We from Zwischenbrücken are a special bunch. We are definitely real Wildeshausers, one might even say: Original Wildeshausers, because our district between the two bridges over the moat on the one hand and over the Hunte on the other is definitely one of the oldest parts of the city. Our Zwischenbrücken can already be seen clearly on illustrations from the Middle Ages. And yet we are something special, because the Hunte separates us from the rest of Wildeshausen's old town. For a long time, our life of its own even went so far that we were assigned to a different church than the rest of the city. Wildeshausen and the Alexanderstift on the left side of the Hunte belonged to the diocese of Osnabrück until the 17th century, while on the right side we belonged to Bremen with the Holy Spirit Chapel, which stood on the road towards Delmenhorst until the Thirty Years' War. But our special position is made clear by something else. There is a special name for us: We are the "Pielepoggen", which in Low German means nothing else than "tadpoles". Pretty fitting given our proximity to the water. However, there are rumors that the name actually has a much more distinguished origin. When Wildeshausen was under Napoleonic occupation, the French term for the people who lived near the bridges was said to be: "Habitant prè les ponts", which was then Germanized and shortened to "Pielepoggen". Well, who knows exactly which version is the right one, haha!
A very important and very old tradition for us is the election of the mayor, the so-called "Schwaren", -the jury members- or as we simply say today: mayor. This tradition can be documented as far back as the 17th century, but it is probably way older.
In Zwischenbrücken, one “young mayor” is usually elected; someone who is taking up the office for the first time. And also one mayor who has held the office before. Every year on Shrove Monday, the elected mayors march to the old town hall, where they have to make representations. There they swear, according to the traditional formula, that they will show due respect and obedience to the city council and mayor, promote the common best of the city as far as possible, and observe all documented and traditional customs. However, since it is a partnership with mutual obligations, our mayors are then allowed to express the wishes of Zwischenbrücken‘s people - albeit often with a wink of an eye.
My grandfather told me how it was when he was a kid, very official and impressive. The mayors, accompanied by the heads of the Zwischenbrücker household, strutted to the town hall in tails and top hats, a very honorable group of gentlemen with Wilhelmine mustaches, who then had their ,photographs taken there - at that time something that was only done on special occasions. Then we went back to Zwischenbrücken, where we celebrated with the whole family in the restaurant called Hannoverscher Hof. This old custom is still practiced today, albeit in a somewhat more contemporary form - which still causes a stir.