Deutsch
The Gravert’s from the Kremper Marsh
Developingthe marshes near the Elbe was impossible without the Dutch. Only they had the technology during the early middle ages. Already during the 12th century the Haseldorfer Marsh was dyked and developed. Later on others incl. the Kremper Marsh followed. The Dutch that developed the Kremper Marsh are supposed to come from Krimperward, east of Rotterdam. It is known, that the Dutch, that went to live in northern Germany had special privileges regarding language, culture and legal proceedings.
(Actually at times most parts of Schleswig Holstein were under the rule of the Danish kings).
It must have been tough. During the years 1100 – 1300 the average temperatures were about 1,5 oC higher than normal. Due to this the sea level rose and led to many dreadful floods, before a small ice age returned.
Thus, it appears our forefathers had some kind of “global warming” as well.
Guenter Gravert a farmer from Grevenkop, whose family has done some genealogy,
confirmed to me, that Gravert’s are surely from the Netherlands, as “without their knowledge no cultivation of the Kremper Marsh would have been possible”.
I myself went to the Archive of Itzehoe and went through the locally famous book
“Die Bauernhöfe zwischen Elbe, Stoer und Krueckau” by Johannes Gravert 1929.
I found numerous Gravert’s (of course in different spellings) = see German text.
Interesting is Michel Gravert surgeon from Wilster, born 1634, as he has the same profession as my forefather Johann Joachim Grawert and at these times professions often stayed in the family through several generations.
Thus it is not impossible, that his son moved East, but there is no indication for that.
More likely is the way via Lübeck and the Altmark to which I will come soon.
Thus let’s go a few kilometers east to Lübeck by the Baltic sea.