Lübbecke (; ) is a town in northeast
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 ...
in north Germany. This former county town lies on the northern slopes of the
Wiehen Hills
The Wiehen HillsElkins, T.H. (1972). ''Germany'' (3rd ed.). London: Chatto & Windus, 1972. . (, , also locally, just ''Wiehen'') are a hill range in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in Germany. The hills run from west to east like a long f ...
(''Wiehengebirge'') and has around 26,000 inhabitants. The town is part of district of
Minden-Lübbecke
Minden-Lübbecke is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Diepholz (district), Diepholz, Nienburg (district), Nienburg, Schaumburg, Lippe, Herford (district), Herford, Osnabr ...
within the
''Regierungsbezirk'' of Detmold in the
Ostwestfalen-Lippe
Ostwestfalen-Lippe (, literally ''East(ern) Westphalia-Lippe'', abbreviation OWL) is the eastern region of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, congruent with the administrative region of Detmold and containing the eastern part of Wes ...
region. Lübbecke was first mentioned in the records in 775 as ''hlidbeki'' and was given
town rights
Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
in 1279.
Geography
Lübbecke is situated just north of the
Wiehen Hills
The Wiehen HillsElkins, T.H. (1972). ''Germany'' (3rd ed.). London: Chatto & Windus, 1972. . (, , also locally, just ''Wiehen'') are a hill range in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in Germany. The hills run from west to east like a long f ...
, approx. north of
Herford
Herford (; ) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the hill chains of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. It is situated in the cultural region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) and the Detmold (administrat ...
and west of
Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...
.
Location
Lübbecke is located in northeast
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 ...
, north of
East Westphalia-Lippe (''Ostwestfalen-Lippe''), in the southwestern part of the district of
Minden-Lübbecke
Minden-Lübbecke is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Diepholz (district), Diepholz, Nienburg (district), Nienburg, Schaumburg, Lippe, Herford (district), Herford, Osnabr ...
. From a landscape perspective, the town lies in the west of the
Minden Land
Minden Land () is a cultural landscape in East Westphalia, the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It covers the four-fifths of the district of Minden-Lübbecke that lie on the North German Plain and is clearly bounded to t ...
. Geographically, most of the built-up area is on the
North German Plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland () is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain. The region is bounded by the coasts of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the north, Germany's ...
. Only its southern suburbs lie on the northern slope of the
Wiehen Hills
The Wiehen HillsElkins, T.H. (1972). ''Germany'' (3rd ed.). London: Chatto & Windus, 1972. . (, , also locally, just ''Wiehen'') are a hill range in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in Germany. The hills run from west to east like a long f ...
, whose crest that marks the southern boundary of the borough. The town itself lies on the edge of the hills, whils the rest of the borough is more rural in character. The northern boundary of the borough is defined by the
Midland Canal
The Mittelland Canal, also known as the Midland Canal, (, ) is a major canal in central Germany. It forms an important link in the waterway network of the country, providing the principal east-west inland waterway connection. Its significance ...
(''Mittelland Canal''). In the northeast of the borough is the
Großes Torfmoor
The Großes Torfmoor (also called the ''Hiller Moor'' or ''Nettelstedter Moor'') is a raised bog located in the northeast of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (in the district of Minden-Lübbecke) in Germany south of the Mittelland Canal. It is ...
which, together with the
Oppenweher Moor, is the largest moor in
Westphalia
Westphalia (; ; ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants.
The territory of the region is almost identical with the h ...
. Between the wet lowlands south of the Mittelland Canal, the glacial valley 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 of Br ...
and the higher ground is a narrow fringe of fertile
loess
A loess (, ; from ) is a clastic rock, clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loesses or similar deposition (geology), deposits.
A loess ...
soils at the foot of the Wiehen Hills called the ''
Lübbecker Lößland''. The far north of the area is part of the
Rahden-Diepenau Geest. In the
geest
Geest (, , ) is a type of landform, slightly raised above the surrounding countryside, that occurs on the plains of Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils formed as a glacial outw ...
there are only the villages of Stockhausen and
Alswede
Alswede is a village in the East Westphalian borough of Lübbecke in Minden-Lübbecke district in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Politics
* The parish chair of Alswede is Günther Vullriede.
* The local historian is Helmut Wo ...
and part of Lübbecke industrial estate.
The highest hills in Lübbecke's territory are the
Heidbrink
The Heidbrink is a hill which lies south of Lübbecke in central Germany and, at , is the highest peak in the Wiehen Hills. It is also the highest elevation in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its he ...
(320 m), the
Wurzelbrink
The Wurzelbrink is a hill south of Lübbecke which, at , is the second highest peak in the Wiehen Hills in north Germany. Immediately to the south is the no less majestic Kniebrink (315 m). There is an old and rather small watchtower, the '' ...
(319 m) and the
Kniebrink
The Kniebrink, at , is the third highest mountain in the northern German Wiehen Hills. Its immediate summit belongs administratively to the village of Oberbauerschaft in the municipality of Hüllhorst. However, its boundary with the town of L� ...
(315 m). Next to the town itself is the
Reineberg
The Reineberg is a hill on the Wiehen ridge, south of the town of Lübbecke. With a height of 275.9 m above sea level it is, from a topographical point of view, not a particularly impressive eminence in this part of the Wiehen Hills, because, in ...
(276 m), the
Heidkopf (273 m) and the
Meesenkopf
The Meesenkopf, also called the ''Mesenkopf'', is a hill in the Wiehen Hills, Wiehen range, south of the town of Lübbecke in Northern Germany. Whilst not particularly prominent, the hill is historically significant as the site of a medieval ca ...
(226 m). The hills in the south of the borough are the highest in the whole of the Wiehen ridge. In the north the land only attains a height of about 50 m. The lowest point is about 48 m.
Waterbodies

Because the watershed of the Wiehen Hills forms the southern boundary of the borough, almost the entire territory of Lübbecke is drained towards the north. Only the few hectares of land on the southern slopes of the
Wurzelbrink
The Wurzelbrink is a hill south of Lübbecke which, at , is the second highest peak in the Wiehen Hills in north Germany. Immediately to the south is the no less majestic Kniebrink (315 m). There is an old and rather small watchtower, the '' ...
drain towards the south. The
Ronceva
The Ronceva (also ''Roncevabach'') is a stream that flows through the East Westphalian town of Lübbecke.
