Wahlsdorf

Wahlsdorf is a district of the affiliated town of Dahme/Mark in the Brandenburg district of Teltow-Fläming. It is located about 80 kilometers south of Berlin and, together with the inhabited part of the municipality of Liepe, has about 350 inhabitants.

Wahlsdorf was first mentioned in 1229 as the village of Walistrop and at that time belonged to the Bishopric of Magdeburg. In the 13th century, a village church was built, initially consisting only of an apse and a nave. The bishopric granted the location to the von Schlieben family in 1449, which owned it together with the von Hake family. From 1635 to 1815, the village belonged to the Saxon office of Dahme. From the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 18th century, the Junack family owned the village. From 1775 onward, Wahlsdorf became an independent village with a noble estate, sheep farm, and windmill, which is still preserved in the 21st century. The owners changed frequently thereafter. The von Thümen, von Meden, and von Seydlitz families are documented, with the latter acquiring it in 1812 for 27,750 thalers. From there, in 1815, the village passed to the administrative officer Ludwig Wilhelm Ferdinand Bohnstedt, who presumably chose to reside in Wahlsdorf. By that time, there was already a manor house in the 1830s. In 1827, Christian Schwietzke purchased the estate; he had previously worked as a manager in the neighboring Gebersdorf. From 1857 onward, he began cultivating serradella and brome grass to alleviate the existing shortage of hay. His son Gustav continued the experiments starting in 1868. Wahlsdorf became Prussian in 1860. By the end of the 18th century, Wahlsdorf had two mills, a brewery, a distillery, a blacksmith's shop, and a brickworks. In 1887/1888, the village church was expanded with a church tower. From 1899 to 1965, a narrow-gauge railway ran through Wahlsdorf, stopping there as well.

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