Diepholz () is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
,
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 betwee ...
. It is bounded by (from the northeast and clockwise) the districts of
Verden,
Nienburg,
Minden-Lübbecke (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 state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...
),
Osnabrück,
Vechta and
Oldenburg, and by the cities of
Delmenhorst and
Bremen
Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...
. The most populous municipality is
Stuhr at the border to
Bremen
Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...
.
History
From the 12th century to 1585 Diepholz was a sovereign
Noble Lordship, later County, within the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
that was ruled over by the
Noble Lords, later Counts, of Diepholz. At the beginning of the 16th century there was great pressure from the powerful duchy of
Brunswick-Lüneburg, which tried to annex the smaller states. By forming an alliance with the neighbouring
County of Hoya
The County of Hoya (German: ''Grafschaft Hoya'') was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Lower Saxony. It was centered on the town of Hoya on the middle Weser river, between Bremen and Nienburg; the area now ...
and asking for help from the
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
himself the state of Diepholz managed to survive some more decades. In 1585 the ruling family became extinct, and Diepholz was eventually annexed by Brunswick-Lüneburg.
In 1932, the district of Grafschaft Diepholz (County of Diepholz) was established by merging the former districts of Diepholz and Sulingen. The former district of Diepholz was roughly identical to the medieval state, while the Sulingen district had been a part of the County of Hoya.
The present district of Diepholz was formed in 1977 by merging the former district of Grafschaft Diepholz (County of Diepholz) with parts of the former district of Grafschaft Hoya (County of Hoya), while the town
Hoya itself became part of the district
Nienburg.
Geography
The district extends from the southern outskirts of Bremen to the border of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the south there is the
Dümmer, a lake with an area of 16 km
2, which is surrounded by fens. Many rare bird species breed in the reeds around the lake. The northern portions of the district are occupied by forests and agricultural lands.
Coat of arms
The lion is taken from the original arms of the Count of Diepholz. The bear claws are from the arms of Count of Hoya. This combination symbolizes the merger of County of Diepholz and County of Hoya in 1977.
Cities and municipalities
References
External links
*
Pictures from Diepholz
Lake Dümmer
historical pictures of Diepholz
{{Authority control
Districts of Lower Saxony