Course
The source of the Ronceva lies at in the Wiehen between the hills of Heidbrink and Horsts Höhe at the lower end of the Mensing ...
river flows through the town itself (mostly through pipes) and via the rivers Flöthe and
Große Aue
The Große Aue (in its upper reaches known as the ''Aue'' and then also the ''Neuer Mühlenbach'' or ''Mühlbach'') is an , southwestern, left tributary of the River Weser in northern North Rhine-Westphalia and central Lower Saxony in Germany.
...
to the
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 ...
. The Weser does not cross the borough, however, and even the Große Aue only enters it in the extreme west. The marketed "mountain spring water" (''Gebirgsquellwasser'') is still of great importance for the breweries in Lübbecke.
The borough of Lübbecke does not have many natural lakes. Both the river channels and the lakes and ponds in the moor are man-made. The largest bodies of water are the
Mittelland Canal
The Mittelland Canal, also known as the Midland Canal, (, ) is a major canal in central Germany. It forms an important link in the waterway network of the country, providing the principal east-west inland waterway connection. Its significanc ...
, with about 50 ha of water surface in Lübbecke's territory, and an unnamed lake in the moor area, which has a contiguous water area of about 9 ha. All other bodies of water have areas under 1 ha. A total of 1.5% of the borough's area (98.2 ha) is covered by water.
Geology and natural resources
Geologically, the surface is mainly covered with unconsolidated rock of the
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
period i.e.
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...
,
gravel
Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gr ...
,
loess
A loess (, ; from ) is a clastic rock, clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loesses or similar deposition (geology), deposits.
A loess ...
and
glacial till
image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...
, predominantly from the
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
epoch. In the Wiehen Hills rocks of the
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...
period, such as
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
, also occur on the surface.
Of particular importance, today as in the past, is the recovery of
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
for use as ballast for buildings and roads, and there is a large working quarry in the Wiehen Hills, south of Nettelstedt, where rock is broken and crushed. Numerous small quarries in the Wiehen show that there is a long mining tradition in Lübbecke. Ore appears to have been
mined in the hills here for centuries; at Horst Hill there is an old mine gallery. Until the mid 20th century
peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
was harvested in the Großer Torfmoor, mainly for use in domestic
fireplaces
A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design.
...
. Old transport systems (using
tipplers) still existed until a few years ago, when production stopped due to the exhaustion of the deposits and for reasons of nature conservation.
Despite the steep natural gradients, water power cannot be used today because the small catchment area of the mountain streams only delivers small quantities of water. In the past, several water mills worked in the borough. There is a water wheel at the foot of the Wurzelbrink in the village of Eilhausen that can be visited. The use of
wind power
Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ge ...
as a natural resource has recently received a boost. Windmills in places such as Eilhausen show that this energy source has been used since ancient times. The borough's location on the North German Plain favours the use of wind generators, although they are still less cost-effective than other energy generators.
Lübbecke is rated almost everywhere as good to very good in terms of its use of geothermal heat sources, especially
borehole heat exchanger
A downhole heat exchanger, (DHE) also called a borehole heat exchanger, (BHE) is a heat exchanger installed inside a vertical or inclined borehole. It is used to capture or dissipate heat to or from the ground. DHT's are used for geothermal heat ...
s, and heat production using
heat pump
A heat pump is a device that uses electricity to transfer heat from a colder place to a warmer place. Specifically, the heat pump transfers thermal energy using a heat pump and refrigeration cycle, cooling the cool space and warming the warm s ...
s (see the accompanying map).
Extent and land usage
The borough has a total area of , with a maximum west–east extent of and north–south extent of around .
The borough is predominantly used for agricultural purposes and is thus very rural. In general, only the Wiehen Hills are forested. The following table gives an overview of its land usage:
''Source: LDS''
The most densely populated areas are the fertile foothills, known as the
Lübbecke Loessland
The Lübbecke Loessland () is a natural region that is mainly situated in northeastern North Rhine-Westphalia but with a small area also lying in the western part of Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a belt of land, covered by loess, about 2 to ...
(''Lübbecker Lößland''); this is where almost all the villages are found. The average population density here is 600-1000 inhabitants/km
2. The lowlands south of the canal, apart from Lübbecke's industrial area, are very sparsely populated. The Wiehen Hills themselves are unpopulated as is the Großer Torfmoor.
The most densely populated district is the town of Lübbecke itself: with some 800 inhabitants per km
2, its population density is twice as high as in the whole borough. With an average of 250 inhabitants per square km, the other parts of the borough are comparatively thinly populated.
The percentage of agricultural land is lower than in the rest of the district (66%), but slightly above the national average (49.7%). The Lübbecke Loess Land is very fertile. The
soil quality
Soil quality refers to the condition of soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem services that meet the needs of human and non-human life.Tóth, G., Stolbovoy, V. and Montanarella, 2007. Soil Quality and Sustainability Evaluation - An integ ...
here is 75. As a result, this good soil, where the villages have given it space, is used mainly for agriculture. The cultivation of cereals of all kinds as well as of root crops brings in high yields. There are also scattered fruit orchards. Amongst the special crops grown here,
asparagus
Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable.
Description ...
and
strawberries
The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...
in the north of the borough are worth mentioning. There are only occasional pastures in the vicinity of the hill forests or in along the few meandering streams. As one travels further north, especially north-east towards the peat moors, the proportion of grassland steadily increases as the soil becomes poorer and wetter to the
peat bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muske ...
. East of the industrial area, meadows and pastures take up almost the entire land area. In some places the frugal green
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
crop still grows albeit requiring heavy supplies of manure. Within the protected area of the peat bog, but still outside of the actual moor, there is some extensive grazing, especially of sheep, almost exclusively for environmental grounds.
