Packebusch is an angerdorf alongside a road, with a church located on the central green. It resides in the center of Altmark on the edge of the conservation areaKalbescher Werder bei Vienau, about 20 km south-east of the district capital Salzwedel. The communities of Packebusch and Hagenau are part of the village.
History
Packebusch is first mentioned in 1324 as Pokebusch, when Hans and Heinecke of the houseKröcher sold the Kalbe castle and the accompanying villages to Albrecht of the House of Alvensleben. Further mentions are recorded in 1464 as de kerke to Pakebusch, in 1473 as pakebusch, in 1541 as Backepusch, and in 1687 as Packebusch.
Etymology
Franz Mertens translated an older form of the name, backebusch, into HochdeutschBuchenbusch. Beech woodland once used to encompass three sides of the village.
Mergers
On the 25th July 1952 Packebusch was transferred from the district of Salzwedel to the now defunct authority of Kries Kalbe. On the 1st July 1994 they were placed into the district of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel. By the end of 2009 Packebusch, along with Hagengau formed an independent municipality. The municipality was a member of the administration partnership Arendsee-Kalbe and their last mayor was Otto Wienecke. As a result of a Gebietsänderungsvereinbarung the municipal councils of Kalbe , Brunau, Engerson, Jeetze, Kakerbeck, Packebusch, and Vienau agreed to dissolve their municipalities and become entwined with the town of Kalbe. The application was accepted by the commune oversight committee and came into force on the 1st January 2010. Following the application becoming law, the independent community of Packebusch along with its constituent communities became a part of the new town of Kalbe. In the new municipality and current locality of Packbusch, a council was formed with seven members including the local mayor.
Population Development
Religion
The evangelical congregation and parish of Packebusch belong to the parish area of Fleetmark-Jeetze, which itself comes under the church district of Salzwedel in Propstsprengel Stendal-Magdeburg, park of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany. In 1903, the communities of Packebusch, Hagenau, and Boock belonged to the congregation.
Culture and Sights
Buildings
The protestant church of Packebusch is a stately, late-romanesque fieldstone hall church with a west cross tower from 1900. According to the plans of the district architect Pflughaupt in 1865, in the course of an extensive reconstruction of the church the square choir was demolished, the nave was extended to the east, the entrance was moved from the south to the west side, a polygonal apse was built in, the eaves were raised, a round-arched frieze was added, and a large round-arched window was inserted. In 1972 the church was renovated.
There are also half-timbered houses in the typical style of the Altmark and old head lime trees in the Dorfstraße. As remnants from the time of clay and loam mining, the remaining holes are now used as a biotope. Around a bathing pond there is a local recreation area with a campground.
Memorials
A burial place in the local cemetery exists for a named Polish man, who was deported to Germany during the Second World War and became a victim of forced labour.
In Packebusch there is a monument in front of the church for the fallen of the First and Second World War.
The railway station Brunau-Packebusch, located southwest of the village, is on the Stendal-Uelzen railway line. The federal highway 190 is located about 15 kilometers away near Arendsee.
Notable People
Bernd Sennecke, Politician and member of the state government for Saxony-Anhalt
Friedrich-Wilhelm Ulrich, Rower, Olympic Champion in 1976 and 1980 with Steuermann
Emil Schnell, last Minister for Post and Telecommunications of the GDR and MdB
Hans-Jörg Krause, Politician and member of the state government for Saxony-Anhalt
