Vlotho ([ˈfloːto] ) is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Vlotho | |
|---|---|
 Vlotho as seen from the castle on the Amthausberg | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Vlotho within Herford district  | |
  Vlotho  Vlotho | |
| Coordinates: 52°10′00″N 08°50′59″E / 52.16667°N 8.84972°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Detmold |
| District | Herford |
| Subdivisions | 4 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Rocco Wilken[1] (SPD) |
| Area | |
• Total | 76.92 km2 (29.70 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 109 m (358 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 18,403 |
| • Density | 240/km2 (620/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 32602 |
| Dialling codes | 05733 (Vlotho) 05228 (Exter) |
| Vehicle registration | HF |
| Website | www.vlotho.de |
Geography
editVlotho is located along the Weser river, south of the Wiehengebirge, bordering on the Ravensberger Hügelland in the west, Lipperland in the south, and the Weserbergland in the east. The Weser river runs through the city east to north and thus separates the northeast part of the town, Uffeln, from the rest of the city. The highest point is the Bonstapel at 342 m in the south-east.
Neighbouring municipalities
editVlotho borders on Herford and Löhne in the west, Bad Oeynhausen and Porta Westfalica (both Minden-Lübbecke district) in the north, Kalletal in the east, and Lemgo and Bad Salzuflen (both Lippe district) in the south.
Division of the town
edit- Exter
- Uffeln
- Valdorf
- Vlotho
History
editThe earliest historical records of Vlotho date back to the year 1185. In 1248, Vlotho gained the official status of a city, but this was subsequently lost due to depopulation resulting from pestilence and war. In the 17th century, Vlotho recovered as a location for industry, most notably paper.[citation needed] During the Thirty Years War, on 17 October 1638 Vlotho was the site of a battle, which resulted in a victory for an Imperial army under the command of Field Marshal Melchior, Count of Hatzfeldt over a Palatinate-Swedish army under the command of Charles Louis of Palatine.[3] In 1650, Vlotho regained the right to hold a market, and in 1719, became an independent city. A harbour was built and Vlotho became the location of cigar, machine, and textile industry. In 1875, Vlotho station was constructed, and in 1928, a bridge replaced the ferry across the Weser river. In 1969, the old city of Vlotho was unified with the communities of Exter and Valdorf. In 1973, Uffeln (formerly part of the district of Minden) joined Vlotho.
Economy
editA major part of the local economy is the emerging tourist industry. There is still some machine industry.
Sightseeing
edit- Vlotho castle from the 13th century
Notable people
edit- Ursula Haverbeck (1928–2024), Holocaust denier
- Helmut Rethemeier (born 1939), versatility rider, Olympian participant in 1976 (silver medal winner)
- Heinrich Adolf Rinne (1809–1868), doctor
- Axel Downard-Wilke (born 1966), transport planner and Wikipedian
Notes
edit- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.
- ^ "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 20 June 2024.
- ^ Guthrie 2003, pp. 72, 73.
References
edit- Guthrie, William P (2003), "Appendix F:The Action at Vlotho, October 17, 1638", The Later Thirty Years War: From the Battle of Wittstock to the Treaty of Westphalia, Contributions in Military Studies, vol. 222 (illustrated ed.), Greenwood Publishing Group, pp. 72, 73, ISBN 9780313324086
External links
edit
- Webcam overlooking the town centre (in German)
- Homepage of the yearly festival (in German)
- History of Vlotho and its surroundings (in German)
- Mendel-Grundmann-Gesellschaft e.V. Vlotho (in German)