The Wiehen Hills are mostly covered by forest. Much of the enclosed forest area in Lübbecke is part of the hill forests of the Wiehen Hills, which begins at around and extends to cover the highest peaks. It is mainly made up of spruce forest, but large areas, particularly in the area south of the town are original beech mixed forests. Apart from the larger woods in Lübbecke Land beyond the town limits, there are only small copses in the lowlands which together comprise less than . Inter alia These are the ''Stockhauser Busch'', small copses in the area of the marina and the birch woods on the Großer Torfmoor. On the border of the town to the north-west at Alswede on the territory of
Preußisch Oldendorf
Preußisch Oldendorf () is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In 1905 the town name ''Oldendorf'' was changed officially by putting "Preußisch" in front of it, to make the distinction from other towns with ...
is the approximately 44 hectare
Hollwinkel Wood. Part of the moor is covered with enclose birch stands. The relative proportion of forest is almost twice as high as the district average (11.2%).
The relatively high proportion of 'special' terrain is essentially that of the Großer Torfmoor. Moors, heath and wasteland cover about 3.3% of the borough.
Neighbouring municipalities
*
Hüllhorst
Hüllhorst is a municipality of the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Hüllhorst is situated on the south side of the Wiehengebirge, approx. 5 km south-east of Lübbecke and 20 km west of Minden.
...
*
Espelkamp
Espelkamp () is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Espelkamp is situated approximately 10 kilometers north of Lübbecke and 20 kilometers north-west of Minden.
The is located on the site of a ...
*
Preußisch Oldendorf
Preußisch Oldendorf () is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In 1905 the town name ''Oldendorf'' was changed officially by putting "Preußisch" in front of it, to make the distinction from other towns with ...
*
Hille Hille may refer to:
Places
*Hille (Belgium), a hamlet
*Hille, Germany, a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
*Hille, Agder, an island in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway
Other uses
* ...
Division of the borough
According to §3 of the main by-law the territory of the borough of Lübbecke is amongst the following districts (population in brackets as at 31 December 2007):
* Lübbecke (town) (15,682 inhabitants)
* Alswede (1,068 inhabitants)
* Blasheim (1,491 inhabitants)
* Eilhausen (773 inhabitants)
* Gehlenbeck (3,279 inhabitants)
* Nettelstedt (2,725 inhabitants)
* Obermehnen (1,377 inhabitants)
* Stockhausen (779 inhabitants)
Climate

The climate in Lübbecke is dictated by its location in the maritime-continental transition region of
Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
and on the North German Plain. The region mainly enjoys a sub-Atlantic
maritime climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring ...
, but also has occasional
continental influences. The winters, influenced by the Atlantic, are generally mild, the summers moderately warm, and its precipitation spread relatively evenly throughout the year. Westerly and southwesterly winds prevail, bringing precipitation with them. As a result of its location in the
lee
Lee may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film
* ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film
* ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist
* ''L ...
of the Wiehen Hills and
Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest ( ; ) is a range of low, forested hills in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Until the 17th century, the official name of the hill ridge was Osning. It was first renamed the ''Teutoburg Forest'' ...
its precipitation is however lower overall than in most of the Central Upland regions of Ostwestfalen, only the tops of the hills receive rather more. The annual precipitation figures in the northern part of the borough are and on the hills about .
Air temperatures average , the warmest month is July with , the coldest is January at . In the hills it is around to colder per of height. For an average of 37 days (during the months of November to March) the average daytime temperatures remain below . The number of hours of sunshine is 1,435 hours per year, with a monthly variation from 200 hours in June to 32 hours in December.
History
The settlement of Lübbecke was first mentioned in 775 as ''hlidbeki'' in the Frankish imperial annals as the site of a
Saxon
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 ...
attack on a
frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties
* Francia, a post-Roman ...
camp. The town is named after the creek today known as "
Ronceva
The Ronceva (also ''Roncevabach'') is a stream that flows through the East Westphalian town of Lübbecke.
Course
The source of the Ronceva lies at in the Wiehen between the hills of Heidbrink and Horsts Höhe at the lower end of the Mensing ...
" and means ''little beck'' in English (
Low German
Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...
: ''lüt Beek'' or ''lüttke Beke'',
High German
The High German languages (, i.e. ''High German dialects''), or simply High German ( ) – not to be confused with Standard High German which is commonly also called "High German" – comprise the varieties of German spoken south of the Ben ...
: ''kleiner Bach''). Lübbecke was the central site of the Saxon ''hlidbeki''
gau. In those days there may already have been a church in ''hlidbeki'' that dated back to the Saxon
Angrivarii
The Angrivarii (or ''Angrivari'') were a Germanic people of the early Roman Empire, who lived in what is now northwest Germany near the middle of the Weser river. They were mentioned by the Roman authors Tacitus and Ptolemy.
They were part of t ...
under their duke,
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 ...
, a tribe who had settled the region during the spread of Christianity under
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 ...
. Lübbecke was the center of an early church parish in the
Diocese of Minden, and so the nobility who were native to the area as well as the knightly family in Lübbecke were
ministeriales
The ''ministeriales'' (singular: ''ministerialis'') were a legally unfree but socially elite class of knights, administrators, and officials in the High Middle Ages in the Holy Roman Empire, drawn from a mix of servile origins, free commoners, and ...
of the bishops of
Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...
. By 1279 Lübbecke had been given its
town charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...
by the Minden Bishop
Volquin of Schwalenberg. The area was also run by the
bishops of Minden from the country castle of
Reineburg
The Reineberg is a hill on the Wiehen ridge, south of the town of Lübbecke. With a height of 275.9 m above Normalnull, sea level it is, from a topographical point of view, not a particularly impressive eminence in this part of the Wiehen Hills, b ...
(now
Hüllhorst
Hüllhorst is a municipality of the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Hüllhorst is situated on the south side of the Wiehengebirge, approx. 5 km south-east of Lübbecke and 20 km west of Minden.
...
). The lords based there came mainly from the knightly family of Lübbecke. The ''
Burgmann
From the 12th century in central Europe, a ''Burgmann'' (plural: ''Burgmannen'' or modern term ''Burgmänner'', Latin: ''oppidanus'', ''castrensus'') was a knight ministeriales or member of the nobility who was obliged to guard and defend castles. ...
