Bad Driburg () is a town and

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

Höxter Höxter () is a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the left bank of the river Weser, 52 km north of Kassel in the centre of the Weser Uplands. The main town's population is around 15,000, and with outlying centres, about 30,0 ...

district in

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, situated on the river Aa and the

Altenbeken–Kreiensen railway The Altenbeken–Kreiensen railway is part of a former long-distance route in Germany from the Ruhr area via Altenbeken, Höxter-Ottbergen, Holzminden, Kreiensen and Seesen towards Berlin. The once continuous double track main line railway is n ...

Geography

Bad Driburg lies on the eastern slopes of the

Eggegebirge The Egge Hills (german: Eggegebirge, ), or just the Egge (''die Egge'') is a range of forested hills, up to , in the east of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Geography The Egge extends from the southern tip of the Teutoburg Forest ra ...

which is roughly 20 km east of

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...

Constituent communities

Bad Driburg consists of 10 districts: * Alhausen * Driburg * Dringenberg with Siebenstern * Erpentrup * Herste * Kühlsen * Langeland * Neuenheerse * Pömbsen with Bad Hermannsborn * Reelsen

History

Prehistory

Archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

finds bear witness to settlement in the Driburg area between about 3000 and 1800 BC, in the Middle and New

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...

. Further important finds from the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

attest to quite a high culture living in the area between about 1800 and 600 BC.

Ancient times

Finds of

potsherd In archaeology, a sherd, or more precisely, potsherd, is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments of stone and glass vessels, as well. Occasionally, a piece of broken p ...

s and above all

coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

s dating up to AD 15 show at least that there was peaceful trade between the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and the

Cherusci The Cherusci were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the plains and forests of northwestern Germany in the area of the Weser River and present-day Hanover during the first centuries BC and AD. Roman sources reported they considered themsel ...

, a Germanic tribe living in the area in antiquity.

Middle Ages

In 772,

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

began military operations against the

Saxons The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

. Shortly thereafter, one of the churches consecrated to

Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...

was built on the Iburg. This is one of the oldest churches in historic Saxony. In 868, the

Bishop of Paderborn The Archdiocese of Paderborn is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn.free court until 1765. On 10 April 1345, Bishop Balduin of Paderborn renewed Driburg's town rights. In 1444, Otto Duke of Braunschweig (Brunswick) destroyed Schloß Iburg (castle) and had it razed.

Modern era

Graeflicher Park Bad Driburg Einfahrt Brunnenstrasse

About 1500 came the beginnings of

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

works around Driburg. In 1593, the ''Driburger Heilquellen'' (healing springs) were once more made usable. In the next century, two town fires in relatively quick succession—in 1680 and again in 1683—burnt the town to the ground. The 18th century brought the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

between 1756 and 1763, which left a wake of death and destruction. The ''Franzosengrab'' ("Frenchmen's Grave") on Brunnenstraße recalls the many victims of the fighting and epidemics. On 9 May 1781 or 5 April 1782, the Brunswick ''Oberjägermeister'' (roughly "High Hunting Master"), Caspar Heinrich von Sierstorpff, founded the Driburg spa, which is still owned today by his descendants, the counts von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff. In 1803, Driburg passed to

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

, and its old connection to the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn was dissolved. This same year, the Neuenheerse convent became an accommodation centre for needy noblewomen of all denominations. In 1809, Driburg's

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish community had its own small

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

, followed in 1905 by its own private school. In 1810, after almost a thousand years, the Neuenheerse convent was at last dissolved. In 1813, the doctor, poet and politician Friedrich Wilhelm Weber, who wrote the epic ''Dreizehnlinden'' was born in Alhausen (he died in

Nieheim Nieheim () is a town in Höxter (district), Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Historical names of Nieheim are: Nihem, Nyem, and Nym. The town covers an area of about 80 km2 and has about 6,250 inhabitants. Geography Nieh ...

in 1894). In 1864, Driburg was connected to the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

network. In 1919, Driburg was granted the designation "Bad" in recognition of its being a spa town. In 1938, the synagogue was destroyed, and the Jewish townsfolk found themselves faced with a time of hardship and persecution under the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

