History
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Prehistory[edit]
The area of the current city of Einbeck is inhabited since prehistoric times. Various artifacts have been unearthed in the city of Einbeck itself and in the little villages and lost villages around it over the years. They date back to the Paleolithic Era.
Medieval period[edit]
In the Early Middle Ages a number of villages existed along the river Ilme in the middle Leine valley before Einbeck was founded. On January 1, 1158 Einbeck was first mentioned in a deed of Friedrich Barbarossa, which mentioned … in loco qui Einbike vocatur …. and related to a transfer of an estate in the 11th century. Count Udo of Katlenburg owned an estate on the bank of a brook, the Krummes Wasser (crooked water). His grandson founded the stift Sankt Alexandri, that subsequently developed into an important sanctuary. On the other side of this brook a market town developed at the end of the 12th century, mainly due to convenient access for traffic. A church was built there as well, the market church (St. Jacob). The floodplain between market and stift was filled in and covered with buildings. The market and stift were walled in and a moat was built. In 1252 Einbeck received a town charter and a town council was established. In 1279 the town received through its sovereign, Heinrich Mirabilis, an extension of its town charter. Einbeck was topographically extended and a town wall is mentioned that enclosed the market church St. Jacob and the stift St. Alexandri. St Jacob was (and is) located in the center of the city around the 'old market', St. Alexandri was built only some hundred meters away. Extensions were called the 'new market', first mentioned 1389 as was the 'new town'. The new town received its own church, St. Mary, first mentioned 1318.
Beer[edit]
The city gained importance during the reign of the dukes of Grubenhagen. Smaller villages as Oldendorf or Tiedexen were deserted and inhabitants moved inside the city walls. Written evidence about the export of Einbecker beer dates back to 1351. The beer was brewed in larger houses that had the entitlement to brew. These houses are still easily identified through their arched wide doors, necessary to move in the brewing kettle, called a brewing pan. The organization of the process and the marketing of the beer was led by the city council. Einbeck joined the Hanse in 1368 thus broadening the distribution area which now reached from Antwerp in the west to Riga in the east and from Stockholm in the north to Munich in the south. In Munich the name Einbeck was mispronounced as "oan bock" (a billy goat), and when the ducal brewhouse copied the taste, Bock style beer was born.
Monasteries[edit]
In the 14th and 15th centuries a number of monasteries were created: Sisters of Maria and Magdalen, an Austin hermit monastery, and a monastery of the Order of the Poor Ladies. A system of sconces and towers were built outside the city walls as an early warning system against enemies. This time was a golden age for Einbeck and it was one of the largest cities in Northern Germany.
Diek Tower with replica cage
Modern period[edit]
In July 1540 the city of Einbeck was nearly completely destroyed by a fire, which was started by an arsonist. What role the religious upheaval following the very recently introduced reformation played is unknown. Convicted of the crime, the arsonist, Heinrich Diek, was tortured and died while being publicly displayed in an iron cage. This cage is still on display in the town hall. As the town had been quite wealthy before the fire, it was rebuilt very fast. Einbeck joined the Schmalkaldic League, a system of military defence of Lutheran princes and cities, which was a very costly exercise. In 1549 a fire once again swept through the city. This time the southern part of the city was mainly affected and 580 houses burned down. In 1580 the city council signed the Formula of Concord which completed reformation. In 1597 the plague took a huge death toll. During the Thirty Years' War the city was occupied by enemy troops during 1632 and 1641 and some hundred houses destroyed. During the Seven Years' War, (known as the French and Indian War in North America), the city gates were taken down and most of the city walls were destroyed.
Etching by Matthäus Merian of the City of Einbeck after Buno dated 1654
This all led to times of economic and political vulnerability. As the neighbouring village Rotenkirchen developed into the administrative seat of the area, its sovereign was able to curb the autonomy of Einbeck. Later Einbeck became a garrison for infantry units, which eased its economic difficulties. During the Napoleonic Wars it became the administrative seat of the district of Einbeck from 1807 to 1813. In 1826 the area around St. Maria burned down, replaced by a new county courthouse “Amtsgericht”. After Prussia won the war against the Kingdom of Hannover in 1866, barracks for the Prussian Army were built, now the 'New Town Hall' and administrative building of the city council. Einbeck initially resisted plans to connect itself to the railway line Hannover – Kassel, but in 1879 a line between Salzderhelden and Einbeck was built. In 1885 Einbeck was made seat of the newly formed county of Einbeck. Beginning in 1890 the bicycle manufacturing and trading company of August Stukenbrok developed into the largest mail order business in Germany, although it later went into receivership during The Great Depression in 1931. In 1896 the garrison was closed and the building used as a technical college until 1907.
Einbeck was hit hard by the economic difficulties following the end of World War I, and from 1930 on, its citizens leaned toward non-democratic parties. During the last free vote before Hitler took power, the National Socialists (NSDAP) had a share of 40.9% of the electorate in Einbeck. During the pogrom of November 1938 NSDAP followers set fire to the Synagogue in the Bismarckstraße. Of the 58 Jewish citizens of Einbeck; 21 emigrated outside of Germany, 32 were killed or died of disease in concentration camps, three committed suicide, and five have not been able to be traced. A month before German surrender, the city manager of Einbeck (without permission from his superiors) gave over the city to United States troops on April 9, 1945. This helped Einbeck to survive the war physically undamaged.
In 1946, the population of Einbeck doubled through the influx of displaced persons from the former Eastern territories of Germany, mainly from Silesia. This led to a boom in the construction of new residential houses and later, industrial buildings as well. Residential housing expanded the city in an easterly direction, while industrial building grew to the south. Some substantial companies did set up shop in Einbeck, the largest today (2023) being KWS.
In 1971 the villages Holtensen, Hullersen, Immensen, and Odagsen were incorporated into the city of Einbeck, while the county of Einbeck was disbanded in 1974. At the same time Einbeck incorporated further 27 villages from the old counties of Einbeck, Gandersheim, and Northeim. Einbeck is as of 2013[update] administratively a 'Medium Centre', which means it provides services like high school, hospital‚ notary public, local court, etc. In 2005 a fire destroyed one historical building and damaged five more. Seven years later two more heritage-listed buildings were destroyed by fire.
On October 19, 2011, the city council adopted a resolution to incorporate the neighbouring community of Kreiensen beginning January 1, 2013.
Einbeck therefore is the legal successor of Kreiensen and it grew substantially again in terms of territory and population.
