heimatverein-hohenhameln.de

The well on the former Köhler farm in Hohenhameln, now owned by the Heidland family, has a long and storied history. It continues to be supplied with water from the large well located on Hohe Straße, situated on the property of the Ahrens family. This well, in turn, is fed via an underground passageway by another well located to the north of Federal Road 494 (on the Gebert property, House No. 36). Through this walkable passage, overflow water once flowed from the upper well towards Hohe Straße.

However, this passage was damaged during construction work – at the time for the showroom of Autohaus Wernecke – and is no longer passable by persons. The underground water vein that supplies the village runs above the settlement and once fed several wells in Hohenhameln, including one on the property of Arthur Bähre at Bierberger Tor (now owned by Steven Endorf).
Today, the well is mainly used by the local farmers’ irrigation collective, who draw from it to supply water to agricultural equipment and fields. Thus, it remains an important part of the village’s infrastructure.

A notable historical event connected with this well occurred in the 1960s. In order to test the yield of the well, the local fire brigade pumped it dry. In doing so, they made a surprising discovery: a cache of weapons was found at the bottom of the well. These had evidently been discarded there after the First World War, likely to prevent their discovery or confiscation. Among the recovered items was a Colt pistol, still in good condition and fully functional. Otto Köhler, a registered hunter, had the weapon duly licensed and continues to use it for hunting purposes today.

The edged weapons that were recovered – such as sabres and bayonets – were so severely rusted from their prolonged submersion that they were no longer serviceable.

This well thus stands not only as a symbol of the village’s longstanding water supply but also as a fascinating witness to the social and political upheavals of the twentieth century.

The present-day Heidland farm was purchased in 1970 by Heinrich Heidland, with the assistance of the Catholic Church, from Karl Köhler. Karl Köhler and his family subsequently relocated to the heathland near Schneverdingen.