The canal and Arp-Schnitger Bridge. Photograph taken in the 1960s
We are now in the historical centre of Jork, standing on the bridge in the Arp-Schnitger-Stieg, looking over the canal as it was in the 1960s. In the background, we can see the house belonging to the shop-owner, Feindt. At the time of the picture, there were seven similar small grocery shops in the town. Kaufmann Feindt sold food and groceries, many of which were exotic and luxury foods from overseas, such as sugar, coffee, tobacco, rice, cocoa, spices and tea.
The owner, Johann Feindt, and his wife Else used to stand behind the counter in their white aprons when serving customers. In the 1960s the Feindts remodelled the shop to make it self-service, as was the trend then.
When the food store eventually closed, a shop for tennis and sports equipment followed, then a hairdresser’s and then the Altländer Stickstube, before the picturesque building was unfortunately demolished in 1999. All that remains today is a dreary-looking parking lot.
For the Jork inhabitants it would be too good to be true if the old half-timbered building were re-erected – but this will probably remain a pipe dream.
To the front of the photograph we can see the Arp-Schnitger-Brücke, which was then a bridge over the canal. On old maps it is called the Totenbrücke (the bridge of the dead). This was certainly due to the fact that the dead were taken over the bridge to be buried at the cemetery next to the church. In 2020 the bridge was demolished due to disrepair.
Arp Schnitger was an organ builder, who lived from 1648 to 1719. He is considered to be the master of organ-building in North Germany. We still hope that the bridge will one day be re-erected, as it enhanced the image of the old town centre. Luckily the name of Arp Schnitger – so important to the Altes Land – has not disappeared entirely: since 2019, the path in the centre of Jork that runs parallel to the canal was given the name of the famous organ builder.
