Kreien – Village History and Kreien Lake

Lake, Shore and Landscape

Kreien Lake has a water surface of 16 hectares and a shoreline of about 2,000 metres. It is a stratification-free, shallow pike-tench lake. Broad shallow-water zones along the shore and dense underwater vegetation define the lake’s character. Amphibians, waterbirds, birds of prey and other wildlife live among the wet meadows and alder carrs around the lake. Kreien Lake is therefore notable both for its form as a body of water and for the surrounding habitats.

The wider landscape also tells the story of its origins. The so-called Frankfurt ice-margin position extended across the area of today’s municipality. Meltwater flowed through a glacial outlet near Hof Koppel, through what is now Kreien Switzerland and Kreien Lake, towards the Elde. A former field railway from Kreien estate to the Elde can still be seen in the nearby landscape as a long field hedge.

Enjoying the Water—with Clear Restrictions

Because of its small size, Kreien Lake may only be navigated by rowing boats. Anyone interested in water sports should take this restriction into account when choosing activities. Families, children, teenagers and older people meet at the bathing area. During the summer holidays, the municipality provides a lifeguard there. In the winter of 2014/2015, the bathing jetty was completely renovated so it could be used again at the start of the bathing season.

Quiet Routes Around the Municipality

Quiet country and forest paths throughout the municipality invite visitors to go walking and cycling. They also offer a way to explore Kreien’s landscape and rural routes. The former field railway route, now visible as a field hedge, is a distinctive historic landscape feature; it does not indicate a current railway connection.

Village Church and Historic Buildings

The church in the village of Kreien dates from the 14th century. The Gothic building is made of fractured rock and has gables with flat tops at its eastern and western ends. The wooden bell tower stands separately to the west of the church. Its present form dates from 1880; the steel bells in use today date from 1922. The bell tower was renovated in 1965 and 1995.

The church’s furnishings include pieces from different periods. Benedikt Dreyer carved the altar group in 1507. The Baroque pulpit dates from 1710, was renovated in 1880 and displays the four Evangelists painted on wood. The Renaissance baptismal font from 1664 consists of a brass bowl set into a wooden container. A figure of the Archangel Michael, carved around 1250, stands on the north wall. Three hand-forged grave crosses from the cemetery, each more than 100 years old, are mounted on the south wall.

The church and bell tower, together with the dry-stone wall, form a historically documented ensemble. In the centre of the village, the church with its cemetery wall and the rectory with its garden also form a distinctive group; they are protected as historic monuments. The church with its cemetery wall is more than 630 years old, and the rectory is around 200 years old.

Traces of Local History

Archaeological finds show that Kreien’s fields were inhabited during the Neolithic period, around 3000 to 1600 BC. Two Bronze Age burial mounds in the Kreien area contained bronze neck rings and a sword hilt. The village’s history can also be traced through later buildings: the former school was built in 1848, and the former dairy in 1902.

Large farmsteads, smallholders’ cottages and Büdner cottages, all in good structural condition, remain part of the municipality’s rural character. The village of Kreien is also home to a well-preserved and renovated three-sided farmstead ensemble with a brick residence and two brick barns. It is privately owned.

Other places: Granzin, Marnitz, Gallin-Kuppentin, Lutheran, Tessenow, Wahlstorf, Passow, Lübz.

For the broader travel overview: Amt Eldenburg Lübz.