Bielefeld
Bielefeld | |
---|---|
Sparrenburg Castle | |
Districts of Bielefeld: Bielefeld-Mitte (downtown), Brackwede, Dornberg, Gadderbaum, Heepen, Jöllenbeck, Schildesche, Senne, Sennestadt and Stieghorst Urban district | |
Founded | 1214 |
Subdivisions | 10 districts |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–25) | Pit Clausen[1] (SPD) |
Area | |
• City | 257.8 km2 (99.5 sq mi) |
Elevation | 118 m (387 ft) |
Population (2021-12-31)[2] | |
• City | 334,002 |
• Density | 1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi) |
• Urban | 591,862 |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 33602–33739 |
Dialling codes | 0521, 05202, 05203, 05205, 05206, 05208, 05209 |
Vehicle registration | BI |
Website | bielefeld.de |
Bielefeld (German pronunciation: [ˈbiːləfɛlt] ⓘ) is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755,[3] it is also the most populous city in the administrative region (Regierungsbezirk) of Detmold and the 18th largest city in Germany.
The historical centre of the city is situated north of the Teutoburg Forest line of hills, but modern Bielefeld also incorporates boroughs on the opposite side and on the hills. The city is situated on the Hermannsweg, a hiking trail which runs for 156 km along the length of the Teutoburg Forest.[4]
Bielefeld is home to a significant number of internationally operating companies, including
History
Holy Roman Empire 1214–
Hanseatic League 14th century–
Berg (state)1346–
Margraviate of Brandenburg 1614–
Minden-Ravensberg 1719–1807
Kingdom of Westphalia
Kingdom of Prussia (Province of Westphalia) 1815–
Founded in 1214 by Count Hermann IV of
After the Cologne-Minden railway opened in 1849, the Bozi brothers constructed the first large mechanised spinning mill in 1851. The Ravensberg Spinning Mill was built from 1854 to 1857, and metal works began to open in the 1860s.[citation needed]
Founded in 1867 as a Bielefeld sewing machine repair company, Dürkoppwerke AG employed 1,665 people in 1892; it used
Between 1904 and 1930, Bielefeld grew, opening a rebuilt railway station, a municipal theatre, and finally, the
The town's
Due to the presence of a number of barracks built during the 1930s and its location next to the main East-West Autobahn in northern Germany, after World War II Bielefeld became a headquarters town for the fighting command of the
In 1973 the first villages on the south side of the Teutoburg Forest were incorporated.[citation needed]
Starting in 1994, the city has been featured in the humorous Bielefeld conspiracy which satirises conspiracy theories by claiming that Bielefeld does not exist.
Subdivisions
Bielefeld is subdivided into the following ten (10) districts:
- Bielefeld-Mitte (downtown)
- Brackwede
- Dornberg
- Gadderbaum
- Heepen
- Jöllenbeck
- Schildesche
- Senne
- Sennestadt
- Stieghorst
Climate
Bielefeld has an oceanic climate (Cfb). The average annual high temperature is 14 °C (57 °F), the annual low temperature is 6 °C (43 °F), and the annual precipitation is 483 millimetres (19.02 inches).
Climate data for Bielefeld | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5 (41) |
6 (43) |
10 (50) |
14 (57) |
19 (66) |
22 (72) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
19 (66) |
14 (57) |
9 (48) |
5 (41) |
14 (58) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0 (32) |
0 (32) |
2 (36) |
4 (39) |
8 (46) |
11 (52) |
13 (55) |
14 (57) |
11 (52) |
7 (45) |
3 (37) |
0 (32) |
6 (43) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 35.3 (1.39) |
35.5 (1.40) |
38.9 (1.53) |
35.4 (1.39) |
57.2 (2.25) |
36.2 (1.43) |
47.4 (1.87) |
41.9 (1.65) |
42.0 (1.65) |
31.6 (1.24) |
36.7 (1.44) |
44.9 (1.77) |
483 (19.01) |
Source: worldweatheronline.com |
Industry and education
Bielefeld was a linen-producing town, and in the early 1920s the Town's Savings Bank (Stadtsparkasse) issued money made of linen, silk and velvet. These items were known as 'stoffgeld'.