'' estates in Lübbecke were, in turn, enfeoffed by the castle. In 1806 twelve of these ''Burgmann'' estates were recorded in the borough. The ''Burgmannen'' also held a majority on the town council, which met in town hall, first mentioned in 1460.
From 1295 Lübbecke became part of a
canonical
The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean 'according to the canon' the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, ''canonical exampl ...
church foundation. This was founded in 1274 in
Ahlden an der Aller, but moved in 1280 to
Neustadt am Rübenberge
Neustadt am Rübenberge (; ) is a town in the Hanover (district), district of Hannover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. At , it is the 9th largest settlement in Germany by area (following Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne), though only about 45,000 inhabita ...
and in 1295 to Lübbecke to the
St. Andrew's Church. It remained here until it was abolished in 1810. The foundation had 4 estates within the town. In 1549 the diocesan synod was held here under Bishop
Franz von Waldeck
Count Franz von Waldeck (1491 – 15 July 1553) was Prince-Bishop of Prince-Bishopric of Münster, Münster, Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, and Prince-Bishopric of Minden, Minden in the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle of the Ho ...
.
In 1648 the now
secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...
Principality of Minden (known prior to secularization as the
Bishopric of Minden
The Prince-Bishopric of Minden () was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. It was progressively secularized following the Protestant Reformation when it came under the rule of Protestant rulers, and by the Peace of Westphal ...
), to which the present borough belonged, went to
Brandenburg-Prussia. The town hall burned down in 1705 and was rebuilt in 1709. In 1765 the
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 government arranged the
division of the marks which generated a large portion of the revenue of the town through the allocation of rights and the collection of hunting revenue. Lübbecke's protests against the mark division were unsuccessful.
Lübbecke's medieval fortifications were preserved up to the beginning of the 19th century. Due to the high cost of maintenance and their limited military value, the fortifications were razed in 1830 and the material used for construction, the walls being transformed into promenades.
Until the establishment of the de facto French
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, ...
in 1807 and the introduction of French administrative structures, the ''Burgmann'' lords remained a major centre of power in Prussian Lübbecke and hindered the development of a
patrician class. The middle class merchants were however always represented on the town council by six
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
ial seats and provided a civic mayor, who presided over the town jointly with a noble mayor, but the nobility held the reins. The town hall regulations adopted in 1727 by the
Prussian government
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...
institutionalized this 'diarchy' and envisaged only two senatorial seats. In the Kingdom of Westphalia Lübbecke became the
canton capital in the ''Département du Weser'' and in the ''Distrikt'' of Minden and remained so even when this fell to France in 1811 (from 1811, the ''Département de l’Ems-Supérieur''). In 1813 Lübbecke became Prussian again and, after belonging briefly to the ''Zivilgouvernement zwischen Weser und Rhine'', became part of the Prussian
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia () was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar ...
. After extensive administrative reforms and the dissolution of the Principality of Minden, Lübbecke became part of the newly created ''Regierungsbezirk Minden'' and district of Rahden. In 1832 Lübbecke became the administrative seat of a new district combining Rahden with elements of the district of Bünde, which was renamed into Lübbecke district.
Like almost everywhere in
Minden-Ravensberg
Minden-Ravensberg was a Prussian administrative unit consisting of the Principality of Minden and the County of Ravensberg from 1719–1807. The capital was Minden. In 1807 the region became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia, a client state ...
the textile industry initially emerged in
proto-industrial form and, later, was supported by the Prussian state with the construction of the
Cologne-Minden Railway and its branch line from
Bünde to Rahden, opened in 1899. The
cigar
A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and Fermentation, fermented tobacco leaves made to be Tobacco smoking, smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct comp ...
industry developed into an important economic factor in
Bünde Land
Bünde (; ) is a town in the Herford district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Bünde is situated between Osnabrück (west), Hannover (east) and Bielefeld (south).
Waterways
The town is crossed from west to east by the River Else ...
and the surrounding towns, including Lübbecke, from about 1860. In 1863
August Blase
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.
In the Southern Hemisphere, August is the seasonal equivalent of February in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, August ...
founded a cigar factory, which had 6,000 employees by 1938. This included employees in its many branches, because just as before in the proto-industrial textile sector, cigars were often cut, rolled and pressed in the home or in stalls. These two branches of the economy - the textile and tobacco industries - are still represented in Lübbecke today, even though their influence now lags behind that of engineering and other industries. In 1907, the last section of the
Minden District Railway to Lübbecke opened (running from Minden via
Hille Hille may refer to:
Places
*Hille (Belgium), a hamlet
*Hille, Germany, a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
*Hille, Agder, an island in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway
Other uses
* ...
to Eickhorst in 1903). In the 1950s, the
narrow gauge railway
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
was converted from
metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways ( US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
Metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by several European colonial powers including France, Britain and ...
to
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
due to the transport of goods. Operations were discontinued in 1974 and the track dismantled between Hille and Lübbecke. In 1912, the first houses were connected to the electrical supply from the
Lower Saxon Power Stations
Lower may refer to:
* ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker
*Lower (surname)
*Lower Township, New Jersey
*Lower Receiver (firearms)
*Lower Wick
Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is sit ...
. In 1899 the ''Gasfabrik am Hahlerbaum'', a local gas company, was founded; the precursor to today's public utilities. From 1934 Lübbecke had a central water supply.
In the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Lübbecke largely escaped attack and was occupied on 3 April 1945 by British troops without great resistance. The nearby town of
Bad Oeynhausen
Bad Oeynhausen () is a spa town on the southern edge of the Wiehengebirge in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe, East-Westphalia-Lippe region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The closest larger towns are Bielefeld (39 ki ...
became the headquarters of the British forces and British administrative authorities and military staff elements were also housed in Lübbecke. To that end 251 of the 432 houses in Lübbecke were commandeered and cordoned off as accommodation for the Allies. Almost the entire town centre became an exterritorial zone, because all the important administrative buildings of the town's infrastructure went to the British. The finance office on ''Kaiserstraße'' was used as the head office of the
British Occupation Zone
The British occupation zone in Germany (German: ''Britische Besatzungszone Deutschlands'') was one of the Allied-occupied areas in Germany after World War II. The United Kingdom, along with the Commonwealth, was one of the three major Allied po ...
authorities. Even after the foundation of the Federal Republic of West Germany this building remained a base for British military staff, its last use being as the headquarters of the
2nd Armoured Division (
Herford
Herford (; ) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the hill chains of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. It is situated in the cultural region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) and the Detmold (administrat ...
being the headquarters of the
1st Armoured Division) before it withdrew in 1983. Up on the hillside above the town was a former
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...
training centre that was also commandeered after the war as Montgomery's headquarters and later became the Officers Mess for HQ 2nd Armoured Division until 1983. After the Division withdrew to the UK the building was renamed Church House and repurposed as a Christian retreat and courses centre as well as a general military conference centre until it closed in 2019 as part of the British Army's withdrawal from Germany.
