Wall hedges

What is a wall hedge?

Just about every German has heard of "wall hedges" and "kinks". But what exactly are there, and can they today still be found in Stade?
In the southern part of the town's region, between the village of Hagen and the town district of Ottenbeck, a few remnants of this erstwhile form of cultivated landscape can still be found.

Are wall hedges protected? Yes, they are protected by the environmental protection law of Lower Saxony (§ 33).
Wall hedges are all walls overgrown with trees or shrubs which were built within the framework of historical land utilization, especially as enclosures. This protection applies to all wall and/or wooden structures which can be shown to be original wall hedges by means of comparison to historical maps. Even walls of which the wooden growth is no longer present as well as hedges and/or rows of trees of which the wall is no longer clearly recognizable are protected.

The history of wall hedges
Wall hedges are components of the cultivated landscape as shaped by human development over the centuries; they are result of the landscapes freedom from the forest.
Dense oak and beech trees once covered over 80% of the natural landscape of Lower Saxony. Human interventions such as felling, slashing and burning, and grazing over a few millennia led to the reduction of the forest areas to small remnants.
The first farmers who settled on the sandy moorlands set up their field lots on the higher sandy terrains. Common land outside these areas was used for grazing. In order to protect the fields in this common land from animals, the farmers surrounded them with walls. The construction of a solid wood fence was often impossible because of lacking construction material, and wire was not yet available at the time. The fields were thus surrounded by earth walls and then bushes and trees were planted along them. In order to prevent the cattle from breaking through the hedges, farmers made kinks in the branches of the trees and shrubs. This made them impassable. This led to them being known as "kinks".
Wall hedges were also built along the trailing paths along which the cattle were driven from their stalls inside the village to the common land and back. The material gained from cleaning the trenches was added to the wall deck, which increased in height from year to year.
The function of the wall hedges changed with the privatization of the common land in the 18th and 19th centuries. They initially protected the cultivated fields from the cattle around them. They then served as a means for the farmers to enclose pastures for their own cattle herds. Over time a dense and impenetrable hedge which effectively prevented the cattle from leaving the area developed. Apart from its protective function, the wall hedges were also played a significant role with respect to obtaining firewood. So wurden innerhalb der Hecken Gehölze in einer Höhe von 10 bis 20 cm über den Erdboden abgeschnitten, die anschließend wieder austrieben (auf den Stock setzen).

Wall hedges thus served a variety of purposes, including the marking of boundaries, protecting against hostile attacks (so-called militias), the enclosing of fields and pastures, and provision of firewood.
At the beginning of the last century, barbed wire was used for enclosing purposes, and the wall hedges became less important. Wall hedges have disappeared over the last 100 years because of land consolidation and intensive agriculture. Today there are only a few wall hedges left. This is why they need special protection.

Apart from their historical significance, wall hedges are also very important with respect to environmental protection. The vegetation of the wall hedges undergoes undisturbed development in the most intensively farmed areas of the countryside and offers many flora and fauna both shelter and a habitat. South-facing sides receive more sun and thus form the habitat for creatures that seek warmth. The shady and cooler sides, on the hand, provide other creatures with a habitat. Hedges connect biotopes amongst each other as well as provide organization in the countryside, thus making it more ascertainable to the human eye.

Wall hedges can fulfill these ecological functions only if they are in a good condition, i.e. if they have living and dense shrubs and are not impaired by the dung and herbicides used in adjacent fields.

Many hedges however are in such a poor condition that only a small part of their ecological potential is reached. The lack of care for the hedges is one of the main causes of this. The natural development of the hedge is prevented by over-cutting (every 2 to 3 years), which heavily reduces its ecological value.

The preservation of dense shrubbery requires regular maintenance. Especially the wall hedges on nutrient-poor sand have to be set on stumps every 8 to 10 years (i.e. cut to around 10 to 20 cm). The maintenance measures should be carried out gradually, provided that working conditions allow this. Dense rows of trees have to be cleared. One fifth to a maximum of one fourth of the wall hedge can be in the shadow of trees. In this way the shrubs and the herb layer receive sufficient light and can develop within the hedge. The clearing of the rows of trees will also increase the incentive of the farmers to take care of the hedges. The shrubbery hedges set on stumps do not cause nearly as many problems as the trees when situated too close to one another.

Not all walls with vegetative growth are considered wall hedges that are subject to environmental protection measures; rather these measures apply to the wall hedges created within the historical context discussed. This excludes noise protection walls and stub walls built on the edges of forests.

Wall hedges may not be removed. Any actions which would impede on the growth of the trees and shrubs are prohibited. Maintenance measures are permitted, and the previous usual use of the trees and shrubs is permissible if their re-growth is not hindered.

Further information on the protection measures can be received from the environmental protection authority of the administrative district of Stade (04141-12-0) or from the City of Stade's planning office (phone: 04141-401-327 / 401-335).