Ritterhude

Ritterhude is a municipality within the district of Osterholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the Hamme River, approx. 6 km southwest of Osterholz-Scharmbeck, and thirteen km northwest of Bremen. First point out in 1182 in a file of the monastery of Osterholz. The house 'von der Hude' is being mentioned for the primary time in a document in 1185. The fortress 'Huda' was used in 1309 to shield the passage over the Hamme River on the 'Heerweg' from Hamburg to Bremen. The number of population elevated from fifty two families within the year 1568 to 89 in the 12 months 1710.

In 1757, both castle and bridge had been destroyed throughout the Seven Years' War. Ritterhude belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. In 1648, the Prince-Archbishopric became converted into the Duchy of Bremen, which changed into first dominated in non-public union by means of the Swedish and, from 1715 onwards, by way of the Hanoverian Crown. In 1823, the Duchy was abolished and its territory have become part of the Stade Region.