Bielefeld
Old Townhall
Coat of arms	Location
Administration
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Detmold
District	Urban district
City subdivisions	10 districts
Mayor	Eberhard David (CDU)
Basic statistics
Area	257. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen usually shortened to NRW, official short form NW is the westernmost and - in terms of population and economic output - the A Regierungsbezirk is a type of government region of Germany, a subdivision of certain federal states ( ''Bundesländer'') Detmold (ˈdɛtmɔlt is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north-east of the state German districts (de ''Kreise'' or de ''Landkreise'' in the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schleswig-Holstein, singular de ''Kreis'' and de ''Landreis'' This is a list of urban districts in Germany. Germany is divided into 429 districts (not to be confused with the larger Regierungsbezirk) these consist Burgomaster (alternatively spelled Burgo[[meister]], literally translated meaning master of the town or master of the Fortress The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest Political party in Germany. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 8 km² (99. 5 sq mi)
Elevation	118 m  (387 ft)
Population	325,846  (31/12/2006)
- Density	1,264 /km² (3,274 /sq mi)
Founded	1214
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	BI
Postal codes	33501-33739
Area codes	0521, 05202-05209
Website	www.bielefeld.de
Districts of Bielefeld
Coordinates: 52°1′00″N 8°31′00″E / 52.016667, 8.516667

Bielefeld (IPA: [ˈbiːləfɛlt]) is a district-free town in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time German car number plates ( Kfz-Kennzeichen) show the place where the car carrying them is registered __FORCETOC__ Postal codes in Germany, Postleitzahl (plural Postleitzahlen abbreviated to PLZ consist of five digits which indicate the wider area (first two digits and the see also Telephone numbering in Germany for further codes including service numbers cell phones etc A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A Regierungsbezirk is a type of government region of Germany, a subdivision of certain federal states ( ''Bundesländer'') Detmold (ˈdɛtmɔlt is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the north-east of the state North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen usually shortened to NRW, official short form NW is the westernmost and - in terms of population and economic output - the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. It is located at 52°01′00″N, 08°31′00″E on both the western and eastern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest. The Teutoburg Forest (Teutoburger Wald is a range of low Forested Mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia With its population of 326,000, it is the biggest city of the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region. Ostwestfalen-Lippe (abbreviation OWL) is a region in the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany The current mayor is Eberhard David.

The name Bielefeld is derived from the old name bileveld, which means "hilly field". The city is situated below a pass separating the Northern and Southern Teutoburg Forest. In a range of hills or especially of mountains, a pass (also gap, notch, col, saddle, bwlch, The centre of Bielefeld is situated on the eastern side of the Teutoburg Forest, but the modern city incorporates boroughs on the opposite side and on the hilltops.

History

Bielefeld about 1895

Old Market Place (Alter Markt)

Bielefeld was founded in 1214 by Count Hermann IV of Ravensberg to guard a pass crossing the Teutoburg Forest. The County of Ravensberg (Grafschaft Ravensberg was a historical County of the Holy Roman Empire. The Teutoburg Forest (Teutoburger Wald is a range of low Forested Mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia Bielefeld was a minor member of the Hanseatic League since the 14th century, and profited greatly from its status as the "city of linen". The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. Sparrenberg Castle was built in the medieval town around 1250 and fortified in 1550. The Sparrenburg (actually Castle and Fortress Sparrenberg) is a restored fortress in the Bielefeld-Mitte district of Bielefeld, Germany It later decayed to the point of ruin, until the town purchased the ruins from the state and began rebuilding in 1879.

