Letter from Gustav Fiegenbaum to the Rheine Waterways Authority, 22 August 1945

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Transcription

T e c k l e n b u r g

I would like to bring the following matter to your attention and at the same time request a remedy.

During the heavy air raids on the Dortmund-Ems Canal between 23 September 1944 to 3 March 1945 in the area of the municipality of Ladbergen, the two Glane culverts were hit several times by heavy bombs. The older culvert was completely shattered in the process, and the collapsing masonry almost completely blocked the outflow of the two streams flowing through (Aa-Bach and Mühlenbach). I must point out straight away that the rubble from the collapsed culvert has not yet been cleared away.

As a result of the Glane riverbed being blocked by the rubble from the collapsed culvert, the two streams mentioned above naturally burst their banks, leading to flooding of large areas of valuable farmland. The total area of farmland thus flooded is estimated at 60 ha. Since 1 January 1945, this area has been almost constantly completely under water, rendering it completely unsuitable as productive farmland.

I was probably the person most affected by the flooding briefly described above myself. My approx. 400-metre-long agricultural property, situated by the canal and the Aa stream, was about half submerged. In addition, my farm was completely flooded and the water rose by over a metre even inside my house and the farm buildings. So I had to leave my house and farm and find another place to live. – Now that the water level had dropped slightly over the past few months, it has risen again due to the rainfall of recent weeks, so that it currently stands at a depth of approx. 0.30 m inside the house. Of the damage caused by this and still developing, I would just like to mention the floor, which has already completely rotted away.

In view of these unfortunate circumstances, I would urgently request that you ensure that the rubble from the destroyed culvert is cleared away as soon as possible. This would clear the flow of the Glane, allowing the floodwaters to drain away and the water level to drop by an estimated 1 metre. This would also clear my house and yard of water and prevent further damage. However, the necessary measures must be initiated without delay, lest my house, which has already suffered severely, become completely dilapidated.

In view of this situation, I must once again urgently request that measures be taken as soon as possible, so that the debris from the culvert can be cleared and further water damage prevented.

Gustav Fiegenbaum Ladbergen

We endorse the above statements made by the farmer Gustav Fiegenbaum. We, the undersigned, have also suffered severe damage, as our cultivated land situated on both streams (parts of our estates) was likewise completely flooded and is currently still entirely under water. Consequently, these areas are completely unsuitable for cultivation and the damage incurred as a result is quite considerable.

We must therefore likewise urgently request immediate measures to bring about an improvement in the situation. These measures consist solely of the removal of the rubble from the collapsed culvert. We express the hope that this work will commence in the very near future.

Photos of the document

Source: Landesarchiv NRW Abteilung Westfalen, O 103 / Wasser- und Schifffahrtsämter / Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt Münster, Nr. 1300