The election of the first freely elected town council took place on 17 October 1948.
In 1973, after the communal reforms of the Bielefeld Act (''Bielefeld-Gesetz'') the districts of
Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...
and
Lübbecke
Lübbecke (; ) is a town in northeast North Rhine-Westphalia in north Germany. This former county town lies on the northern slopes of the Wiehen Hills (''Wiehengebirge'') and has around 26,000 inhabitants. The town is part of district of Minden- ...
were merged into the new district of
Minden-Lübbecke
Minden-Lübbecke is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Diepholz (district), Diepholz, Nienburg (district), Nienburg, Schaumburg, Lippe, Herford (district), Herford, Osnabr ...
and the entire district administration was moved to
Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...
. At the same time the borough of Lübbecke was significantly increased in size by the parishes of Blasheim, Gehlenbeck, Eilhausen and Nettelstedt and the farming community (''Bauernschaft'') of
Alswede
Alswede is a village in the East Westphalian borough of Lübbecke in Minden-Lübbecke district in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Politics
* The parish chair of Alswede is Günther Vullriede.
* The local historian is Helmut Wo ...
.
Historical population
¹ Census results (measured against the current boundaries)
Incorporations
Before the municipal and land reforms that took place on 1 January 1973 the present villages formed their own parishes in
Amt Gehlenbeck
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
(Nettelstedt, Eilhausen, Gehlenbeck) or were farming communities (''Bauernschaften'') attached to parishes (Obermehnen, Blasheim, Stockhausen and Alswede). Obermehnen, Stockhausen as well as the eponymous farming community of Blasheim which belonged to the parish of Blasheim (
Amt Preußisch Oldendorf
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
). The community of Alswede gave its name to the parish and district (''Amt'') of Alswede. These incorporated areas lay almost entirely south of the
Mittelland Canal
The Mittelland Canal, also known as the Midland Canal, (, ) is a major canal in central Germany. It forms an important link in the waterway network of the country, providing the principal east-west inland waterway connection. Its significanc ...
, whereas the parish of Alswede, disbanded on 1 January 1973, and the districts of
Amt Gehlenbeck
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
and
Amt Alswede
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
spread out a long way to the north. For the northern boundary of the borough of Lübbeck, newly formed in 1973, the Mittelland Canal was chosen, so that the smaller areas of land north of the canal, including those that had belonged to the town of Lübbecke, were transferred to the town of
Espelkamp
Espelkamp () is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Espelkamp is situated approximately 10 kilometers north of Lübbecke and 20 kilometers north-west of Minden.
The is located on the site of a ...
. A bigger reorganisation was needed in the region of the former parish of Alswede. Its territory north of the canal - the villages of
Fiestel and
Alswede
Alswede is a village in the East Westphalian borough of Lübbecke in Minden-Lübbecke district in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Politics
* The parish chair of Alswede is Günther Vullriede.
* The local historian is Helmut Wo ...
- were separated from the eponymous district of Alswede and incorporated into Espelkamp. Only the village of Alswede lying south of the canal went to Lübbecke. In the south Lübbecke was given part of the Wiehen Hills (
Amt Hüllhorst
Amt is a type of administrative division governing a group of municipalities, today only in Germany, but formerly also common in other countries of Northern Europe. Its size and functions differ by country and the term is roughly equivalent to ...
) that used to belong to
Ahlsen-Reineberg, namely the
Reineberg
The Reineberg is a hill on the Wiehen ridge, south of the town of Lübbecke. With a height of 275.9 m above sea level it is, from a topographical point of view, not a particularly impressive eminence in this part of the Wiehen Hills, because, in ...
and the northern slopes of the
Heidbrink
The Heidbrink is a hill which lies south of Lübbecke in central Germany and, at , is the highest peak in the Wiehen Hills. It is also the highest elevation in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its he ...
.
Religion

The populations has been overwhelmingly
Evangelical-Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...
, since the
Prince-Bishopric of Minden
The Prince-Bishopric of Minden () was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. It was progressively secularized following the Protestant Reformation when it came under the rule of Protestant rulers, and by the Peace of Westphal ...
accepted the Protestant confession and was secularised in 1648 and, as the
Principality of Minden, incorporated into Protestant Prussia. Its Protestant church parishes are the Evangelical-Lutheran parishes in Alswede, Blasheim, Gehlenbeck, Lübbecke and Nettelstedt and the
Independent Evangelical-Lutheran parish of St. Peter in Stockhausen and the Evangelical-
Free church
A free church is any Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church neither defines government policy, nor accept church theology or policy definitions from the government. A f ...
parish of Lübbecke. The only Roman Catholic parish is the parish of Lübbecke. In addition there are several, other small Christian and non-Christian religious communities.
The breakdown of religious affiliation is illustrated by the example of schoolchildren in Hüllhorst. Around 72% of the children are Protestant (Evangelical), 6.8% Roman Catholic, and 4.4% Islamic. 7.4% say they belong to other religions and 9.2% don't belong to any religion.
Culture and places of interest
Theatre
The Nettelstedt Open Air Stage (''Freilichtbühne Nettelstedt'') founded in 1923 is an amateur theatre stage with around 900 seats. The Kahle Wart Open Air Stage (''Freilichtbühne Kahle Wart'') lies right next to the town boundary, albeit on
Hüllhorst
Hüllhorst is a municipality of the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Hüllhorst is situated on the south side of the Wiehengebirge, approx. 5 km south-east of Lübbecke and 20 km west of Minden.