Ravensberg, including Bielefeld, was inherited by Berg in 1346. Berg was a medieval territory in today's North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The territory then passed to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in the 1614 Treaty of Xanten. The Margraviate of Brandenburg (Markgrafschaft Brandenburg was a major Principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 The Treaty of Xanten (Vertrag von Xanten was signed in the Lower Rhine town of Xanten on November 12, 1614 between Wolfgang William Duke of Palatinate-Neuburg Bielefeld was administered within Minden-Ravensberg from 1719–1807, after which it was part of the Kingdom of Westphalia. Minden-Ravensberg was a Prussian administrative unit consisting of the Principality of Minden and the County of Ravensberg from 1719&ndash1807 The Kingdom of Westphalia was a historical state that existed from 1807 - 1813 in parts of present-day Germany. Restored to the Kingdom of Prussia after the Napoleonic Wars, Bielefeld was subsequently administered within the Prussian province of Westphalia. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions The Province of Westphalia (Provinz Westfalen was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815-1946

Bielefeld began its industrial rise in the 1850s, after the new Cologne-Minden railway created a connection to the larger German and European rail network. 1851 saw the construction of the first large mechanised spinning mill in the town by the Bozi brothers, and later years witnessed the construction of additional mills, including the Ravensberg Spinning Mill, built between 1854 and 1857. In addition to these mills, metal works began to open in the 1860s.

Between 1904 and 1930, Bielefeld grew, opening a railway station, a municipal theatre, and, finally, the Rudolf Oetker-Halle concert hall, which was famous for its excellent acoustics ^[1]. The 1930s, as in much of Germany, saw the dissolution and the banning of democratic political parties, and the town's synagogue was burned in 1938.

During World War II, the Bielefeld railway viaduct was the first target to be attacked with Barnes Wallis' Grand Slam bomb by 617 ("Dambusters") squadron of the R.A.F. 1944 saw heavy bombing, leaving large areas of the town in rubble, while American troops entered the city in April 1945. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A viaduct is a Bridge composed of several small spans The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, CBE, Kt, FRS, RDI, FRAeS ( 26 September 1887  &ndash 30 October The Grand Slam was a 22000 lb Earth quake bomb used by RAF Bomber Command against strategic targets during the Second World War. No 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is better known as the "Dambusters" squadron

Industry

Major industries in Bielefeld currently include food processing, home appliance manufacture, information technology, and various heavy industries. Food is any substance usually composed primarily of Carbohydrates Fats water and/or Proteins that can be eaten or drunk by an Home appliances are electrical/mechanical Appliances which accomplish some Household functions such as Cooking or cleaning. Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to Light industry.

Bielefeld was the original home to the AG Dürkoppwerke company, which began in 1867 as a humble sewing machine repair company with only two employees ^[2]. The company developed its own sewing machine and expanded rapidly, moving into the production of bicycles and gas and kerosine engines. In 1892, the year of its 25th anniversary, the company employed 1,665 people. After continued growth and diversification through the early parts of the 20th century, the company switched to war production, building machine guns, grenades, and chassis for tanks This led to the bombing and destruction of the plant at the end of 1944. However, at the close of the war, production began again, with a focus on bicycles, motorcycles and household sewing machines. In 1990, the company merged with several other Bielefeld companies to form Dürkopp Adler AG.

The food manufacturer, Dr. Oetker, is an internationally operating corporation founded and based in Bielefeld. Dr Oetker is a German company that produces Baking powder, Cake mixes Yogurts, frozen pizza and Pudding. Other major companies traditionally based in or near Bielefeld are Möller Group (leather products and plastics) and Seidensticker (clothing and textiles).

Education

The Bielefeld University was founded in 1969. Bielefeld University (Universität Bielefeld is a University in Bielefeld, Germany. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Among its first professors was the notable contemporary German sociologist Niklas Luhmann. Niklas Luhmann ( December 8, 1927 - November 6, 1998) was a German Sociologist, administration expert and a prominent Other institutions of higher education include the Theological Seminary Bethel (Kirchliche Hochschule Bethel) and the Fachhochschule (see Fachhochschule) which is internationally renowned for its fine education in photography and design. A Fachhochschule (plural Fachhochschulen) or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of University, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas Photography (fә'tɒgrәfi or fә'tɑːgrәfi (from Greek φωτο and γραφία is the process and Art of recording pictures by means of capturing Design is used both as a Noun and a Verb. The term is often tied to the various Applied arts and Engineering (See design disciplines

Urban Districts

In 1973 the first villages on the opposite side of the Teutoburg Forest were incorporated. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The current districts of the city are: Bielefeld-Mitte (downtown), Brackwede, Dornberg, Gadderbaum, Heepen, Jöllenbeck, Schildesche, Senne, Sennestadt and Stieghorst.

