Olpe (German pronunciation: [ˈɔlpə]) is a Kreis (district) in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Märkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis.
Olpe | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Adm. region | Arnsberg |
| Capital | Olpe |
| Government | |
| • District admin. | Theo Melcher (CDU) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 710.7 km2 (274.4 sq mi) |
| Population (31 December 2023)[1] | |
| • Total | 134,332 |
| • Density | 190/km2 (490/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Vehicle registration | OE |
| Website | www |
History
editThe district was created in 1817 as Kreis Bilstein, in 1819 the capital was set to be Olpe. During the reorganization of the districts in 1969 several of the municipalities in the district were merged to become cities, however the district itself was only modified minimally, and also in the second reorganization 1974 it stayed nearly in the same borders as in 1817.
Geography
editGeographically it covers the south-western part of the Sauerland mountains, which make the district rich in forests. The main river through the district is the Lenne.
Schützenbund
editThe Kreisschützenbund Olpe performs the Kreisschützenfest.[2]
Coat of arms
editThe left half of the coat of arms show the cologne cross, as the Olpe area belonged to the bishops of Cologne. The right side show the sign of the Lords of Fürstenberg, who were governors for the bishops in this area.
Towns and municipalities
edit
| Towns | Municipalities |
|---|---|
References
edit- ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2023 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ "Vereine im Kreisschützenbund Olpe". Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
External links
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Media related to Kreis Olpe at Wikimedia Commons