Lensahn

Lensahn
Coat of arms
Lensahn
Location of Lensahn within Ostholstein district
Coordinates: 54°13′10″N 10°53′00″E / 54.21944°N 10.88333°E / 54.21944; 10.88333Coordinates: 54°13′10″N 10°53′00″E / 54.21944°N 10.88333°E / 54.21944; 10.88333
Country	Germany
State	Schleswig-Holstein
District	Ostholstein
Municipal assoc.	Lensahn
Government
• Mayor	Klaus Winter
Area
• Total	27.7 km2 (10.7 sq mi)
Elevation	17 m (56 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	4,967
• Density	180/km2 (460/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	23738
Dialling codes	04361, 04363
Vehicle registration	OH
Website	www.lensahn.de

Lensahn is a municipality in the district of Ostholstein, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately 9 km south of Oldenburg in Holstein, and 40 km northeast of Lübeck.

Lensahn is the seat of the Amt ("collective municipality") Lensahn.

The oldest deed proving Lensahn’s existence dates from 1222. A purchase agreement mentioned the name Linsane and Rotbertus de Linsane as witness. The name of the place is of Slavic origin and means „Resident of the untilled new land“. Attempts to derive the name from the Lower Saxon language could not establish. Thus the older name Linsane should denote a linseed field. In 1245 the Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein started building the brick gothic village church. In 1440 Eggert von Heesten became the first documented owner of Lensahn. Ten years later in 1450 Hartwig von Buchwald purchased the manor Lensahn, followed by Mathias von Ratlau in 1460.

The church chronicles mention plague epidemics. They also confirm the steering towards the Lutheranism since 1542: the Protestant Reformation in the Lensahn duchies counted 36 yards, including Wendisch-Lensahn and Beschendorf.

In 1622 the bell Petrus was founded. It still tolls in the church tower. Imperial forces led by Tilly looted and devastated Lensahn in 1628. In 1633 Lensahn got a new owner, Detlef Ratlow zu Lensahn. Swedish forces infested Lensahn again in 1643.

A billeting during the Great Northern War (1700-1721) had no negative impact on the now little village.

The 1760 officiating Pastor Hartmann made Lensahn a wedding paradise in Holstein. He also advertised for the introduction of the potato. 1769 the Grand Duke family became owners of Koselau, Sebent, Lübbersdorf, Kuhof, Kremsdorf, Bollbrügge, Sütel und Sievershagen (so-called „younger entailed estates“). In 1795 Duke Peter Frederick Louis let found activity and industry schools (handiwork lessons for young women) in Lensahn and Beschendorf. As preparation for their discharge of serfdom they were taught in practical skills like spinning, knitting, darning, sewing etc.