Arenberg-Meppen GmbH

Arenberg-Meppen GmbH is a non-profit forestry and land management company based in Meppen, Lower Saxony, Germany. It manages its own properties, primarily forests and agricultural land, and is one of the very few forestry operations in Germany that manage their own forests in the legal form of a GmbH (private limited company). The company is recognized as non-profit, and its revenues flow to a foundation. It is the largest private forestry administration and largest private forest owner in Lower Saxony, with self-managed forests exceeding 9,500 hectares. Its woodlands are located mainly in the Emsland and Cloppenburg districts, including the Eleonorenwald (2,065 ha), Karlswald (2,354 ha), Engelbertswald (2,373 ha), and Hedwigenwald (2,246 ha), plus 139 ha in the Lüneburg Heath. It also owns land in the Münsterland region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the Netherlands. Its agricultural holdings of over 3,500 hectares are leased out. The company was founded in 1928, making it one of the oldest German private forestry operations in the legal form of a GmbH. It originated from the Emsland estates of the former Duke Engelbert-Maria von Arenberg of the House of Arenberg. His son, Engelbert-Charles von Arenberg, was the main or sole shareholder from its founding until his death in 1974. His widow, Mathildis Duchess of Arenberg née Callay, as the subsequent sole shareholder, established the "Stiftung Herzog Engelbert-Charles und Herzogin Mathildis von Arenberg" in 1976. She stipulated that after her death (1989) the foundation would become the sole shareholder of Arenberg-Meppen GmbH and the below-mentioned Arenberg-Nordkirchen GmbH, which was later merged into Arenberg-Meppen GmbH. The foundation is non-profit and supports Christian kindergartens, primarily in eastern Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg had been rulers of the former prince-bishopric of Münster's Amt Meppen since 1803, later mediatized princes of the Duchy of Arenberg-Meppen in the Kingdom of Hanover. The Arenbergs acquired heath and sandy soils from the division of common lands, mostly through purchases. They had these lands afforested mainly with pines in the second half of the 19th century. To prepare these afforestations, they used a steam plough system for the first time in German forestry, under the direction of Arenberg's chief forestry inspector Rudolph Clauditz, cultivating over 2,000 hectares. This landholding was expanded to about 13,000 hectares in the Emsland by the time of the GmbH's founding in 1928, and later reduced through expropriations (especially for the Krupp firing range near Meppen) and for building land sales in the 1960s and 1970s. The estate at Nordkirchen Castle (southern Münsterland), acquired in 1903 by Duke Engelbert-Marie von Arenberg, was converted into Arenberg-Nordkirchen GmbH in 1933 after expansion through purchases, and was managed under the same shareholders and identical management as Arenberg-Meppen GmbH, and merged into it at the beginning of 2010. The company's forests were particularly hard hit by the windthrow of the Lower Saxony hurricane of 13 November 1972. On the 3,347 hectares of completely cleared forest areas and in the remaining battered Arenberg forests, over 540,000 cubic meters of wood were thrown down, about 88% of the total wood stock of the forests. No other larger forestry operation suffered similarly high damage from the hurricane. For the subsequent reforestation project, under Arenberg's forestry director (and later managing director) Heinz Blankenspeck, the Sögel strip plough method was developed. In this method, a snowplough-like front plough was used in front of a bulldozer to create planting strips on the damaged areas. With this method, the rootstocks and branch brush, and thus the ecologically important humus and nutrients, remain on the forest areas.

