Emsländische Landschaft für die Landkreise Emsland und Grafschaft Bentheim

The Emsländische Landschaft für die Landkreise Emsland und Grafschaft Bentheim is a registered association (eingetragener Verein) based at Schloss Clemenswerth in Sögel, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1979, it is one of the Landschaftsverbände (regional cultural associations) of Lower Saxony and serves the two districts of Emsland and Grafschaft Bentheim. Its members are the two districts themselves together with the two umbrella organisations of local heritage associations, the Emsländischer Heimatbund and the Heimatverein der Grafschaft Bentheim. The association carries out cultural-political tasks on behalf of its constituent local authorities and the state of Lower Saxony. Its work spans research into regional and family history, the cultivation of local literature and the Low German (Plattdeutsch) language, folklore and customs, monument protection, arts and crafts, landscape conservation, music and music education, children's and youth culture, and theatre education. To pursue these goals it maintains several working groups and institutions, including a family research circle founded in 1980, a history working group also established in 1980, and the Theaterpädagogisches Zentrum (TPZ) in Lingen, founded in 1980, which is one of the largest and oldest theatre education centres in Germany. The Emsländische Landschaft is governed by a members' assembly, a board, and an advisory council. The board includes the president, currently Marc-André Burgdorf (Landrat of Emsland), vice-president Uwe Fietzek (Landrat of Grafschaft Bentheim), second vice-president Markus Silies, managing director Veronika Olbrich, treasurer Gerd Conens, and five further members. The advisory council consists of twelve people who advise the board on the annual programme and the formation of working groups. The association also awards the Landschaftsmedaille, established in 2004, to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to cultural and heritage preservation or regional historical research. Through its six specialist groups—Exhibitions and History, Art and Literature, Plattdeutsch, Music, Youth Culture, and others—the Emsländische Landschaft publishes books, organises exhibitions and performances, and runs educational programmes. It is closely linked with the Emsländischer Heimatbund library in Meppen and collaborates with universities and regional researchers. Its theatre education centre, TPZ Lingen, attracts more than 50,000 visitors annually and hosts major theatre festivals such as the International Festival of Puppets and the World Children's Theatre Festival. The association also supports Low German theatre and folk dance, and has released recordings such as the Plattdeutsch CD 'Kinner singt und danzt'.

The Emsländische Landschaft für die Landkreise Emsland und Grafschaft Bentheim was founded in 1979 as a registered association (eingetragener Verein) and is based at Schloss Clemenswerth in Sögel, Lower Saxony. It belongs to the family of Landschaftsverbände (regional cultural associations) in Lower Saxony, which carry out cultural-political tasks on behalf of local authorities and the state. Its geographical remit covers the two districts of Emsland and Grafschaft Bentheim. From its early years, the association established working groups to address its core themes. In 1980, the Arbeitskreis Familienforschung (family research working group) was founded, based at the library of the Emsländischer Heimatbund in Meppen, with which the Emsländische Landschaft is closely linked. This group, comprising around 170 genealogists from the region and neighbouring areas of the Netherlands and north-west Germany, organises lecture afternoons, an annual genealogical fair (Ahnenbörse) in Nordhorn, and publishes the journal Emsländische und Bentheimer Familienforschung. Also in 1980, the Arbeitskreis Geschichte (history working group) was established to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation between university and non-university research on the region. It holds annual meetings in early November and publishes the series Emsland/Bentheim, of which the 20th volume appeared in April 2008. A major milestone was the founding in 1980 of the Theaterpädagogisches Zentrum in Lingen (Ems) (TPZ Lingen), which has an outpost in Nordhorn. The TPZ Lingen is one of the largest and oldest theatre education centres in Germany, with more than 50,000 visitors annually. It offers children's and youth theatre workshops, theatre for people with disabilities, dance and circus groups, and services such as costume rental and a sound studio. It hosts significant theatre festivals, including the International Festival of Puppets and the World Children's Theatre Festival. From the TPZ Lingen emerged the working groups Plattdeutsches Theater and Volkstanz und Folklore. The association also engages in music education, awarding an artist scholarship and releasing recordings such as the Low German CD 'Kinner singt und danzt'. It publishes source collections for school use, including volumes on the Emsland reclamation (2000), regional history during the German Empire (2007), and the period from the November Revolution of 1918 to the end of 1933 (2009, in two parts and on CD-ROM). In 2004, the Emsländische Landschaft established the Landschaftsmedaille, awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to cultural and heritage preservation or regional historical research. Recipients have included Jan Ringena and Josef Stecker (2004), Heinrich Voort and Friedrich Berentzen (2006), Albert Rötterink and Josef Hanekamp (2009), Heinrich Book (2010), Alexander Herbermann and Gudrun Thiessen-Schneider (2012), and Werner Franke (2014). After the death of Wilhelm Rülander on 2 February 2018, the board of the Studiengesellschaft für Emsländische Regionalgeschichte decided to become a working group of the Emsländische Landschaft while maintaining its organisational independence. This took effect on 1 January 2019 after both members' assemblies approved. The association is governed by a members' assembly, a board, and an advisory council. The members' assembly includes ten representatives each from the Landkreis Emsland and the Emsländischer Heimatbund, and five each from the Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim and the Heimatverein der Grafschaft Bentheim. The board comprises the president Marc-André Burgdorf (Landrat of Emsland), vice-president and advisory council chairman Uwe Fietzek (Landrat of Grafschaft Bentheim), second vice-president Markus Silies (mayor of Emsbüren), managing director Veronika Olbrich, treasurer Gerd Conens, and five further members. The advisory council has twelve members and advises the board on the annual programme and the formation of working groups. The term of office is five years. The Emsländische Landschaft maintains six specialist groups: Exhibitions and History, Art and Literature, Plattdeutsch, Music, Youth Culture, and others, which are publicly active through publications, exhibitions, and performances. It continues to operate the TPZ Lingen, which is larger in staff than the Emsländische Landschaft itself, and remains a central institution for cultural promotion in the Emsland and Grafschaft Bentheim region.

• 2019

  Studiengesellschaft für Emsländische Regionalgeschichte becomes a working group of the Emsländische Landschaft, effective 1 January.

• 2009

  Publication of source collection on the period from the November Revolution 1918 to the end of 1933.

• 2008

  20th volume of the series Emsland/Bentheim published in April.

• 2007

  Publication of source collection on regional history during the German Empire.

• 2004

  Landschaftsmedaille established and first awarded.

• 2000

  Publication of source collection on the Emsland reclamation for school use.

• 1980

  Arbeitskreis Familienforschung (family research working group) established.

• 1980

  Arbeitskreis Geschichte (history working group) established.

• 1980

  Theaterpädagogisches Zentrum Lingen (TPZ Lingen) founded.

• 1979

  Emsländische Landschaft founded as a registered association.

A regional cultural association and umbrella organisation for heritage and cultural promotion in the Emsland and Grafschaft Bentheim districts, operating under public mandate.

• Emsländische und Bentheimer Familienforschung

  Journal published by the family research working group.

• Emsland/Bentheim series

  Publication series from the history working group; 20th volume appeared in April 2008.

• Source collections for school use

  Volumes on the Emsland reclamation (2000), regional history during the German Empire (2007), and the period 1918–1933 (2009).

• Kinner singt und danzt

  Low German music CD released by the association.

1. 1Emsländische Landschaft | Emsland & Grafschaft Bentheimemslaendische-landschaft.de
2. 2Emsländische Landschaft für die Landkreise Emsland und Grafschaft Bentheim - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Emsländische Landschaft - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org