Bad Bentheim
Bad Bentheim | |
---|---|
Location of Bad Bentheim within Grafschaft Bentheim district | |
Grafschaft Bentheim | |
Government | |
• Mayor (2021–26) | Volker Pannen[1] (SPD) |
Area | |
• Total | 100.16 km2 (38.67 sq mi) |
Elevation | 49 m (161 ft) |
Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 16,251 |
• Density | 160/km2 (420/sq mi) |
Demonym | Bentheimer |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 48455 |
Dialling codes | 05922; 05924 for Gildehaus |
Vehicle registration | NOH |
Website | http://www.stadt-badbentheim.de/index/ |
Bad Bentheim (German:
Geography
Extent of the municipal area
The town limit is 49 km, with a north–south reach of 14 km and an east–west reach of 12 km. The area under Bad Bentheim's jurisdiction, along with all its constituent communities, has a total area of 100.16 km2.
Neighbouring communities
Bad Bentheim, a town shaped by the Evangelical Church, belongs to Lower Saxony's district of Bentheim. It borders on two other towns in Lower Saxony,
.Constituent communities
The town comprises the centres of Achterberg, Bardel, Gildehaus, Hagelshoek, Holt und Haar, Sieringhoek, Waldseite and Westenberg.
History
Bad Bentheim's first documentary mention came about 1050 under the name Binithem. There are various
The town's emblem is the mighty castle of the Counts of Bentheim, the
In 1895, Queen Emma of
Since 1865, Bentheim has held town rights. In the course of municipal reform in Lower Saxony, the town of Bentheim, the Samtgemeinde (a municipality made up of several centres) of Gildehaus (whose member communities were Gildehaus, Achterberg, Hagelshoek, Holt und Haar, Waldseite and Westenberg) and the communities of Bardel and Sieringhoek merged on 1 March 1974 to form the unified Town of Bentheim. Since 1979, it has been called Bad Bentheim. The constituent community of Gildehaus has been a state-recognized health resort (Erholungsort) since 1982.
After the
Bentheim's
Supposedly, the pedestal on which stands New York’s Statue of Liberty is even made out of Bentheim sandstone, but other German towns, among them Obernkirchen, claim that they furnished the stone for that undertaking.
Coat of arms
The town of Bad Bentheim was granted its arms in 1661 by Count Ernst Wilhelm of Bentheim and Steinfurt (1643–1693). The coat of arms shows a golden monogram consisting of the letters E and G on a red background, surrounded by nineteen likewise golden balls. The letters stand for “Ernestus Guilelmus”, the Count's name in Latin.
The golden balls stem from the district's arms, although it is unclear what they mean there. This same charge is also seen in several other coats of arms from Bentheim district, among them those borne by Nordhorn, Neuenhaus, De Wijk and Geldermalsen.
In the early 19th century, the bearing of these arms was banned. Later, in the late 19th century, the arms consisted simply of 18 golden balls on a red background, without the monogram. In 1955, the town was granted approval by the Lower Saxony ministry of the interior to bear once again the arms originally bestowed upon the town by Count Ernst Wilhelm in the 17th century.
Religion
As with the old county, the town of Bad Bentheim has mostly been shaped by Protestant belief, held by 52.6% of the townsfolk (30 June 2006), of whom 36.7% are Reformed and 15.9% Lutherans. A further 21.5% are followers of the Roman Catholic faith. The other 25.9% either hold no religious beliefs or follow other faiths.
Culture and sightseeing
Sightseeing
The town's most prominent emblem, the castle – Burg Bentheim – stands in the town's centre where it simply cannot be overlooked. The popular tourist site can be visited nowadays as a museum, with or without a guide. The high keep, known as the Pulverturm, or “Powder Tower”, affords visitors a good view over Bad Bentheim.
The Bad Bentheim Sandstone Museum (Bad Bentheimer Sandsteinmuseum) is a museum housed in an historic Bentheim farmer's townhouse (the farmer in this case was an Ackerbürger, who lived in town and had a townsman's rights, unlike many farmers [1]) with additions, which shows the history of Bentheim sandstone (quarrying and use, trade and work) and the stone's geology. Exhibits like, for instance, Romanesque baptismal fonts from the 12th and 13th centuries or fossils, to mention the two permanent exhibits, may be seen here.