The history of Arenberg-Meppen GmbH is closely tied to the House of Arenberg and its Emsland estates. In 1803, the Duke of Arenberg received the former prince-bishopric of Münster's Amt Meppen as compensation for the loss of his left-Rhine duchy to Napoleon. Here he first established a forestry organization in 1808 with five forest districts and 20 foresters. From about 1860, he acquired sandy and heathland areas through purchases and received considerable land through compensation from the division of common lands, which he afforested with the frugal pine. From 1872 to 1890, the Arenbergs used an English steam plough with two locomotives for the forestry cultivation of heath soils. In the Emsland, from 1873 to 1882, 2,500 hectares of forests were created with this plough after complete breaking of the soil. Under the direction of Arenberg's chief forestry inspector Rudolph Clauditz, over 2,000 hectares were cultivated using this steam plough system, the first use of such a system in German forestry. By the time of the founding of Arenberg-Meppen GmbH in 1928, the landholding had been expanded to about 13,000 hectares in the Emsland. The company was founded in 1928 from the former Emsland property of the Dukes of Arenberg. Engelbert-Charles von Arenberg, son of Duke Engelbert-Maria von Arenberg, was the main or sole shareholder from its founding until his death in 1974. His widow, Mathildis Duchess of Arenberg née Callay, as the subsequent sole shareholder, established the "Stiftung Herzog Engelbert-Charles und Herzogin Mathildis von Arenberg" in 1976. She stipulated that after her death (1989) the foundation would become the sole shareholder of Arenberg-Meppen GmbH and Arenberg-Nordkirchen GmbH. The foundation is non-profit and supports Christian kindergartens, primarily in eastern Germany. The estate at Nordkirchen Castle (southern Münsterland), acquired in 1903 by Duke Engelbert-Marie von Arenberg, was converted into Arenberg-Nordkirchen GmbH in 1933 after expansion through purchases, and was managed under the same shareholders and identical management as Arenberg-Meppen GmbH. It was merged into Arenberg-Meppen GmbH at the beginning of 2010. The company's forests were particularly hard hit by the windthrow of the Lower Saxony hurricane of 13 November 1972. On the 3,347 hectares of completely cleared forest areas and in the remaining battered Arenberg forests, over 540,000 cubic meters of wood were thrown down, about 88% of the total wood stock of the forests. No other larger forestry operation suffered similarly high damage from the hurricane. For the subsequent reforestation project, under Arenberg's forestry director (and later managing director) Heinz Blankenspeck, the Sögel strip plough method was developed. In this method, a snowplough-like front plough was used in front of a bulldozer to create planting strips on the damaged areas. With this method, the rootstocks and branch brush, and thus the ecologically important humus and nutrients, remain on the forest areas. This forestry working method has since become established far beyond the borders of the Emsland in Lower Saxony as soil-conserving and at the same time cost-saving. In the 1960s and 1970s, the landholding was reduced through expropriations (especially for the Krupp firing range near Meppen) and for building land sales. Today, Arenberg-Meppen GmbH manages over 9,500 hectares of its own forests, making it the largest private forestry administration and largest private forest owner in Lower Saxony. Its agricultural holdings of over 3,500 hectares are leased out. The company is recognized as non-profit, and its revenues flow to the foundation. It remains one of the very few forestry operations in Germany that manage their own forests in the legal form of a GmbH.

• 2010

  Arenberg-Nordkirchen GmbH merged into Arenberg-Meppen GmbH at the beginning of 2010.

• 1989

  Death of Mathildis Duchess of Arenberg; foundation becomes sole shareholder of Arenberg-Meppen GmbH and Arenberg-Nordkirchen GmbH.

• 1976

  Mathildis Duchess of Arenberg establishes the "Stiftung Herzog Engelbert-Charles und Herzogin Mathildis von Arenberg".

• 1974

  Death of Engelbert-Charles von Arenberg, main or sole shareholder since founding.

• 1972

  Lower Saxony hurricane of 13 November causes severe windthrow; over 540,000 cubic meters of wood thrown down, about 88% of total stock.

• 1933

  Arenberg-Nordkirchen GmbH formed from the Nordkirchen estate after expansion through purchases.

• 1928

  Arenberg-Meppen GmbH founded from the former Emsland property of the Dukes of Arenberg.

• 1903

  Duke Engelbert-Marie von Arenberg acquires the estate at Nordkirchen Castle (southern Münsterland).

• 1873

  From 1873 to 1882, 2,500 hectares of forests created in the Emsland with the steam plough after complete breaking of the soil.

• 1872

  From 1872 to 1890, use of an English steam plough with two locomotives for forestry cultivation of heath soils.

• 1860

  From about 1860, acquisition of sandy and heathland areas through purchases and compensation from division of common lands.

• 1808

  First forestry organization established with five forest districts and 20 foresters.

• 1803

  Duke of Arenberg receives the former prince-bishopric of Münster's Amt Meppen as compensation for loss of his left-Rhine duchy to Napoleon.

Non-profit forestry and land management company; largest private forest owner in Lower Saxony; one of the oldest German private forestry operations in the legal form of a GmbH.

• Raw timber

  Raw timber for the local wood industry and trade.

• Firewood

  Firewood from renewable raw material for cozy warmth.

• Decorative greenery

  Decorative greenery for the pre-Christmas season.

• Christmas trees

  Christmas trees from sustainable forest management.

• Forest seed

  High-quality forest seed from approved forest stands.

• Agricultural land leases

  Leasing of agricultural land through long-term contracts.

• Building land leases (heritable building rights)

  Leasing of heritable building rights for private homes.

• Apartment rentals

  Rental of apartments.

• Hunting leases

  Hunting leases for the discerning hunter.

• Nature conservation and landscape management

  Nature conservation and landscape management on a contractual basis.

• Forest tours

  Public relations through forest tours.

• Riding and recreation paths

  Riding and recreation paths on a contractual basis.

1. 1Arenberg-Meppen GmbH official websitearenberg-meppen.de
2. 2Arenberg-Meppen GmbH - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Arenberg-Meppen GmbH - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org