Traffic

Underground system in Bielefeld

Two major autobahns, the A 2 and A 33, intersect at the south east of Bielefeld. (German ˈaʊtoːbaːn plural Autobahnen; English /ˈɔːtəʊbɑːn/ is the German word for a major high- Speed Road restricted to motor is an Autobahn in Germany that connects the Ruhr area in the west to Berlin in the east Route The A 33 begins to the east of Osnabrück in Schinkel, crossing over the A 30 to Osnabrück Süd running through Georgsmarienhütte The Ostwestfalendamm expressway connects the two parts of the city naturally divided by the Teutoburg Forest. The main railroad station of Bielefeld is part of the German ICE high-speed railroad system. The InterCityExpress or ICE (German pronunciation) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries Bielefeld has a small airstrip in the Senne district, but is mainly served by the two larger airports nearby, Paderborn-Lippstadt and Münster-Osnabrück.

Bielefeld boasts a well developed public transport system, served mainly by the companies moBiel (formerly Stadtwerke Bielefeld - Verkehrsbetriebe) and BVO. An underground with four major lines and regional trains connect different parts of the city with nearby counties. Also, Buses run throughout the entire vicinity.

Sights

Sparrenburg Castle

Neustädter Marienkirche

Sparrenburg Castle is the most famous landmark. The Sparrenburg (actually Castle and Fortress Sparrenberg) is a restored fortress in the Bielefeld-Mitte district of Bielefeld, Germany It was built between 1240 and 1250 by Count Ludwig von Ravensberg. The County of Ravensberg (Grafschaft Ravensberg was a historical County of the Holy Roman Empire. The 37 m (121 ft) high tower and the catacombs of the castle are open to the public. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit

The Old City Hall (Altes Rathaus) was built in 1904 and still serves the same function. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on On its facade on can find various architectural styles, including elements of the Gothic style and of the Renaissance. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Though the mayor still holds office in the Old City Hall, the most of the city's administration is housed in the adjacent New City Hall (Neues Rathaus).

The City Theater (Stadttheater) is part of the same architectural ensemble as the Old City Hall, also built in 1904. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on It has a notable Jugendstil facade. Art Nouveau ( nu vo anglicised /ˈɑːt nuːvəu/ ( French for 'new art' also known as Jugendstil ( German for 'youth style' is an international It is Bielefeld's largest theater; another theater (Theater am Alten Markt) resides in the former town hall building on the Old Marketplace (Alter Markt), which also has a row of restored 16th and 17th century townhouses with noteworthy late Gothic and Weser Renaissance style facades (Bürgerhäuser am Alten Markt). Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe in which there was a

The oldest city church is Altstädter Nicolaikirche. It is a Gothic hall church with a height of 81. A hall church is a church with Nave and side Aisles of approximately equal height often united under a single immense roof 5 m (267 ft). It was founded in 1236 by the Bishop of Paderborn, and enlarged at the beginning of the 14th century. The Bishopric of Paderborn (Fürstbistum Paderborn was a Prince-bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire from 1281 to 1802 The church was damaged in World War II and later rebuilt. Three times a day, a carillon can be heard. A carillon (/kaʁijɔ̃/ /ˈkærɪljɒn/ or /kəˈrɪljən/ is a Musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells which are played The most valuable treasure of this church is a carved altar from Antwerp, decorated with 250 figures. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the A small museum housed within illustrates the history of the church up to World War II.

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 (161 ft). Historically speaking, this building is the most precious. It was the starting point of the Protestant Reformation in Bielefeld in 1553. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time A valuable wing-altar with 13 pictures, known as the Marienaltar is also kept inside. The baroque spires were destroyed in World War II, and later replaced by two unusually-shaped "Gothic" clocktowers. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building particularly a church Tower.