In addition to the manufacture of
Bielefeld University was founded in 1969. The first professors included the well-known German sociologist Niklas Luhmann. Other institutions of higher education include the Theological Seminary Bethel (Kirchliche Hochschule Bethel) and the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (German: Hochschule Bielefeld), which offers 21 courses in 8 different departments (agriculture and engineering are in Minden) and has been internationally recognized for its photography school.[15]
Demographics
Nationality | Population (31 December 2017) |
---|---|
Turkey | 11,429 |
Iraq | 5,561 |
Greece | 3,765 |
Poland | 3,546 |
Syria | 2,753 |
Serbia and Montenegro | 2,704 |
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1510 | 2,500 | — |
1718 | 2,967 | +18.7% |
1811 | 5,613 | +89.2% |
1871 | 21,803 | +288.4% |
1900 | 63,046 | +189.2% |
1919 | 79,049 | +25.4% |
1925 | 86,062 | +8.9% |
1933 | 121,031 | +40.6% |
1939 | 129,466 | +7.0% |
1946 | 132,276 | +2.2% |
1961 | 175,517 | +32.7% |
1970 | 168,937 | −3.7% |
1987 | 305,566 | +80.9% |
2011 | 326,870 | +7.0% |
2018 | 333,786 | +2.1% |
source:[17][circular reference] |
Politics
Mayor
The current Mayor of Bielefeld is Pit Clausen of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), who was elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2014 and 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows:
Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
Pit Clausen | Social Democratic Party | 53,836 | 39.7 | 57,803 | 56.1 | |
Ralf Nettelstroth | Christian Democratic Union | 39,782 | 29.3 | 45,246 | 43.9 | |
Kerstin Haarmann | Alliance 90/The Greens | 16,903 | 12.5 | |||
Jan Maik Schlifter | Free Democratic Party | 6,984 | 5.1 | |||
Onur Ocak | The Left | 5,503 | 4.1 | |||
Florian Sander | Alternative for Germany | 4,708 | 3.5 | |||
Lena Oberbäumer | Die PARTEI | 2,799 | 2.1 | |||
Rainer Ludwig | League of Free Citizens | 1,612 | 1.2 | |||
Gordana Rammert | Pirate Party Germany | 1,206 | 0.9 | |||
Sami Elias | Alliance for Innovation and Justice | 1,204 | 0.9 | |||
Michael Gugat | Local Democracy in Bielefeld | 958 | 0.7 | |||
Valid votes | 135,765 | 99.4 | 103,049 | 99.4 | ||
Invalid votes | 812 | 0.6 | 612 | 0.6 | ||
Total | 136,577 | 100.0 | 103,661 | 100.0 | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 254,778 | 53.6 | 254,757 | 40.7 | ||
Source: State Returning Officer |
City council
The Bielefeld city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
Party | Votes | % | +/- | Seats | +/- | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 37,503 | 27.7 | 2.5 | 18 | 2 | |
Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 33,716 | 24.9 | 5.9 | 16 | 4 | |
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 30,166 | 22.3 | 6.4 | 15 | 4 | |
Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 9,529 | 7.0 | 4.1 | 5 | 3 | |
The Left (Die Linke) | 8,278 | 6.1 | 1.2 | 4 | 1 | |
Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 4,630 | 3.4 | New | 2 | New | |
Die PARTEI (PARTEI) | 3,936 | 2.9 | New | 2 | New | |
League of Free Citizens (BfB) | 2,161 | 1.6 | 6.9 | 1 | 5 | |
Close to the Citizens (Bürgernähe) | 1,662 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1 | ±0 | |
Alliance for Innovation and Justice (BIG) | 1,339 | 1.0 | New | 1 | New | |
Local Democracy in Bielefeld (LiB) | 1,284 | 0.9 | New | 1 | New | |
Independent Citizens' Forum (UBF) | 505 | 0.4 | New | 0 | New | |
Citizens' Movement for Civil Courage (BBZ) | 444 | 0.3 | New | 0 | New | |
Independent Jürgen Zilke | 13 | 0.0 | New | 0 | New | |
Valid votes | 135,166 | 99.0 | ||||
Invalid votes | 1,319 | 1.0 | ||||
Total | 136,485 | 100.0 | 66 | ±0 | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 254,778 | 53.6 | 2.6 | |||
Source: State Returning Officer |
Transport
Two major
Bielefeld has a small airstrip, Flugplatz Bielefeld,[19] in the Senne district but is mainly served by the three larger airports nearby, Paderborn Lippstadt Airport, Münster Osnabrück Airport and Hannover Airport.
