HistoricalWolves Chronicles: Wolves Found in Holten, Hünxe, Lembeck, and Münster - A Saga of Native Territory
In the heart of Westphalia, a region known for its dense forests and rich history, the Eurasian Gray Wolf once roamed freely. This subspecies, also known as the "Central European Wolf," was once widespread across Germany, but by the mid-19th century, it had vanished from Westphalia.
The first recorded sighting of a wolf in Westphalia was in 1826, when one appeared in the Hünxer forest and fled towards the Lippe, probably into the Dämmerwald. However, the wolf's presence in the region dates back much further.
In the 18th century, wolves were a common sight. In 1748, an old wolf and a she-wolf were killed in Cleve. Five years later, in 1753, a field record reported a pack that drove away three sheep from a sheepfold and tore apart calves. The hunts followed a fixed pattern: vast districts, concentrically blocked off, the game driven into an area surrounded by wolf nets.
The hunts were dangerous, with the church book of Hünxe recording the death of Johann Schuermann on October 25, 1796, who was shot in the leg during a wolf hunt and died on November 7. Another entry mentions the death of a man after a wolf bite.
The pack size of wolves historically and today usually consists of 5-8 animals (parents + young/juveniles), but can range from 2-15 depending on the year and game availability. Around the year 1500, there were hardly any forest areas in Germany without wolves.
In the early 19th century, the hunts intensified. On September 26th, 1826, the wolf was shot in the woods near Lembeck. In 1835, Innkeeper Joseph Hennemann brought the last wolf to bay in Münster, marking the end of the presence of wolves in Westphalia.
The name of the last hunter who hunted wolves in Westphalia before the species became extinct in the region is not clearly documented in the available search results. Duisburg prepared for an "operation of great magnitude" in 1757, several animals were killed, and a young specimen was captured alive. Searches were also conducted in the Lippe heath, but without success.
A memorial stone was set up on site in Münster in 1935, serving as a marker of an era rather than a symbol of triumph. The appearance of the Eurasian Gray Wolf includes gray-brown fur with yellowish-ochre tones, often a darker "saddle" over the back, lightened legs/belly, black tail tip, and measurements of approximately 60-80 cm in shoulder height, 105-160 cm in body length, and 30-45 kg in weight.
Despite their extinction in Westphalia, wolves continue to thrive in other parts of Germany. Anyone who wanders through our local forests today does so with respect, aware of the region's rich wildlife history. The monks of Marienthal near Wesel, on their way to Rome, asked for protection from wolves in Latin, "Orate pro fratribus nostris Marienthalensibus, ne devorentur a lupis" (Pray for our brothers from Marienthal, that they may not be devoured by wolves). Even today, their prayer echoes in the forests of Westphalia, a testament to the region's past and the enduring legacy of the Eurasian Gray Wolf.
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