Winsen an der Aller

Winsen on the Aller stands north of the river at a ford where trading roads crossed. A toll station served travellers, while the parish church and a local court made the settlement a centre for neighbouring villages. Its priest Conrad appears in a charter of 1315. In 1388 the decisive battle of the Lüneburg War of Succession was fought near Winsen, ending the long conflict in favour of the Welfs. Farming, small crafts, trade, timber rafting and navigation on the Aller all contributed to local livelihoods.