Meerhof

In 1279, the Bredelar Monastery established a manorial estate in what is now Meerhof after several farmers had settled there. At the end of the Middle Ages, “Mere,” like almost all settlements in the Sintfeld region, was ravaged by destruction. The name “Meerhof” first appears in 1416. Only one farmstead seems to have remained from the medieval settlement. This is reflected in the changes to the place name. This “Meerhof” was also ravaged several times.

In 1470, the Dalheim Monastery purchased Meerhof from the Bredelar Monastery. In 1496, the 1470 purchase agreement was amended, and Bredelar regained half of Meerhof. At the time of Meerhof’s transfer to the Dalheim Monastery, Meerhof’s economic conditions were in a dire state. Meerhof was completely devastated. Dalheim then revived the estate’s prosperity. In the depopulated Meerhof, Dalheim encouraged the arrival of settlers. The Meerhof common land was significantly expanded through the incorporation of the Hasselborn estate. Dalheim had purchased this estate in 1499 from the Kappeln Abbey near Lippstadt. The new village of Meerhof emerged from the settlement of the merged estates of Meerhof and Hasselborn. The village’s early development was strongly influenced by Dalheim Abbey until its dissolution in 1802.

In ecclesiastical terms, Meerhof—like the medieval “Mere”—belonged to the parish of Oesdorf until the 20th century. It was not until 1902 that Meerhof became an independent parish. The parish church, newly built in 1914, is dedicated to Saint Lawrence, as is the church in Nuttlon, which is referred to as Meerhof’s mother church.

Until the municipal reorganization of 1975, Meerhof belonged to the Büren district and remains to this day a district of the city of Marsberg in the Hochsauerland district.

A wind farm covering approximately 400 hectares is located in Meerhof. The wind farm is bordered to the north by Highway 44, to the south by the Wohlbedacht estate, to the west by the Fürstenberg farmland, and to the east by the village of Meerhof. Thirty wind turbines have been constructed, each with a capacity of 1,000 kW or 1,500 kW.

The Wald Nature Discovery Trail is well worth a visit. Along the themed hiking trail, visitors will find about 30 interactive stations and surprises to explore. Whether walking across a suspension bridge or climbing into a bird’s nest—Hacki, the black woodpecker, brings nature a little closer to hikers of all ages.