. Towards the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, on 5 April 1945, the town was taken over by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

troops. Bad Driburg was largely spared any great war damage. Between 1945 and 1950, the spa was commandeered by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Occupation authorities. The first postwar spa season came only in 1951. In 1970 came amalgamation with the heretofore independent communities of Alhausen, Erpentrup, Herste, Langeland, Pömbsen and Reelsen. In 1974 came government recognition as a spa town, although the town had been calling itself Bad Driburg for many years. In 1975 came further amalgamations as the town of Dringenberg and the communities of Kühlsen and Neuenheerse were merged into Bad Driburg. On 9 May 1981, the spa celebrated its bicentenary. Six years later, on 5 May 1987, the thermal boring was successfully completed. On 1 July 1990, Bad Driburg celebrated its 700-year town jubilee. On 27 March 1994, the "Driburg Therme" thermal baths opened.

Neuenheerse

In 868, a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

was established on the site of today's Neuenheerse by Luithard, the third

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, to foster the

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

of the

. The

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

was at first consecrated to

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

. The

sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

gathered many

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

s over the years, of which the most important were the bones of Saint Saturnina of Sains-les-Marquion, who became the convent's patron. File:Neuenheerse vom Netheberg.jpg, Neuenheerse from the Netheberg File:Neuenheerse.JPG, View of Neuenheerse File:Neuenheerse Antoniuskapelle.jpg, St. Anthony's Chapel (''Antoniuskapelle'') near Neuenheerse File:Neuenheerse Stiftskirche Turm.jpg, Convent church tower in Neuenheerse

Main sights

Buildings

*Saint Peter's and Paul's Catholic Parish Church was built in 1894-1897 from ''A. Güldenpfennig's'' plans. It is a three-naved

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

hall church with a transept. It is thoroughly complete with a

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...

, an

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

s and glazing from the time when it was built. There is also painting from 1909 in a Baroquelike

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

. A few pieces have been saved from the former church, among them the Romanesque

baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

(from about 1260), two

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

figures of the two

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

s from 1676, as well as the late (died 1463) capitular Heinrich von Driburg's gravestone. * The town's

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

is a late

classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

building from after 1860. *In the town core, which is made up of many new buildings, only a few

half-timbered Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...

buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries are still standing. *The ''Gräfliches Haus'' (roughly "Count's House") is a two-storey classicist stone building with an outside staircase from 1780, located in the Count's Park with its hotel, conference center and spa. It was here that

Beatrix of the Netherlands Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband ...

met her future husband

Claus von Amsberg Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his death in 2002 as the husband ...

for the first time on New Year's Eve 1962 at a dinner hosted by the count of Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff who was a distant relative of both of them. *There are heavily restored and made-over remains of the town wall at the so-called ''Mühlenpforte'' ("Mill Gate"). *Neuenheerse has a moat-ringed stately home (''Wasserschloss''). *The ''Stiftskirche St. Saturnina'' ("Convent church of St. Saturnina") in Neuenheerse (Eggedom), was built from 1100 to 1130, but was heavily damaged in a fire due to lightning in 1965. *The castle

Iburg Bad Iburg (; Westphalian: ''Bad Ibig'') is a spa town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Teutoburg Forest, 16 km south of Osnabrück. Bad Iburg is also the name of a municipality which includes ...

's ruins from the 8th century can be seen in Bad Driburg. Blick vom Rosenberg auf Alhausen

Museums

* ''Modellbahnschau MO187'', a

model railway Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale. The scale models include locomotives, rolling stock, streetcars, t ...

display in Bad Driburg's historic goods station.

Sports

Bilster Berg The Bilster Berg Drive Resort is a private motorsports club for automotive enthusiasts and manufacturers with a long motor racing circuit in , a district of the village of Bad Driburg in the Teutoburg Forest. The track is built on land formerly ...