...
territory. In the town hall, that has an audience capacity of about 650, there are regular performances and concerts by visiting ensembles.
Music
The numerous trombone bands, such as the ''Posaunenchor Nettelstedt'', grew out of the
pietistic
Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life.
Although the movement is aligned with Luth ...
trombone bands of the late 19th century and still exist today. In Lübbecke there is a music school and the ''Jazzclub Lübbecke''. St. Andrew's Church has an eponymous choir. In Gehlenbeck a people's choir (''Volkschor'') was founded in 1922. The idea came from the workers of the numerous cigar factories of that time, who often sang songs at work and wanted to form a society around their pastime.
The Lübbecke Symphony Orchestra (''Sinfonieorchester Lübbecke'') was founded in 1950 and celebrated its 60th anniversary during the 2009–2010 concert season. Some of its soloists come from the teaching staff of the ''Pro Musica'' music school in Lübbecke.
Museums
* Barre's Beer World Brewery Museum (''Brauereimuseum Barre's Brauwelt''): the museum of the town's local brewery, is housed in an old storage cellar and covers the history of the brewery as well as brewing in general.
* Lübbecke Town Museum (''Museum der Stadt Lübbecke''): A comprehensive collection of traditional costume, a cigar-making collection, a cobbler's workshop and many other exhibits of town history are displayed in the town museum on the market square. The exhibits include coins, weapons, paintings and silver jewellery from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The oldest finds date to the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
.
* The ''Gehrmker Hius'' in
Gehlenbeck
Gehlenbeck is a village in the East Westphalian borough of Lübbecke in the county of Minden-Lübbecke in North Germany. The former clustered village (''Haufendorf'') is the second most populous village today in the borough. A stream flows through ...
offers an insight into the village life of bygone years.
Buildings in Lübbecke
* ''
St. Andrew's Church''. The church was built from 1160 to 1180 in the
Romantic style and converted into a
Gothic hall church
A hall church is a Church (building), church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one s ...
in 1350.
* The ruins of
Reineberg
The Reineberg is a hill on the Wiehen ridge, south of the town of Lübbecke. With a height of 275.9 m above sea level it is, from a topographical point of view, not a particularly impressive eminence in this part of the Wiehen Hills, because, in ...
Castle are located on the Reineberg, the local hill of Lübbecke. The site was first mentioned in 1221 in the records and was largely demolished in 1723. Today only the remains of the ramparts and moat are recognisable.
* The Old Town Hall is a cultural and media centre. The building is first recorded in 1460, but was largely rebuilt after a town fire in 1709. It is a two-storey, rendered, solid building with a gable roof. In the rebuilding work carried out in 1861, it was fitted with a
neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
stepped gable
A stepped gable, crow-stepped gable, or corbie step is a stairstep type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building. The top of the parapet wall projects above the roofline and the top of the brick or stone wall is stacked in ...
. The east wing with its adjoining Fire Service Tower, whose
pointed arch
A pointed arch, ogival arch, or Gothic arch is an arch with a pointed crown meet at an angle at the top of the arch. Also known as a two-centred arch, its form is derived from the intersection of two circles. This architectural element was partic ...
, ground floor arcades reflect the shape of the gable, were not added until 1936. In 2006–2007, the building was turned into a cultural and media centre and extended to the rear.
* ''Residential buildings.'' Although Lübbecke was largely spared from destruction during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, its old town no longer has a coherent appearance. Until the middle of the 20th century its streets comprised rows of ordinary, gabled, timber-framed buildings, the majority of which dated to the 18th and 19th centuries. Several of them had
bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room. A bow window is a form of bay with a curve rather than angular facets; an oriel window is a bay window that does not touch the g ...
s. Not until the redevelopment of the town carried out at the end of the 1960s were there significant losses in the stock of historic houses. The market place (''Marktplatz''), which was a victim of redevelopment to make way for residential houses and businesses like the ''Tribbenhof'', was particularly badly affected. In 1975, one of the most attractive timber-framed houses in the town, No. 6 ''Blüttenstraße'', with its double-
jettied
Jettying (jetty, jutty, from Old French ''getee, jette'') is a building technique used in medieval timber framing, timber-frame buildings in which an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below. This has the advantage of incr ...
gable, was demolished. Amongst the surviving stone buildings, the house of the industrialist Hecht family, No. 7 ''Ostertorstrasse'', stands out. This
classicist
Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...
plastered building with its central
avant-corps
An ''avant-corps'' ( or , plural , , ), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than other parts of the building.Curl, James Stev ...
was built in 1832 as a restaurant and hotel. Its outside staircase, removed in the 1950s was reconstructed in the 1990s. On ''Niedertorstraße'' lies the so-called Old Apothecary (''Alte Apotheke''). This two-storey, half-timbered building with its
mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof (also called French roof or curb roof) is a multi-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper, and often punctured by dormer wi ...
was built in 1820. Other
timber-framed
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 ...
buildings have survived on ''Langen Straße'' (Nos. 23, 25, 26 and 44) and in the vicinity of St. Andrew's Church, including the dean's residence, No. 3, ''Pfarrstraße''. On ''Wilhelmsplatz 1'' lies the raised, single-storey ''Pfarrwitwenhaus'' ("priest's widow's house"), whose history goes back to the 18th century. It was comprehensively restored in 2002 and is now a bed and breakfast inn.
*The ''
Burgmannshof von der Recke'', on ''Am Markt'' 19 is a local history museum. The date over the main entrance of this two-storey, rendered solid building with its outside staircase is 1735, but its core is probably older. As well as the manor house (''Herrenhaus'') a part of the courtyard wall, the gate and the storage barn (''Speicher''), restored in 1985, have survived.
