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Höxter () is a town in eastern
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
on the left bank of the river
Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
, 52 km north of
Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
. It lies the heart of the
Weser Uplands The Weser Uplands (German: ''Weserbergland'', ) is a hill region in Germany, between Hannoversch Münden and Porta Westfalica, along the river Weser. The area reaches into three states, Lower Saxony, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Important ...
, and is the seat of the Höxter district. The district of Höxter has a population of 30,000, with the city itself making up around half of the population. Historical place names of Höxter are Hoxer and Huxaria.


Subdivisions

As part of North Rhine-Westphalia's municipal reforms, the collective municipality of Höxter came into being on 1 January 1970, formed out of the eleven communities of the former '' Amt'' of Höxter-Land, the main town, and the community of Bruchhausen from the former ''Amt'' of Beverungen. The communities voluntarily merged to pool their resources and establish a unified administration. The constituent communities are: *Albaxen *Bosseborn * Bödexen *Brenkhausen *Bruchhausen *Fürstenau *Godelheim *Lüchtringen *Lütmarsen *Ottbergen *Ovenhausen *Stahle


History

Höxter (
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
: Huxaria) in the time of
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
was a ''villa regia'', and was the scene of a
battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
between his forces and the
Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
. Under the protection of the Princely Abbey of Corvey it gradually increased in prosperity, and became the chief town of the principality of Corvey. Later it asserted its independence and joined the
Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...
.Kampschulte, ''Chronik der Stadt Höxter'' (Höxter, 1872) Höxter was located on the long distance trade-route known as ''
Hellweg In the Middle Ages, Hellweg was the official and common name given to main travelling routes in Germany. Their breadth was decreed as an unimpeded passageway a lance's width, about three metres, which the landholders, through which the Hellweg pa ...
''. Rivalry with Corvey Abbey and the nearby town known as Corvey increased, and in 1265, the burghers of Höxter allied themselves with the Bishop of
Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...
. Their troops destroyed the town of Corvey and damaged the abbey. Höxter was severely affected by the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
. In 1634, Imperial troops laid siege to the town in what became known as the ''Blutbad von Höxter'' (massacre of Höxter). After the
Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire ...
in 1648, it was united with Brunswick; in 1802, it passed to Nassau, and in 1807 to the
Kingdom of Westphalia The Kingdom of Westphalia was a client state of First French Empire, France in present-day Germany that existed from 1807 to 1813. While formally independent, it was ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte. It was named after Westphalia, ...
, after the dismemberment of which in 1814, it came into the possession of
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
. In 2005, an explosion within a house in the historic town centre damaged the town hall and many other significant buildings and resulted in three deaths.


Albaxen

Albaxen had its first documentary mention, under the name Albachtessen, on the occasion of the neighbouring
Corvey The Princely Abbey of Corvey ( or ) is a former Benedictine abbey and ecclesiastical principality now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was one of the half-dozen self-ruling '' princely abbeys'' of the Holy Roman Empire from the Late Middl ...
Abbey's founding in 822, and by 900, it was known by its current name. The Albaxen parish
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
was likewise first mentioned in the 9th century. The Tonenburg, a medieval building complex near Albaxen, was built in 1350 by Corvey Abbey.


Lüchtringen

In 854, Lüchtringen was first mentioned under the name Lutringi in Corvey Abbey's annals and belonged to the fourth archdeaconate of Höxter-Corvey of the
Bishopric of Paderborn The Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn () was an ecclesiastical principality (Hochstift) of the Holy Roman Empire from 1281 to 1802. History The Diocese of Paderborn was founded in 799 by Pope Leo III. In the early years it was subordinated to t ...
beginning in 1230. Before it became
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
n in 1813, Lüchtringen belonged to the
Principality of Orange-Nassau The House of Orange-Nassau (, ), also known as the House of Orange because of the prestige of the princely title of Orange, also referred to as the Fourth House of Orange in comparison with the other noble houses that held the Principality of O ...
in Fulda from 1803. In 1970, Lüchtringen lost its independence and became a constituent community of Höxter. Lüchtringen is North Rhine-Westphalia's easternmost community.


Economy

The town's main manufactured products are
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...
,
cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
,
cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
and
gutta-percha Gutta-percha is a tree of the genus ''Palaquium'' in the family Sapotaceae, which is primarily used to create a high-quality latex of the same name. The material is rigid, naturally biologically Chemically inert, inert, resilient, electrically n ...
latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...
, and shipping trade is a major source of income. Höxter is a
garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...
town, and the presence of the military plays a large role in the local economy.


