Herford

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Herford (disambiguation).
Herford
Coat of arms Location
Coat of arms of Herford
Herford (Germany)
Herford
Administration
Country Flag of Germany Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region Detmold
District Herford
Town subdivisions 12
Mayor Bruno Wollbrink (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area 78.95 km² (30.5 sq mi)
Elevation 56-240 m
Population 65,060  (31/12/2006)
 - Density 824 /km² (2,134 /sq mi)
Founded 789
Other information
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate HF
Postal codes 32049, 32051, 32052
Area code 05221
Website www.herford.de

Coordinates: 52°8′0″N 8°41′0″E / 52.13333, 8.68333

Herford (IPA: [ˈhɛʁfɔʁt]) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the mountain chains of the Wiehengebirge and the Teutoburg Forest. It is the capital of the district of Herford.

Contents

[edit] Geography

[edit] Geographic location

The previously Hanseatic city of Herford is situated in the mountain chains south of the Wiehengebirge (Ravensberger Hügelland). The highest place is the Dornmountain (240 m) in the Schwarzenmoor district; the lowest point (56 m) is located in the Werretal in the Falkendiek district. The River Aa joins the river Werre in the center of the city. The Stuckenberg is located east of the city.

[edit] Neighbouring cities

[edit] Districts

  • Altstädter Feldmark
  • Neustädter Feldmark
  • Radewiger Feldmark
  • Diebrock¹
  • Eickum¹
  • Elverdissen¹
  • Falkendiek¹
  • Herringhausen¹
  • Laar¹
  • Schwarzenmoor¹
  • Stedefreund¹

[edit] Culture and sights

[edit] Museums

Herforder Münster
Herforder Münster

The MARTa Herford, a museum for contemporary art and design directed by Jan Hoet and designed by Frank Gehry, has been open to the public since May 2005. Its exhibits change regularly.

The Daniel-Pöppelmann-Haus in Herford explores the history of the city, and the Memorial and Meeting Place Cell Block, in the basement of the city hall, documents the persecution and the obliteration of minorities. Moreover, the municipal administration intends to construct a museum of city history next to the city hall and the Münster church.

[edit] Music and theatre

The Stadttheater (Municipal theatre) provides seats for 706 viewers and it is served by visiting groups. Several halls and rooms are available at StadtPark/Schützenhof.

[edit] Events at regular intervals

  • Easter Fair around Easter (Oster-Kirmes)
  • Jazz Festival May - Performances of different jazz artists in a couple of bars
  • Organ Summer
  • Vision's Fair June
  • Summer Stage Summer (Sommerbühne) - Concerts at the square between city hall and market hall
  • Hoekerfest August - Municipal festival with plenty of events in the city centre
  • City Fair October - In the city centre
  • Herbstzeitlos (Autumnally timeless) Autumn - Exhibition at the former depot site
  • Wine Festival Autumn - At Gänsemarkt
  • Christmas Lights December - Municipal Christmas fair (Weihnachtsmarkt)

[edit] Sights

  • The Münsterkirche (Herford Munster) is a late Romanesque hall church, built about 1220-1250 for the Fürstabtei Herford (Herford monastery). It is one of the earliest hall churches in Germany
  • The Jakobikirche (Radewiger Kirche) is a late Gothic hall church
  • St. Johannis (Neustädter Kirche) is a late Gothic hall church
  • St. Marien auf dem Berge (Herforder Marienkirche) is also a late Gothic hall church It was completed about 1325/50 and part of a monastery
  • Town hall, built 1913-16 by Paul Kanold in Neo-Baroque forms
  • Neustädter Rathaus (former town hall), built 1600, later destroyed, 1988/89 reconstructed
  • Remensnider-Haus, Brüderstraße 26, a late Gothic timber framed building from 1521
  • Kantorhaus, Elisabethstraße 2, a timber framed building, about 1484/1494
  • Holland 21, timber framed building, 1554
  • Holland 39, timber framed building, 1559
  • Bürgermeisterhaus, Höckerstraße 4, a late Gothic stone building from 1538 with a stepped gable similar to houses in Münster and Bielefeld
  • Frühherrenstraße 11, a Renaissance building, 1591
  • Wulfert-Haus, Neuer Markt 2 with a brick-built Renaissance gable, 1560

[edit] History

The town was founded in 789 by Charlemagne in order to guard a ford crossing the narrow Werre river. A century later, Matilda, daughter of Theudebert, duke of Saxony, grew up in the abbey of Herford; she was a descendant of the Saxon leader Widukind. In Herford she met Henry the Fowler, who later became king of Germany.

In late medieval times Herford was a member of the Hanseatic League. It was a Free Imperial City, i.e. it was directly subordinated to the emperor. This status was lost after the Peace of Westphalia (1648), when Herford was annexed by Brandenburg-Prussia. It was administered within the Province of Westphalia following the Napoleonic Wars, and made part of the new state North Rhine-Westphalia after World War II.

[edit] Military

Herford is the location of the 1st Armoured Division and the headquarters of the British Forces Germany. There is also a telecommunications office in the town. Currently there are 870 soldiers serving at the three camps. Including the civil staff and the families, 2200 British people live in Herford.

The Wentworth barracks are the German station of the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).

[edit] Connections

Herford is twinned with:

City-friendships include:

[edit] Born in Herford

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor (after 1400) Holy Roman Empire — Imperial abbeys of the Rhenish College
Imperial abbeys and colleges
(Reichsabteien, Reichsklöster
und Reichsstifte)
Ecclesiastical states of the Holy Roman Empire, 1648
Imperial provostries and
priories (Reichspropsteien)
Klingenmünster • St. Bartholomäus
Imperial charterhouse
(Reichskartause)
* Also a Prince of the Empire     † Also in Swabian College

kighjgjjjjh

[edit] References

This article is based on a translation of an article from the German Wikipedia.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
Towns and municipalities in Herford (district)
Coat of Arms of Herford district