# Dorfmark

The village of Dorfmark is part of the borough of Bad Fallingbostel in Heidekreis district in the German state of Lower Saxony.
Dorfmark has 3,469 inhabitants, over 22% of the borough's population, and an area of 15.48 square kilometres (3,830 acres), some 24% of the total area in the borough.
The River Böhme flows through Dorfmark and discharges into the Aller between Hodenhagen and Rethem.

## History

Tumuli from the Old Bronze Age are the most visible witnesses of earlier settlement.
The first mention of Dorfmark in the records was around 968 (as Thormarcon). In 1927/28 the village incorporated the farming communities of Westendorf, Fischendorf, Dorfmark and Winkelhausen. Since the regional reorganisation in 1974, Dorfmark has belonged to Bad Fallingbostel. Previously it had been independent.

## Economy

An important economic factor in the village, in addition to handicrafts and agriculture, is tourism. In the industrial estate is one of the largest used car centres in Europe: ALD AutoLeasing D sells there about 10,000 former leased cars per year.

## Transport

Dorfmark lies immediately next to A 7 motorway exit no. 46. The B 440 federal road begins at the exit and runs to Rotenburg (Wümme). The Landesstraße L 163 runs through the village in a north-south direction from Soltau to Bad Fallingbostel and crosses the B 440 within the village. Dorfmark also has a station on the Heath Railway that runs from Hanover to Soltau.

## Events

* Wine festival (Weinfest): Organised by the volunteer fire service (Freiwillige Feuerwehr) and takes place every year at Whitsun weekend.
* Shooting festival (Schützenfest): The annual Dorfmark shooting festival takes place at the beginning of July and lasts for two days.
* Beach festival (Strandfest): Since 1928 the beach festival has been celebrated every second weekend in August. It attracts thousands of spectators every year from a wide radius.
* Krämer Market (Krämermarkt): The annual Krämer Market is at the end of September each year. It is a large street flea market with a range of events in the village centre.
* Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt): In recent years on the third weekend of Advent a Christmas market has been set up by a group of hired artists from the area and the church parish of Dorfmark.
* Various events by the parish of Dorfmark.
* Various events by the parish's local heritage group.

## Places of interest

* the Evangelical church of St. Martin
* Market place
* Well
* Bommühle mill
* Bürgerpark municipal park (which even has plants that are on the IUCN's Red List.)
* Fish ponds

## People

* Friedrich Missler (b 1858 in Dorfmark d 1922 in Bremen) wealthy and benevolent Bremen merchant
* Erich von Manstein (b Fritz Erich von Lewinski, m 24 November 1887 in Berlin; d 10 June 1973 in Irschenhausen/Isartal; buried in Dorfmark)
* Hans-Joachim Walde (b 1942), track athlete. Bronze medal winner in the decathlon at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo; silver medal winner in the decathlon at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
* Lilo Wanders (actually Ernie Reinhard; b 1955), actor and drag artist, who spent his childhood in Dorfmark
* Frank Ordenewitz (b 1965), former professional footballer

## Twin towns – sister cities

Dorfmark is twinned with:
* Tinchebray-Bocage, France