Rotenburg an der Wümme (also known as ''Rotenburg (Wümme)''; ''Rotenburg in Hannover'' until May 1969;
Northern Low Saxon
Northern Low Saxon (in Standard German, Standard High German: ', also ', lit. ''North(ern) Low Saxon/German''; in Dutch language, Standard Dutch: ') is a subgroup of Low Saxon dialects of Low German. As such, it covers a great part of the West ...
: ''Rodenborg'') is a town in
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
, Germany. It is the capital of the district of
Rotenburg.
Geography
Rotenburg is situated on the
Wümme
Wümme () is a river in northern Germany, in the states Lower Saxony and Bremen, marking the border between the two states for part of its course. It is the main headstream of the Lesum.
The Wümme's length is . Including the Lesum, that runs i ...
river, which lies between the rivers
Elbe
The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...
and
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 ...
at about the same latitude as
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
and
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
, the latter lying 40 km to the west. It is often called "Rotenburg (Wümme)" in order to distinguish it from
Rotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda (, ; officially ''Rotenburg a.d. Fulda'') is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, in central Germany, situated, as the name says, on the river Fulda (river), Fulda.
Geography
Location
The town ...
in
Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
and
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber () is a town located in the district of Ansbach (district), Ansbach of Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. It is well known for its well-preserved Middle Ages, medieval old town, a d ...
in
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
.
History
The town was founded in 1195, when
Prince-Bishop
A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to '' Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the ...
Rudolf I of
Verden built a castle in the area. The town then belonged to the
Prince-Bishopric of Verden
The Prince-Bishopric of Verden (, ''Hochstift Verden'' or ''Stift Verden'') was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was located in what is today the state of Lower Saxony in Germany. Verden had been a diocese of the Catho ...
which was established in 1180. The castle took its name from the colour of the bricks (''rot'' means "red", ''Burg'' "castle"). The adjoining settlement remained a tiny village until the 19th century.
In 1648 the Prince-Bishopric was transformed into the
Principality of Verden
Bremen-Verden, formally the Duchies of Bremen and Verden (; ), were two territories and immediate fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire, which emerged and gained imperial immediacy in 1180. By their original constitution they were prince-bishoprics of th ...
, which was first ruled in
personal union
A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...
by the Swedish Crown, interrupted by Danish occupation from 1712 to 1715. From then on it was ruled by the
Hanoverian
The adjective Hanoverian is used to describe:
* British monarchs or supporters of the House of Hanover, the dynasty which ruled the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901
* things relating to;
** Electorate of Hanover
** Kingdom of Hanover
** Province of ...
Crown.
Swedish period
After 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 ...
, the rule of the Bishops of Verden ended and Rotenburg became part of the secularised
Duchy of Verden under Swedish rule. In this period its new rulers built the castle with the remnants of the ''
Schloss
''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house.
Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cogn ...
'' into a modern fortress as an outpost to protect the main fortress at
Stade
Stade (; ), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (, ) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the Stade (district), district () which bears its name. It is located roughly to the wes ...
. This rebuilding work required the western part of the town to be demolished, making it necessary to move the main area of settlement to the east. Even the parish church had to be taken down and moved to the site of the present town church.
In the
Swedish-Brandenburg War
The Scanian War (; ; ; ) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Electorate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg and Swedish Empire, Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish ...
from 1675 to 1676 the town was captured during a
military campaign
A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from th ...
by an alliance of Denmark and several states of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, and it remained in Allied hands until the end of the war in 1679.
In the wake of the
Treaty of Saint Germain
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye () was signed on 10 September 1919 by the victorious Allies of World War I on the one hand and by the Republic of German-Austria on the other. Like the Treaty of Trianon with Hungary and the Treaty of Versa ...
in 1679 Rotenburg was returned to Sweden.
The fortress remained in operation until roughly 1680. After that it was neglected, the building being torn down and only the fortifications being modernised in places. After 1843 the last ramparts were levelled. In its place today is the terrain of the old local history museum. In the period between 1626 and 1835 there were seven town fires, which destroyed a significant part of the town's infrastructure. Swedish rule lasted until the town was captured by
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
in 1712.