Bielefeld is also the seat of the two largest Protestant social welfare establishments (Diakonie) in Europe, the von Bodelschwingsche Anstalten Bethel and the Evangelisches Johanneswerk. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. "Social welfare" redirects here For other uses see Welfare A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide

Other important cultural sights of the region are the art museum (Kunsthalle) and the Rudolf Oetker concert hall (Rudolf-Oetker-Halle).

On Hünenburg, there is an observation tower, next to a 164 meters (538 ft. Hünenburg Observation Tower is a 40 metre tall observation tower on Hünenburg at Bielefeld ) high broadcast tower.

Trivia

Regional Superior Court in Bielefeld

Stadium "Schüco Arena" (traditional: "Alm")

• The original name of the Teutoburg Forest was Osning. The SchücoArena (old name Stadion Alm / Bielefelder Alm) is a football Stadium in Bielefeld, Germany. During the rise of German nationalism around 1848/1849, people became aware of the reference in Tacitus's Annals I 60, which refers to a defeat of the Roman army at saltus Teutoburgiensis. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. The Annals, or in Latin, Annales, is a history book by Tacitus covering the reign of the four Roman Emperors succeeding The similarity resulted in the renaming for "patriotic" reasons, while the actual site is now believed to have been about 40 km (25 miles) north, near Osnabrück. Osnabrück (ɔsnaˈbʁʏk is a City in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due The details of what is known as the Varus Battle are currently subject to archaeological debates. The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in the year 9 A
• The altarpiece of the Bielefeld church Neustädter Marienkirche from around 1400 is among the most prominent masterpieces of artwork of the German Middle Ages. Two of the altarpieces, The Flagellation and The Crucifixion are now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous
• Being a strategically highly important point of the traffic connection between Ruhrgebiet and Berlin, the first ten tonne Grand Slam bomb, the largest conventional bomb of World War II, was dropped by the No. 617 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force on the railroad viaduct of Bielefeld shortly before Germany surrendered. The Ruhr Area, ( German Ruhrgebiet, colloquial Ruhrpott, Kohlenpott or Revier) is an Urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The Grand Slam was a 22000 lb Earth quake bomb used by RAF Bomber Command against strategic targets during the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including No 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is better known as the "Dambusters" squadron The viaduct has been rebuilt with a different design.
• Among German netizens, especially on the Usenet, a running gag is the claim that Bielefeld does not exist. A Netizen (a Portmanteau of Internet and Citizen) or cybercitizen is a person actively involved in Online communities Usenet, a Portmanteau of "user" and "network" is a world-wide distributed Internet discussion system This is known as the "Bielefeld Conspiracy". The Bielefeld Conspiracy (in German Bielefeldverschwörung) is a Running gag among German Internet users especially in the German Usenet
• In 1923, during the inflation in the Weimar Republic, Bielefeld, along with several thousand other German towns, issued Notgeld (emergency money). Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The inflation in the Weimar Republic was a period of Hyperinflation in Germany (the Weimar Republic) during 1921-1923 Due to inflation, this money was hardly worth the paper it was printed on, but it became popular with collectors, and towns vied to print and sell as much currency on the collector market as possible through attractive designs. Bielefeld raised the bar and became one of the most popular (and collectable) issuers by printing banknotes on silk, leather, linen, wood, velvet and other materials. A banknote (often known as a bill, paper money or simply a note) is a kind of Negotiable instrument, a Promissory note made by a

Twinning

Bielefeld's twin towns are:

• Concarneau, Finistère, Bretagne - France
• Enniskillen, United Kingdom
• Rochdale, United Kingdom
• Rzeszów, Podkarpackie - Poland
• Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod Oblast - Russia
• Nahariya, North District - Israel

References

1. ^ Bielefeld - History
2. ^ http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.andreas-janda.de/freizeit/home/duerkopp/duerkoppwerke.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DD%25C3%25BCrkopp-Werke%26hl%3Den

External links

• Official Bielefeld homepage
• Live webcam of the central plaza Jahnplatz of Bielefeld
• Deutsche Welle - Conspiracy Theory: Bielefeld does not exist

Photos

• Europe Pictures - Bielefeld