Attractions

Höxter has a medieval town hall and historic houses with high gables and carved façades from the 15th and 16th centuries. Many of the buildings in this area were damaged or destroyed by the great explosion in 2005. Amongst the most well-known churches in Höxter is the
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
church of
Saint Kilian Kilian, also spelled Cillian or Killian (or alternatively ; , original Gaelic form Ceallach), was an Ireland, Irish missionary bishop and the Apostle of Franconia (now the northern part of Bavaria), where he began his labours in the latter half ...
, with a pulpit dating from 1595 and a font dating from 1631. The Weser is crossed here by a stone bridge about 150 m in length, erected in 1833. On the Brunsberg abutting the town is an old watchtower, said to be the remains of a fortress built by
Widukind Widukind, also known as Wittekind and Wittikund, was a leader of the Saxons and the chief opponent of the Frankish king Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 777 to 785. Charlemagne ultimately prevailed, organized Saxony as a Frankish provinc ...
's brother Bruno. Other attractions in Höxter include: *The
half-timbered Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
old town, built in
Weser Renaissance Weser Renaissance is a form of Northern Renaissance architectural style that is found in the area around the River Weser in central Germany and which has been well preserved in the towns and cities of the region. Background Between the star ...
style. Notable among these are the ''Adam-und-Eva-Haus'' and the old ''Dechanei'' (Deacon's House) on the marketplace, featuring over 60 carved rosettes. *''Schloss Corvey'', formerly
Corvey The Princely Abbey of Corvey ( or ) is a former Benedictine abbey and ecclesiastical principality now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was one of the half-dozen self-ruling '' princely abbeys'' of the Holy Roman Empire from the Late Middl ...
Abbey, lies on Höxter's outskirts on the bank of the Weser. The abbey church has a
Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid c ...
crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...
as well as an imposing
westwork A westwork (), forepart, avant-corps or avancorpo is the monumental, west-facing entrance section ("west front") of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers. The interior inc ...
. The poet Hoffmann von Fallersleben, who wrote ''
Das Lied der Deutschen The "", officially titled "", is a Germany, German poem written by August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben . A popular song which was made for the cause of creating a unified German state, it was adopted in its entirety in 1922 by the Weima ...
'', worked in the abbey as a librarian and is buried next to the church. *As part of the ''Erlebniswelt Renaissance'' ("Renaissance Adventure World"), there is a town walk with the theme "market", on which visitors may solve a murder case from 1617. *The ''Obermühle Höxter'' ("Höxter Upper Mill") is a former
watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as mill (grinding), milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in ...
that once belonged to Corvey Abbey. Today it houses the ''Mühlencafé''.


Government


Town council

The town council's 44 seats are apportioned as follows, in accordance with municipal elections held on 30 August 2009: * CDU: 17 seats * SPD: 14 seats * Greens: 3 seats * FDP: 4 seats *
DIE LINKE Die Linke (; ), also known as the Left Party ( ), is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The party was founded in 2007 as the result of the merger of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and Labour and Social Justice – The ...
: 1 seat *UWG (citizen's coalition): 5 seats


Mayor

The mayor is Daniel Hartmann, independent candidate (since 2020).


Coat of arms

Höxter's oldest known seals date from the 13th century. The current arms, showing an ecclesiastical structure, have been used since the 19th century, and are modelled after the second seal, known from 1285. The arms were granted once again in 1970.


Twin towns – sister cities

Höxter is twinned with: *
Corbie Corbie (; ; Picard:''Corbin'') is a commune of the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. ...
, France (1963/1964) * Sudbury, England, United Kingdom (1979/1980)


Infrastructure

Höxter is served by four railway stations: Höxter Rathaus, Höxter-Ottbergen, Höxter-Lüchtringen and Höxter-Godelheim, all on the Altenbeken–Kreiensen line. The line is run by NordWestBahn who run the ''Egge-Bahn'' towards
Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn (district), Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pade ...
and
Holzminden Holzminden (; ) is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden (district), Holzminden. It is located on the river Weser, which at this point forms the border with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. ...
. The Sollingbahn also terminates at Ottbergen, and links to
Northeim Northeim (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, seat of the Northeim (district), district of Northeim, with a population of 30,118 as of 31 December 2023. It lies on the German Half-Timbered House Road. History Northeim is first mentioned in ...
in Lower Saxony. All public transport in Höxter can be used on the integrated fare system within the Paderborn-Höxter Local Transport Association (''Nahverkehrsverbund Paderborn-Höxter'').


Notable people

* (1864–1959), Lord mayor of
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; ) is the List of cities in Germany by population, 25th-most populous city of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher, Emscher River (a tribu ...
in 1919–1928 * Jacob Pins (1917–2005), Israeli artist *
Klaus Töpfer Klaus Töpfer (29 July 1938 – 8 June 2024) was a German politician ( CDU) and environmental politics expert. From 1998 to 2006 he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Personal life Töpfer was born in ...
(born 1938), politician (CDU) and federal minister, came to Höxter as a child * Hans Christoph Becker-Foss (born 1949), conductor and organist * Anja Niedringhaus (1965–2014), reporter *
Thomas von Heesen Thomas von Heesen (born 1 October 1961) is a former German football attacking midfielder, and a current coach. Most of his professional career was spent, as a player, with Hamburger SV, with which he won several accolades, both domestic and con ...
(born 1961), football player and manager * Koray Günter (born 1994), footballer


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoxter Höxter (district) Members of the Hanseatic League