Bielefeld boasts a well-developed public transport system, served mainly by the companies moBiel[20] (formerly Stadtwerke Bielefeld – Verkehrsbetriebe) and "BVO".[21] The Bielefeld Stadtbahn has four major lines and regional trains connect different parts of the city with nearby counties. Buses also run throughout the area.
Main sights
Sparrenburg Castle is Bielefeld's characteristic landmark. It was built between 1240 and 1250 by Count Ludwig von Ravensberg. The 37-metre-high (121 ft) tower and the catacombs of the castle are open to the public.
The Old City Hall (Altes Rathaus) was built in 1904 and still serves the same function. Its façade reflects the so-called
The City Theatre (Stadttheater) is part of the same architectural ensemble as the Old City Hall, also built in 1904. It has a notable
The oldest city church is Altstädter Nicolaikirche. It is a Gothic
The largest church is the Neustädter Marienkirche, a Gothic hall church dating back to 1293, completed 1512. It stands 78 m (256 ft) tall and has a length of 52 m (171 ft). Historically speaking, this building is considered to be the most precious possession of the town. It was the starting point of the
Bielefeld is also the seat of the two largest
Other important cultural sights of the region are the art museum (Kunsthalle), the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle concert hall, and the city's municipal botanical garden (Botanischer Garten Bielefeld). Bielefeld is home to the widely known Bielefelder Kinderchor, founded in 1932 by Friedrich Oberschelp as the first mixed children's choir in Germany. It became famous for its recordings and concerts of traditional German Christmas carols, filling the Rudolf-Oetker-Halle several times each season. Foreign tours have taken the choir to many European countries, and also the U.S. and Japan.
On
Sport
Bielefeld is home to the professional
Bielefeld is home to the Radrennbahn Bielefeld bike racing track.[citation needed]
Notable people
Born before 1900
- Johann Christoph Hoffbauer (1766–1827), philosopher
- Christian Friedrich Nasse (1778–1851), psychiatrist
- August Krönig (1822–1879), chemist and physicist
- Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, Senior(1831–1910), second boss of the "Evangelischen Heil- und Pflegeanstalt für Epileptische" (Protestant Sanatorium for Epileptics) (1874 renamed into "Bethel")
- Wilhelmine Lohmann (1872-?), German teacher, social worker, and temperance leader
- Friedrich von Bodelschwingh (1877–1946) (named after F. v. Bodelschwingh Senior), Protestant theologian, third boss of the von Bodelschwinghsche Anstalten (later renamed into von Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen)
- Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau(1888–1931), German film director
- Hermann Stenner (1891–1914), early Expressionist painter
Born 1900–1950
- Erich Consemüller (1902–1957), Bauhaus-trained architect and photographer
- Heinz Klingenberg (1905–1959), actor
- Horst Wessel (1907–1930), SA leader, author of the Horst-Wessel-Song
- Hermann Paul Müller (1909–1975), racing driver
- Veronica Carstens (1923–2012), medical doctor, wife of Karl Carstens
- Hajo Meyer (1924–2014), German-Dutch physicist and author
- Werner Lueg (1931–2014), athlete
- Rüdiger Nehberg (1935–2020), survival expert and activist for human rights
- Christian Tümpel (1937–2009), art historian
- Klaus Hildebrand (born 1941), historian
- Klaus Kobusch (born 1941), cyclist
- Hannes Wader (born 1942), musician and songwriter
- Bernhard Schlink (born 1944), professor of jurisprudence and author
- Ulrich Wessel (1946–1975), member of the Red Army Faction
- Aleida Assmann (born 1947), anglist, egyptologist and literary and cultural scientist
- Irmgard Möller (born 1947), member of the Red Army faction
- Johannes Friedrich (born 1948), Lutheran Protestant theologian
