The Nieheim woven hedge (Nieheimer Flechthecke) is an impressive example of how hedges used to be very typical of each region – almost every village or farming community developed its own style. In Nieheim, hazelnut shoots were mainly used, which were bent and artfully woven together. This created a dense, impenetrable hedge that served as a living fence to keep livestock in and at the same time shaped the landscape. Today, only a few of these woven hedges remain. They are maintained by the Nieheim Hedge Weavers’ Club and are considered a valuable cultural heritage.
The Lippborg bent hedge (Lippborger Biegehecke) is a historical type of hedge found in the Lippe floodplains between Herzfeld, Beckum, and Hamm. It was made from hawthorn, whose branches were cut with an axe, then bent, and fixed with willow rods using a special knot. This created a dense, impenetrable barrier for livestock. Today, only relics of this cultural technique remain in the floodplains. The last actively maintained Lippborg Bent Hedge can be found in the LWL-Museum Hellerlecht.
Cross hedges (Kreuzhecken) are artistic, narrow hedges woven from hawthorn, dogwood, or hornbeam in a diamond pattern. They were used less as landscape hedges and more to enclose yards or gardens and as decorative boundaries. Today, cross hedges are experiencing a revival: they are not only aesthetic, but also officially approved as fences, for example around fire ponds or water retention basins. Cross hedges thus combine tradition with modern use.
Fences used to dominate the villages and fields in the region of Westphalia. Here in the museum, one can discover various types of fences: the oak nail fence at the Osnabrücker farm (Osnabrücker Hof), the picket fences at the cap windmill (Kappenwindmühle), and the wire fence with sandstone posts at the Westhellweg farm (Westhellweghof). They protected livestock, marked boundaries, and divided gardens. Today, many fences have disappeared from the landscape, replaced by barbed wire or electric fences. Nevertheless, historic fences demonstrate traditional craftsmanship and the close connection between people and their homeland.
