Hofanlage Geestrand 4, Historic farmstead in Syke, Germany

Hofanlage Geestrand 4 is a farmstead in Syke with a residential building and outhouses of red brick and timber framing. The structures represent the traditional construction methods that were widespread throughout northern Germany for rural properties.

Osterholz was first recorded around 1250 as Osterholte in the Bremen Weser bridge list. The farmstead's main hall house dates from 1794, as noted in its inscription, while the barn was added in 1851 and the sheepfold in 1852, each also bearing its construction year. The group has been protected as a listed monument.

The farmstead's name comes from Osterholz, first recorded around 1250 as Osterholte in the Bremen Weser bridge list. The 1794 house carries a dated inscription, as do the 1851 barn and 1852 sheepfold, so the construction years can be read on the buildings themselves.

The property sits in Syke's rural area and is easily accessible from the Geestrand road by foot. Visitors should know this is a private residence best viewed from the outside, as the interior is not open to the public.

The 1794 residential and commercial building carries an inscription with its construction year, and its Niedersachsengiebel is pierced by an Uhlenloch, an owl hole once left open for barn owls. The interior timber frame in the threshing floor area survives in part, while the ground-floor living gable was later rebuilt in solid brick.