* ''Grapendorfs Hof'' (community centre), Gerichtsstraße 5. Of the former manor that comprised several buildings, only the manor house itself has survived. The core of the house is likely to date to the end of the 16th century. Damaged in the town fire of 1734, the manor was subsequently rebuilt. Today it forms a modest, heptagonal plastered building with a mansard roof, whose outside staircase was removed in recent times for the benefit of traffic. In 1828 the former castellan's residence (''Burgmannshof'') was bought from the treasury office, in order to use it as the town court. In 1845 and 1846 it was expanded by a wing to the north, also heptagonal in shape, that acted as a district prison. In 1988, after the district court moved to a larger building, the complex was returned to the town which turned it into a citizens’ community centre. This was opened in 1993. The old district court is used nowadays by numerous groups.
*Barre Brewery (''Brauerei Barre''). The oldest buildings were built shortly after the foundation of the brewery in 1842. The site is dominated by the
mash house with its
Gothic tower.
* On the second highest hill in the borough, the
Wurzelbrink
The Wurzelbrink is a hill south of Lübbecke which, at , is the second highest peak in the Wiehen Hills in north Germany. Immediately to the south is the no less majestic Kniebrink (315 m). There is an old and rather small watchtower, the '' ...
(), is a watchtower built in the 19th century, known as the ''
Wartturm''.
* Beer Fountain (''Bierbrunnen''): The fountain on the ''Burgmannshof'', donated in 1954 by Ernst-Ludwig Barre, dispenses beer once a year during the Beer Fountain Festival (''Bierbrunnenfest'').
Buildings in the borough
*
St. Nicholas' Church in Gehlenbeck was built around 1495. The tower of the Gehlenbeck church is considerably older and was probably erected in the period 1100–1150. There must have been an earlier church by the 10th century, as was indicated by excavations. A church here is first recorded in 1156.
* St. Andrew's Church, Alswede: probably built from the destroyed castle of
Mesenburg
Pascal Mesenburg (born 1960, Drancy, France), pen name Mezzo, is a French cartoonist.
Biography
Mezzo was influenced by 1960s-1970s rock album covers and the American underground scene, including artists like Robert Crumb, Rick Griffin, Rober ...
above Lübbecke.
* Gehrmker Hius: the Gehrmker Hius in its present style is a timber-framed farmhouse from the year 1798. It is used today as a local history house (''Heimathaus'').
* Königsmühle Eilhausen: this ''
smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded, thatched, or shingled tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind. This t ...
'' in Eilhausen was built in 1748 and has a round, sandstone mill tower. The mill has a
fantail
Fantails are small insectivorous songbirds of the genus ''Rhipidura'' in the family Rhipiduridae, native to Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Most of the species are about long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as "f ...
. The mill is a waypoint on the
Westphalian Mill Route
The Westphalian Mill Route''Westphalian Mill Route'', brochure by the Mühlenkreis Minden-Lübbecke, Minden. Accessed on 14 May 2012. () is a circular, long-distance, cycle route in the German district of Minden-Lübbecke and its neighbouring ar ...
.
* Wassermühle Eilhausen: the
rubble stone
Rubble masonry or rubble stone is rough, uneven building stone not laid in regular courses. It may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or ashlar. Some medieval cathedral walls have outer shells of ashlar wit ...
building with timber-framed gables may have been built in 1698. The overshot water wheel has a diameter of 2.6 metres. In the 19th century there were many such mills in Lübbecke. The mill is a waypoint on the
Westphalian Mill Route
The Westphalian Mill Route''Westphalian Mill Route'', brochure by the Mühlenkreis Minden-Lübbecke, Minden. Accessed on 14 May 2012. () is a circular, long-distance, cycle route in the German district of Minden-Lübbecke and its neighbouring ar ...
.
*
Stockhausen Manor House: The manor house is a
water castle
A water castle, sometimes water-castle, is a castle which incorporates a natural or artificial body of water into its defences.Forde-Johnston (1979), p. 163. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbo ...
in Stockhausen. The origins of this manor house go back to at least the 14th century.
*
Stockhausen
Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...
: Stockhausen is characterised by its rustic farmsteads with their
timber framing
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 ...
typical of the regional and their associated
hireling cottages. It has 19 listed buildings.
Farmyard oaks, mixed
orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...
meadows and
cottage garden
The cottage garden is a distinct garden style that uses informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental plants, ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, it depends on grace and charm rather than grandeu ...
s reinforce the countryside feeling. In the competition "Our Village Should Become More Beautiful" (''Unser Dorf soll schöner werden'') Stockhausen was awarded gold several times in 1995. In 1997 Stockhausen was designated one of four "model cultural villages" (''Kulturmusterdörfern'') in Ostwestfalen-Lippe.
*
Renkhausen Manor House: the
neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...
style manor house was founded on the walls of an old water castle that was first mentioned in 1278.
*
Obernfelde Manor House: the former knight's estate and manor house was first mentioned in 1540.
* Eickel Manor House: formerly called Echolte Manor House, it is located near Blasheim. A reference to a knight called Eylwast of Echolte suggests that the manor house may well have existed before 1183. Formerly there was a Groß-Eickel Manor House and a Klein-Eickel Manor House. These two estates were however merged at the start of the 18th century.
*
Babilonie
The Babilonie is a hillfort of the La Tène culture at a height of 255.6 metres above sea level on the northern edge of a rounded hill in the Wiehen Hills above the Lübbecke village of Obermehnen in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in the ...
: the
La Tène culture
The La Tène culture (; ) was a Iron Age Europe, European Iron Age culture. It developed and flourished during the late Iron Age (from about 450 BC to the Roman Republic, Roman conquest in the 1st century BC), succeeding the early Iron Age ...
hillfort lies on a hill in the Wiehen near Obermehnen and could have been a
refuge castle
A refuge castleCreighton, Oliver (2015). ''Early European Castles''. Bloomsbury. or refuge fort (, also ''Fluchtburg'', ''Volksburg'', ''Bauernburg'' or ''Vryburg'') is a castle-like defensive location, usually surrounded by Rampart (fortification ...
.
*
Meesenburg: only the ruins of this fortification on the Meesenkopf hill have survived. It was probably slighted in the 12th century.
Parks
As a small town situated between moorland and forest, Lübbecke has no need for expansive parks in the classic sense. Just 10 to 15 minutes walk away from Lübbecke are the Wiehen Hills and
TERRA.vita
The TERRA.vita Nature Park () is located in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia and is divided into northern and southern areas. The park is also known as the ''Osnabrück Land Nature Park'' and sometimes by its old name of ...
