Vom Rittersitz zum Bauernhof

In the late Middle Ages, the transformation of knight’s residences into farms can increasingly be observed. The Spradau farm, located in the Oldenburg district of Lower Saxony, also underwent such a transformation. Of the almost 1,000 years of farm history, this chronicle is able to describe the last 500 years in particular, due to the density of sources from the 16th century onwards. The historical account is supplemented by numerous excerpts from sources, a geographical and climatological description of the region as well as the genealogical tables of the farm-owning families Spradau, Warnecker and Isern.

Social-historical processes as well as developments in agriculture and the regional infrastructure can be exemplified by the history of the Spradau farm. The everyday history of the rural milieu can thus contribute to a better understanding of larger social processes.