Förderverein Großes Moor e.V.

Pre-mobile time

- How did young people meet in the days -

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was no such thing as a mobile phone or a PC. Of course there was also no such thing as streaming, television (not even in black and white!), DVDs, CDs, radio or the disco. What did young people do in those days when they wanted to have some fun? Were they locked in for the evening? Were they coupled up with the neighbour’s son or daughter as soon as they were born? How did young people get to know one another? Just at school? In Neudorf-Platendorf, the choir was set up in 1878, the shooting club in 1899 and the sports club in 1907.

Young people used to go out for a walk. They had the whole Dorfstraße to themselves (Fig. 2). In 1868 there were still no cars and the horse and carriage had finished work. So they used to meet on the Dorfstraße and would strike out. At every colony, every bridge, more young people would join them from the adjoining farm. Songs were sung. Everybody had fun together. At the end of the village, they would turn around and come back, everybody crossing back over the bridge to their colony.

Everybody? Really, everybody? Not necessarily. If a couple wanted to have a bit more time for themselves to talk about things, they would leave the Dorfstraße eastwards (Fig. 3) and go for a walk on the path alongside the moor canal (Fig. 4). The path was soon nicknamed the “Bräutigamsweg” (The Groom’s Path). Couples that went for a walk along this path were often married shortly after. This story from the moor tells us about the bridge party of the colonist Hermann Sudmeyer in the Kolleweg.

Today, the path is hardly ever used and almost feels enchanted (Figs. 5 and 6). Apple trees line the path in places (Fig. 7). The moor canal is dammed to maintain a certain water level in the moor. Rail tracks can still be seen to the east of the path (Fig. 8). Just like the path itself, these lead to Triangel.