Later history

The
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover () was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Hanover, and j ...
incorporated the principality in a
real union
Real union is a union of two or more states, which share some state institutions in contrast to personal unions; however, they are not as unified as states in a political union. It is a development from personal union and has historically been ...
; the princely territory, including Rotenburg upon Wümme, became part of the new
Stade Region, established in 1823. In 1866, Prussia annexed the territory from Hannover. As a result, Rotenburg was renamed ''Rotenburg in Hannover''. In May 1969, the town and district authorities changed the name to "Rotenburg an der Wümme". In 2006, during the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
, Rotenburg hosted the national team from
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
.
Mayor
The mayor of Rotenburg (Wümme) is Andreas Weber (SPD). He was elected in 2014 with 59.6% of the vote.
Einzelergebnisse der Direktwahlen am 25. Mai 2014 in Niedersachsen
retrieved 14 November 2014
Sights
*The Lutheran ''Stadtkirche'' (built between 1860 and 1862, with a baptismal font from the 16th century and a bell from the 14th century)
*The War Memorial 1914/18, in memory of those from Rotenburg who fell in World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
*Half-timbered houses in Goethestraße and Große Straße.
*The ''Heimatmuseum'' (museum of local history)
*The ''Paar-oh-die'' Fountain in the Neuer Markt
Education
* Kantor-Helmke-Schule (primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
)
* Schule am Grafel (primary school)
* Stadtschule (primary school)
* Theodor-Heuss-Schule (Orientierungstufe)
* Realschule
* Pestalozzischule (Sonderschule)
* Ratsgymnasium
* Berufsbildende Schule (vocational school
A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary education#List of tech ed skills, secondary or post-secondar ...
)
* Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik (Diakonissenmutterhaus)
* Fachschule für Heilerziehungspflege (Health education nursing)
* Kinderkrankenpflegeschule (children's nursing)
* Lindenschule (conducive school for spiritual development)
* Krankenpflegeschule (Nursing
Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...
)
* Kreismusikschule (music school
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
)
* Montessori-Grundschule
* Volkshochschule
Twinning
* Aalter, Belgium
* Czerwieńsk, Poland
* Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
Falmouth was founded in 1613 by the Killigrew family on a site near the existing Pendennis Castle. It developed as a po ...
, United Kingdom
* Rotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda (, ; officially ''Rotenburg a.d. Fulda'') is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, in central Germany, situated, as the name says, on the river Fulda (river), Fulda.
Geography
Location
The town ...
, Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
, Germany
* Rothenburg, Lucerne, Switzerland
* Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber () is a town located in the district of Ansbach (district), Ansbach of Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. It is well known for its well-preserved Middle Ages, medieval old town, a d ...
, Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
, Germany
* Rothenburg, Oberlausitz, Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
, Germany
* Rothenburg, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...
, Germany

Notable people
* Hartwig Hohnsbein (born 1937), political scientist, retired pastor, author, born in Rotenburg an der Wümme.
* Heinz Dieterich (born 1943), sociologist and political analyst, lives in Mexico.
* Sven Jaschan
Sven Jaschan (born 29 April 1986) is a former black-hat, black-hat hacker turned white-hat and a security expert/consultant and creator of the Netsky (computer worm), NetSky worms, and Sasser (computer worm), Sasser computer worms.
History
Jas ...
(born 1986), creator of the Sasser computer worm.
Sport
* Matthias Scherz
Matthias Scherz (born 14 December 1971) is a German former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Career
Scherz was born in Rotenburg an der Wümme, Lower Saxony. He played for the amateur club Rot-Weiß Scheeßel until 1994. Then, a ...
(born 1971), footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
, played over 410 games
* Ahmet Kuru
Ahmet Kuru (born 23 April 1982) is a Turkish former professional association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker.
After coming through SV Werder Bremen, Werder Bremen's youth system, he played for SV Wer ...
(born 1982), Turkish footballer, played 323 games
* Dimitri Peters
Dimitri Peters (born 4 May 1984) is a German judoka.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Peters lost to gold medallist Tagir Khaybulaev at the semi-final stage, and then won through the repechage, beating Ramziddin Sayidov
Ramziddin Sayidov (born ...
(born 1984), judoka, bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
* Philip Zwiener (born 1985), basketball national player
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotenburg An Der Wumme
Rotenburg (district)