The Franzosenschlucht (“Frenchman’s Gorge”) is found right next to the open-air theatre, the so-called Bentheimer Freilichtbühne (open-air stage). The Bad Bentheim open-air plays have an unusual venue set in three disused quarries, thereby offering an extraordinary natural backdrop. In summer plays are staged here. Often special events are held here such as nighttime performances.
The Haus Westerhoff is said to be one of the town's loveliest farmer's townhouses (Ackerbürgerhäuser), with its beginnings in 1656. Between 1989 and 1991, it was professionally restored. Today, artists and craftsmen display their works there.
Also worth seeing is the Reformed Protestant church with its
The
Outside, the building is rather plain, but inside there are stately, early Baroque altars and remains of the original glazing in the windows in the north wall.
Other sightseeing highlights include:
- evangelisch-altreformierte Kirche (church, 1896)
- Martin-Luther-Kirche (1912)
- Bardel Franciscan Monastery
- Naturökologisch - Niederländisches Ferienreservat Gut Langen (holiday reserve)
- Bentheimer Wald (forest)
- Bentheimer Berge (mountains)
Culture
A popular activity in the town is the Nachtwächterrundgänge, or Night Watchman's Walks. These take place Monday, Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 9 o’clock. The meeting point is the lower castle gate at the Burg Bentheim. These walking tours are staged by the town travel office and are free. On these nighttime tours through Bad Bentheim visitors are treated to stories and legends about the town and the castle as well as historical data and facts, making for an interesting insight into the town's history.
The so-called Weggen wegbringen is an old tradition still practised in Bad Bentheim and the old county. The Weggen is a metre-long loaf of raisin bread brought by friends and neighbours after a child's birth to the family to celebrate the newborn's future. The Weggen is borne for this endeavour on a ladder.
Another cultural “hallmark”, in this case culinary, is the Bentheimer Moppen. These are rather hard, long-keeping biscuits baked with a great deal of caraway, and are eaten in Bad Bentheim and Schüttorf, as well as the neighbouring areas, mainly around Christmastime. They are supposed to be a special treat if dipped beforehand in coffee. The caraway gives them a flavour that sets them very much apart from the usual Christmastime treats.
Mayors
Mayor | Term of office |
---|---|
Johann Krabbe | 1899–1930 |
Christian Mikkelsen | 1930–1937 |
Karl Raapitz, (NSDAP; introduced by the Kreisleiter) | 1938–1944 |
Karl Brose (NSDAP; introduced by the Kreisleiter) | 1944–1945 (9 months) |
Hermann Lammers, (introduced by the British military government) | 1945 |
Johann Schütte, farmer (CDU) | 1946–1949 |
August Lippold (CDU) | 1949–1956 |
Gerhard Krabbe (CDU) | 1956–1964 |
Dietrich Somberg, tax official (CDU) | 1964–1991 |
Horst Winkler (SPD) | 1991–1996 |
Günter Alsmeier, tax official (CDU) | 1996–2006 |
Volker Pannen, tax official (SPD) | since 2006 |
Infrastructure and economy
Transport
Air transport
Bad Bentheim is roughly one hour's drive from Münster/Osnabrück International Airport (FMO) in
Rail transport
Bad Bentheim station lies on the Wiehengebirgs-Bahn, which begins in Bad Bentheim, although connecting tracks continue west into the Netherlands. The local train on this line is the RB 61 (Bad Bentheim–Rheine–Osnabrück–Herford–Bielefeld).
As for long-distance rail travel, Bad Bentheim is served by the IC-77 (Amsterdam–Osnabrück–Hanover–Berlin). All the international trains have a standstill at the station of Bad Bentheim because the locomotive of the trains has to be changed as Germany and The Netherlands have different electric systems for their trains. These systems are not compatible.
Bus services
There are bus services to
Roads
The town lies on Bundesstraße 403 and is furthermore connected to the long-distance road network through the Autobahnen A 30 (Bad Oeynhausen – Osnabrück – Hengelo) and A 31 (Emden – Oberhausen).