Drive Resort is a motorsport racetrack designed by

Hermann Tilke Hermann Tilke (born 31 December 1954, in Olpe, Germany) is a German engineer, racing driver and circuit designer, who has designed numerous Formula One motor racing circuits. Racing During the 1980s, Tilke competed in touring car racing, mainly ...

, built on a former NATO Rhine Army facility. Opened in 2013, it operates as a country club and hosts

track day A track day is an organised event in which non-members are allowed to drive or ride around established motor racing circuits, or alternatively (though far less common) on closed or disused airfields. Most race tracks around the world now provide t ...

Cultural events

* Shooting festival of the Bad Driburg citizens' shooting guild (2nd weekend in July) * Shooting festival of the ''Schützenbruderschaft St. Fabian und Sebastian Neuenheerse e. V.'' ("Neuenheerse St. Fabian's and Sebastian's Marksmen's Brotherhood") (once a year in mid-August) *

Mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

race 'Iburg-Bergsprint' in June, part of the Challenge4MTB race series

Politics

Mayors

The mayor of Bad Driburg is Burkhard Deppe (CDU). He was elected in 2004 and reelected in 2009, 2014 and 2020. His predecessor was Karl-Heinz Menne (CDU), who was elected in 1999.

Town council

Coat of arms

Bad Driburg's civic

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

might heraldically be described thus: In azure a crenellated town wall and gate over which a crenellated tower Or, above the wall sinister a Latin cross Or. This tower has been a symbol of Driburg for almost 800 years, and it can even be seen on the "Driburg Pfennig", which was struck in 1215, and of which only two examples are known today. The cross stands for Paderborn, to which Bad Driburg once belonged. A similar coat of arms in gules (red) rather than azure (blue) was granted on 6 July 1908, but in 1973, the red was changed to blue, and the cross, formerly a

cross pattée A cross pattée, cross patty or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée (french: croix pattée, german: Tatzenkreuz), is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight ...

, became a

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

br>
This newer version was approved by the ''Regierungspräsident'' in Detmold on 9 May 1973.

Education

* Gem.

Grundschule Education in Germany is primarily the responsibility of individual German States of Germany, states (), with the federal government playing a minor role. Optional Kindergarten, Kindergarden (nursery school) education is provided for all child ...

* Katholische Grundschule * Katholische Grundschule Neuenheerse * Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Dringenberg * Städtische Grundschule * Städtisches Gymnasium * Gymnasium St. Xaver * Gymnasium St. Kaspar * Caspar-Heinrich-Schule Gemeinschafts-

Hauptschule A ''Hauptschule'' (, "general school") is a secondary school in Germany, starting after four years of elementary schooling (''Grundschule''), which offers Lower Secondary Education (Level 2) according to the International Standard Classification ...

der Stadt Bad Driburg * Friedrich-Wilhelm-Weber-

Realschule ''Realschule'' () is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), ...

der Stadt Bad Driburg * Städtische Schule für Lernbehinderte

Notable people

Friedrich Wilhelm Weber Friedrich Wilhelm Weber (25 December 1813 – 5 April 1894) was a German doctor, politician of the Prussian House of Deputies, and poet. Weber was born in Alshausen, near Bad Driburg, in Westphalia. His father was forester for the Count o ...

(1813–1894), doctor and poet of '' Dreizehnlinden '', member of the Prussian Landtag for the constituency Höxter / Warburg 1862-1893 *

Lilli Schwarzkopf Lilli Schwarzkopf (born 28 August 1983 in Novopokrovka, Kirghiz SSR) is a German heptathlete. Her first major global competition was the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, where she finished in 13th place. She won the bronze medal at the ...

(born 1983), heptathlete, lives in Bad Driburg (district Siebenstern), participated in the Olympic Summer Games 2008 in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

and 2012 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Town partnerships

The partnership with Uebigau (citizens' shooting guild) in southwestern

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

has existed since 1990.

References

External links

*
Official site

Bad Driburg in the ''Kulturatlas Westfalen''
{{Authority control Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia Spa towns in Germany Höxter (district) Holocaust locations in Germany