Unna

Unna
Unna
Town
	The Old Market in Unna
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location of Unna within Unna district
	Unna Unna
	Coordinates: 51°32′05″N 7°41′20″E / 51.53472°N 7.68889°E
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Arnsberg
District	Unna
Government
• Mayor (2020–25)	Dirk Wigant (CDU)
Area
• Total	88.52 km2 (34.18 sq mi)
Elevation	142 m (466 ft)
Population (2022-12-31)
• Total	60,892
• Density	690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	59423, 59425, 59427
Dialling codes	02303, 02308
Vehicle registration	UN
Website	www.unna.de

Unna (German pronunciation: [ˈʊna] ^ⓘ) is a city of around 59,000 people in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the seat of the Unna district.

The newly refurbished

Hamm, Düsseldorf and Wuppertal. There is also the Regional-Express 7 (Rhein-Münsterland-Express), which runs from Rheine via Cologne to Krefeld

.

Geography

Unna is situated on an ancient salt-trading route, the

Ruhrpott. The recreational district of Sauerland is nearby. The River Ruhr runs just south of Unna through Fröndenberg

, before heading through the main part of the Ruhr district.

Districts

Unna consists of the following districts:

Unna (city centre)
Königsborn
Massen
Afferde
Billmerich
Kessebüren
Mühlhausen and Uelzen
Lünern and Stockum
Hemmerde, Westhemmerde and Siddinghausen

Massen and Königsborn are former industrial and mining areas; the other districts have a more rural character.

History

The history of human settlement in what is now the city of Unna can be traced back to the Neolithic Era.

In the

archbishop-electorate of Cologne. Over the next few hundred years the town was repeatedly fought over, and burned down several times. In the 14th century the town became wealthy: a mint was established and regional trade blossomed. This is documented by the discovery of around 70 gold coins during excavation works in 1952. The coins originated from various countries and are thought to have been buried around 1375.^[3]

From the mid-15th century on, the city was a notable trade centre and member of the Hanseatic League. In 1597 more than half the population died of the Bubonic plague. In the early 17th century, the town changed hands several times in religious wars, and in 1666 fell under the control of Prussia. In the early 19th century, the primary character of the town started to change from agricultural to industrial, with improved communications by road, rail and waterways. Coal mining started in 1870, together with industries dependent on it. The population rose from around 2,500 at the start of the 19th century to 15,000 in 1900.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the city district Königsborn (then Bad Königsborn) gained prominence as a

health resort with mineral springs

. The cityscape of Königsborn still shows many historic buildings from that era, and the former spa gardens still serve as a recreation place for locals and tourists. In 2013, a geological survey showed that the mineral springs could still be used for health purposes.

During the

Second World War

, in 1943-45 there were major air attacks directed at the significant barracks and other military installations in the city. In the older part of the city, there are many half-timbered buildings built between the 16th and 19th centuries. Unna's economy was largely based on agriculture until the 19th century, when it became industrialised. After World War II, the artisan district which had survived bombing was largely torn down to make way for modern development; however many of the buildings have been restored.