Mechthild Behr. From 1942, the manor house was also used to store art and cultural property from St. Mary’s Church in Greifswald.

Behrenhoff’s history is therefore shaped not only by its architecture, but also by the uses and events of the past. The village church, the farm labourers’ houses and the manor house, which no longer exists, offer different ways of exploring the village: through surviving architectural forms, through the villagescape that still defines it today, and through the memory of a vanished estate.

More things to explore in Vorpommern-Greifswald

The wider travel destination of Vorpommern-Greifswald offers further opportunities to enjoy nature, culture and food. The Ueckermünde Heath is ideal for hiking, cycling and horse riding. For cycle tourists, the Baltic Sea Cycle Route, part of the EuroVelo EV10 route, passes through Vorpommern-Greifswald district. The Stettin Lagoon Circular Route and the Route of North German Romanticism are also regional cycle routes for exploring the district.

Cultural attractions offer a variety of experiences, too: The Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald displays the Croy Tapestry from 1554, a unique cultural and historical artefact from the Reformation era. In Anklam, the Otto Lilienthal Museum is dedicated to aviation pioneer, mechanical engineer and humanist Otto Lilienthal; it is a technical museum devoted to an individual, in his hometown. A culinary tour of Greifswald’s historic old town takes visitors to four restaurants serving sweet and savoury treats.

If you would like to include several themes in your trip, consider each place as a separate part of your itinerary.

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

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Amt Landhagen.