Nature Park. Lübbecke's townsfolk have the Gallenkamp, a park-like, elevated open space in the immediate vicinity of the town centre. From here there is a splendid view over the ''Lübbecker Land''. In winter the Gallenkamp is used by Lübbecke's youth for
toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled used in snowy winter recreation. It is also a traditional form of cargo transport used by the Innu, Cree and Ojibwe of North America, sometimes part of a dog train.
It is used on snow to carry one or more people (o ...
ing.
There is also a long strip of parkland in the area of ''Schützenstraße''.
Another large, local area of grassland with walks is located between the cemetery and the Wittekind Grammar School (''Wittekind-Gymnasium'').
Significantly, all the aforementioned parks and open spaces are within range of the more select residential areas, which are anyway in the immediate vicinity of the Wiehen Hills.
Outside the town itself the majority of parks are in the grounds of manor houses and castles. These include the following parks none of which are open to the public:
*
Stockhausen Manor Park: Little remains of the former Baroque gardens. An avenue of
chestnut
The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Description
...
s, around 200 years old, runs from north to south from the manor house to the
Recke
Recke is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Recke is situated approximately 20 km north-east of Rheine and 25 km north-west of Osnabrück.
Neighbouring municipalities
* Ibbenbü ...
family graveyard and was once an element of the gardens.
*
Renkhausen Manor Park: The landscape gardens of the manor house were laid out around 1900. A central element is the open area of lawn, which is studded with old trees. An artificial hill and a
grotto
A grotto or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess.
Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide.
Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...
also form part of the gardens. A 100-year-old Renkhausen
lime
Lime most commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Bo ...
avenue runs eastwards from the manor house.
*
Obernfelde Manor Park: The manor park was probably laid out together with the
orangery
An orangery or orangerie is a room or dedicated building, historically where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter, as a large form of greenhouse or conservatory. In the modern day an orangery could refer to either ...
, built in 1829 and now a residence. The orangery forms the centrepiece of a historic landscape park with a relatively extensive system of paths and avenues. Of the original park only a few elements south of the orangery remain.
Nature
That part of the Wiehen Hills in the borough of Lübbecke is also part of the
TERRA.vita
The TERRA.vita Nature Park () is located in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia and is divided into northern and southern areas. The park is also known as the ''Osnabrück Land Nature Park'' and sometimes by its old name of ...
Nature Park (formerly the
North Teutoburg Forest-Wiehen Hills Nature Park
The TERRA.vita Nature Park () is located in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia and is divided into northern and southern areas. The park is also known as the ''Osnabrück Land Nature Park'' and sometimes by its old name of ...
). There are also six
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
s in the borough:
*
Bastauwiesen: 1,844
ha of protected wet meadows along the
Bastau
Bastau is a river of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It flows into the Weser in Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. ...
. Large parts of the area lie in
Hille Hille may refer to:
Places
*Hille (Belgium), a hamlet
*Hille, Germany, a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
*Hille, Agder, an island in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway
Other uses
* ...
and the borough of
Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...
.
*
Finkenburg: 13 ha area in Blasheim.
*
Gehlenbecker Masch: 45 ha of wet meadows
*
Großes Torfmoor
The Großes Torfmoor (also called the ''Hiller Moor'' or ''Nettelstedter Moor'') is a raised bog located in the northeast of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (in the district of Minden-Lübbecke) in Germany south of the Mittelland Canal. It is ...
: Westphalia's biggest raised bog (''Hochmoor''). The 467 ha nature reserve lies partly in
Hille Hille may refer to:
Places
*Hille (Belgium), a hamlet
*Hille, Germany, a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
*Hille, Agder, an island in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway
Other uses
* ...
.
*
Rauhe Horst – Schäferwiesen: 198 ha of water meadows and wet grassland.
*
Sonnenwinkel: 4.3 ha of deciduous forest
The ratio of designated nature reserve land in Lübbecke is over 10 per cent and thus significantly greater than that in the state (7.3 per cent) and the Federation (2 per cent). This high value is all the more surprising because the near-natural Wiehen Hills, apart from the Sonnenwinkel are not a formally designated nature reserve.
The wildlife in Lübbecke includes the following large animals in the near-natural forested and moorland areas:
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
and
roe deer,
fox
Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").
Twelve species ...
,
badger
Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by the ...
especially in the Wiehen, but also on cultivated land. In the moorland areas there are
white stork
The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...
, and the poisonous
viper
Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...
. Lübbecke is one of only two places, the other being nearby
Petershagen
Petershagen is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies on the Westphalian Mill Route. The core is formed by the districts of Petershagen and Lahde, located opposite each other on the Weser.
Geography
...
, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia where wild white storks still breed.
In the area south of the town is the largest colony of bats; often seen over the gardens on summer evenings.
Five groups of trees or isolated trees near Lübbecke and in the village of Gehlenbeck have been designated as natural monuments.
There are serious discussions that Lübbecke, possibly in cooperation with the neighbouring town of Espelkamp, will apply to stage the state garden show in 2017.
Twin towns – sister cities
Lübbecke is
twinned with:
*
Bayeux
Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.
Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...
, France (1968)
*
Dorchester, United Kingdom (1973)
*
Tiszakécske
Tiszakécske is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania t ...
, Hungary (1989)
*
Bad Liebenwerda
Bad Liebenwerda () is a spa town in the Elbe-Elster district, in southwestern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the river Schwarze Elster, 57 km northwest of Dresden, and 28 km east of Torgau.
History
The first written mention i ...
, Germany (1990)
Sport
The
team handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a Handball goalkeeper, goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands ...
club
TuS Nettelstedt-Lübbecke
TuS Nettelstedt-Lübbecke is a handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass ...
is at home in Lübbecke. The club currently competes in the
German First League of Handball.
Education
Schools
* Wittekind Gymnasium Lübbecke
* Stadtschule Lübbecke
* Pestalozzi School
* Berufskolleg Lübbecke
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lubbecke
Minden-Lübbecke
Wiehen Hills