Economy
Bad Bentheim has small and medium-sized businesses for
The town's biggest employers are:
- The Eylarduswerk in Gildehaus; an Evangelical Deaconry institution for helping youth; roughly 210 employees
- Fachklinik Bad Bentheim (orthopaedics); roughly 270 employees
- Site and offices of the oil and gas companies Deilmann, KCA Deutag, Interfels; worldwide roughly 9.500 employees
Agriculture
Bad Bentheim or the surrounding “county” is known for two breeds of domestic
Leisure
Schloßpark
A popular meeting and walking place in town is the Schloßpark beneath the castle. This is a geometrical 12-ha parkland laid out going by old records in the style of the princely gardens of the 18th century. In a large lake at the park's north end are found ducks that are often fed by visitors. Other animals, such as wild rabbits, may be spotted from time to time in the park's bushes.
In summer there is a fountain in the Schloßpark, which, shoots up into the air from a flat, sandstone basin. In winter, the water is pumped out and the fountain does not run. This fountain is surrounded by symmetrically laid-out rose beds, themselves enclosed by hedges. In winter, the townsfolk, especially the younger ones, come to the park to run their sleds down the steep slopes in the south part of the park, right beneath the castle. In late summer (on the last Saturday in August), the Bad Bentheim flea market is held here.
In the large
Near to this car park is the Bad Bentheim Sandstone Museum.
Famous people
Honorary citizens
After the
Also Herr Dr. h. c. Hans-Carl Deilmann was awarded the town's honours when his business, Deilmann AG (now KCA Deutag), employing more than 8,000 in the 1970s, took a leading part in the economic upswing in Bentheim and the old county. To honour Deilmann, Deilmannstraße in Bad Bentheim was named after him.
Celebrities
- Johan Picardt, (1600–1670), German-Dutch, moor colonizer, Reformed Protestant pastor, doctor and writer
- Wilhelm Heinrich von Bentheim-Steinfurt, (1584–1632), member of the Fruitbearing Society, count, Capitular of Strasbourg
- Hanna Krabbe, (born 1945), was born and grew up in Bad Bentheim, Red Army Factionmember, released from prison in 1996
- Friederike Krabbe, (born 1950), was born and grew up in Bad Bentheim, Red Army Faction member, international warrant issued for her arrest
- Gaby Baginsky, (born 1954), hit singer with about 20 albums released, resident in Bad Bentheim
- Franz Wittenbrink, (born 1948), arranger, composer, conductor, director and pianist born in Bad Bentheim
- Hermann Schulze-Berndt, religious educator and author
- Margitta Gummel, (born 1941), athlete and Olympic medallist; settled in Bad Bentheim
- Rene Lange, (born 1988), footballer
- Hayo Vierck (1939–1989), archaeologist
- Nils Röseler (born 1992), footballer
References
- Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen. 13 October 2021.
- Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen.
Further reading
- Weiss, Helmuth (2005). Grafschaft Bentheim: Bad Bentheim - Nordhorn - Schüttorf -Neuenhaus -Uelsen - Emlichheim - Wietmarschen. Bremen: Edition Temmen. ISBN 3-86108-941-6. (English-French-Dutch-German)
- Hubert Titz (publisher): Bad Bentheim - Aspekte einer Stadtgeschichte. Schriftenreihe der Volkshochschule des Landkreises Grafschaft Bentheim Bd. 21/Schriftenreihe des Heimatvereins Grafschaft Bentheim Bd. 138, Bad Bentheim 1996.
- Herbert Wagner: Die Gestapo war nicht allein… Politische Sozialkontrolle und Staatsterror im deutsch-niederländischen Grenzgebiet 1929-1945. (Gestapo und Grenzpolizeikommissariat Bentheim), LIT-Verlag, Münster 2004.
External links
- Internet presence of the Town of Bad Bentheim (in German and Dutch)
- Bardel Franciscan Monastery (in German)
- picture gallery at the Bardel Franciscan Monastery (in German)
- Site of the Prince of Bentheim (in German)
- Site of Bentheim Castle (in German)
- Site of the Sandstone Museum (in German)