▁favour ing ▁Qu erd iel en hä user ▁or ▁trans verse ▁farm h ouses , ▁with ▁the ▁bar n ▁entrance ▁to ▁the ▁side . ▁In ▁the ▁Alt mark ▁they ▁also ▁had ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁putting ▁gate h ouses ▁across ▁the ▁front s ▁of ▁their ▁farm st ead s , ▁thus ▁blocking ▁the ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁large ▁bar n ▁doors ▁from ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁green . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁however ▁probably ▁as ▁much ▁pover ty ▁as ▁decre es ▁that ▁led ▁far mers ▁to ▁" make ▁do ▁and ▁m end " ▁rather ▁than ▁demol ish ▁their ▁old ▁houses ▁and ▁build ▁new ▁ones ▁in ▁their ▁stead . ▁And ▁Wend land ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁at ▁the ▁poor ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁scale . ▁This ▁has ▁continued ▁right ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day , ▁with ▁its ▁un fortun ate ▁position ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁West ▁Germany ▁stick ing ▁out ▁into ▁the ▁old ▁East ▁Germany , ▁so ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁bound ▁on ▁three ▁sides ▁by ▁an ▁electric ▁f ence ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁bar rier ▁to ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁East ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁Wend land ▁has ▁always ▁somehow ▁been ▁passed ▁by , ▁right ▁from ▁the ▁times ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁Christian isation , ▁and ▁even ▁today ▁it ▁has ▁no ▁motor ways , ▁virt ually ▁no ▁rail ways , ▁very ▁little ▁industry , ▁very ▁little ▁employ ment ▁and ▁a ▁shr inking ▁population . ▁If ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁anything ▁today , ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁dec ades -