Odenkirk History in Germany

The Castle Odenkirchen

The first mention of the family name is in 1107, "Herimannus comes de Udenchirchen", and his brother Arnoldus. (the document, which originates allegedly from the year 1028 and mentioned a Christian de Hudenkirchen, is most likely a falsification developed in the 12th Century)

Around 1150 the Archbishop of Cologne, Arnold II, bought the Castle Odenkirchen, which was created probably as a motte with a timber construction. This was after a donation on the part of the hereditary daughter Utilhildis de Udinkichin of Arnstein. Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa acknowledged the purchase of "castellum Udenkirchen" on 14 June, 1153.

Starting from 1153 the Counts of the castle, who came from a Cologne aristocratic family, were representatives of the Archbishop of Cologne. Around 1321 the Castle Odenkirchen began a rebuilding of the castle, which was converted to a typically Lower Rhinish water castle (viz. lock Rheydt).

By marriage of the female heiresses the Castle was in the possession of:

• von Hoemen (1392 - 1502)
• von Nagel (1502 to 1509)
• von Flodorp (Vlodorp, 1531 to 1564)
• of Boetzelaer (1572 to 1636)
• and finally on to Maximilian of Bronkhorst

The Archbishop of Cologne, in 1637, transfered the castle to the famous general Jan von Werth. After his death in 1652 the Castle went to the family Raitz of Frentz

in 1694 Maximilian of Merode, Marquis of Westerloo, the grandchild of the Maximilian of Bronkhorst, the castle Odenkirchen was awarded.

^{Castle Odenkirchen about 1701}

The property attached to the castle Odenkirchen included not only the castle mill, but also numerous gardens, shrubs, Benden, hereditary breaks and the fish weir. The largest of the tree gardens was the Burgbongert in the area of the upper castle.

The expanded forest and shrub surfaces of the castle amounted in 16th Century on approx. 250 mornings country. In Odenkirchen were the Pixbusch and the carpenter shrubs, in whose place today the High School and the zoo are. (the zoo became 1956 of Dr. Emil Moesgen, Willy cock, Norbert Hilgers, Theo Breuer, Heinz Kohnen, Karl Otten and Ernst Heinen based and 1959 after the completion opens.)

Further well-known areas in the glory Odenkirchen were the paper mill, the Elsterkaul, the oil mill, the Lohhausbruch, the Tuerkenbueschgen, the Buschkesberg, the Weydtbusch, the fordeste, the Haen, the Lybergs Hentgen, the new workstation, the Haicksteiner Heydt, the old Kaulen, the Limiker and the Lyken.

Also numerous Benden (enclosed meadows) and hereditary breaks (with trees and unterholz bewachsenes area) were in the possession of the castle.

Finally there were also large, fish-rich weir in Odenkirchen , on which today only the "bath hotel badhotelweiher" exists.

History of the Name Odenkirchen

Minister Franz Rixen tries in its "Laurentiusboten" (Odenkirchen library tape I) four interpretations, which are in general terms shown here. The master word is unique "...churches", which meant that here already very early a church , probably already at the time of the Christianisierung of the Muelgaus ( in the 7th Century).

The front part of the composition " Odenkirchen " gives "Oden... " which can mean"oed ", because the area in former times very water-rich, swampy, with difficulty accessible and therefore was" oed " . In addition, it can come from the Niederdeut Houd = wood, with which a wood church was therefore defined. The third interpretation refers to the Netherlands oud = old. Like that an old church would be marked in contrast to the new church of the Nachbarpfarre (Hochneukirch) by Odenkirchen. The fourth interpretation is in addition, plausible. At the time at that time there were many self-established churches . The basic gentleman established his own church, to which he gave then his name for its family and yard. The clergyman maintained it; this was to a certain extent its " civil servant ", whom he could employ and dismiss. This medieval custom then finally led to the Investiturstreit between religious and lay power.

There it among the early Mr. von Odenkirchen some with names Udo, Odo or Rabodo gave, is obvious this interpretation prefix in the name of the Odenkirchen . It therefore concerned the church Udo or Odo. Also in the name of the Odenkirchener hereditary daughter Udilhildis (Adelheid) of Arnstein, which conveyed in the year 1109 castle and rule Odenkirchen to the archbishop to Cologne, we find resemblances to this names.

None of the four interpretations has a requirement on certainty. Thus the unique assertion of the name Odenkirchen is still situated just like also the origin of our place of residence in the darkness of the historical past.

Click here to view Johann Jacob Odenkirchen in America

Click here to see Germany (Prussia) around Johan Jacob Odenkirchens' time

(source: Our Odenkirchen; Author: Heinz Croonenbroek)