- Hans-Werner Sinn (born 1948), economist and president of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research
Born 1951 and later
- Richard Oetker (born 1951), entrepreneur Dr. Oetker
- Allianz SE
- Annette Groth (born 1954), politician (The Left)
- Erich Marks (born 1954), educator
- Christina Rau (born 1956), political scientist and widow of the Federal President Johannes Rau
- Klaus Tscheuschner (born 1956), Lord Mayor of the City of Flensburg
- Rolf Kanies (born 1957), film and theater actor
- Karoline Linnert (born 1958), politician (The Greens)
- Ingolf Lück (born 1958), actor, synchronizer, presenter, comedian and director
- Bertelsmann AG
- Ralf Ehrenbrink (born 1960), versatility rider
- Hartmut Schick (born 1960), musicologist
- Olaf Hampel (born 1965), bob driver
- Anja Feldmann (born 1966), computer scientist
- Oliver Welke (born 1966), author, comedian, sports journalist and moderator
- Ruediger Heining (born 1968), agricultural scientist and economist
- Ingo Niermann (born 1969), writer, journalist and artist
- Ingo Oschmann (born 1969), comedian, entertainer and magician
- Nina George (born 1973), writer and journalist
- Florian Panzner (born 1976), actor
- Lisa Middelhauve (born 1980), metal singer
- Lena Goeßling (born 1986), women's association football player for Germany women's national football team and VfL Wolfsburg (women)
- Aylin Tezel (born 1983), German actress
- Mieke Kröger (born 1993), cyclist
Twin towns – sister cities
Bielefeld is twinned with:[24]
- Concarneau, France
- Estelí, Nicaragua
- Nahariya, Israel
- Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
- Rzeszów, Poland
- Veliky Novgorod, Russia
References
- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 19 June 2021.
- Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- ^ "Aktuelle Einwohnerzahlen". Bielefeld.de. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Hiking in NRW: Hermannsweg". Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ Hamburgh Mail, The Times 14 December 1816
- ^ The Times, 9 November 1809; Letters to the Editor
- ^ The Times, 26 August 1815; News
- ^ "Bielefeld – History". Bielefeld.de. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- ^ Many examples can be found on the "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) website, where a new catalogue listing all the variants of different coloured borders and edges made on the 100m piece is being compiled. - ^ "Veterans History Project". Central Connecticut State University. 24 February 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ McKillop, October 1944
- ^ "War Diary December 1944". Bomber Command 60th Anniversary. Raf.mod.uk. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ McKillop, January 1945
- ^ "University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld". Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
- ^ "Aktuelle Einwohnerzahlen". Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ Link
- ^ "Bielefeld: Stations". Travelinho.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Flugplatz Bielefeld". Flugplatz-bielefeld.de. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ "Startseite – moBiel.de".
- ^ eCommerce, Deutsche Bahn AG, Unternehmensbereich Personenverkehr, Marketing. "Ostwestfalen-Lippe-Bus".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "CLUB OVERVIEW | SEASON 2020–2021". Bundesliga. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Stadion". arminia-bielefeld.de (in German). Arminia Bielefeld. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Städtepartnerschaften". bielefeld.de (in German). Bielefeld. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
External links
External images | |
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Bielefeld, Germany Live webcam |
Media related to Bielefeld at Wikimedia Commons