Herford

Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
Wappen = Wappen-Herford-bunt.jpg
lat_deg = 52 |lat_min = 8 | lat_sec=0
lon_deg = 8 |lon_min = 41 | lon_sec=0
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Nordrhein-Westfalen
Regierungsbezirk = Detmold
Kreis = Herford
Höhe = 56-240
Fläche = 78.95
Einwohner = 65060
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 32049, 32051, 32052
Vorwahl = 05221
Kfz = HF
Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 7 58 012
Gliederung = 12
Adresse = Rathausplatz 1
32052 Herford
Website = [http://www.herford.de/ www.herford.de]
Bürgermeister = Bruno Wollbrink
Partei = SPD
year = 789

Herford (IPA2|ˈhɛɐ̯fɔɐ̯t) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the mountain chains of the Wiehengebirge and the Teutoburg Forest. It is the capital of the district of Herford.

Geography

Geographic location

The previously Hanseatic city of Herford is situated in the mountain chains south of the Wiehengebirge (Ravensberger Hügelland). The highest place is the Dornmountain (240 m) in the Schwarzenmoor district; the lowest point (56 m) is located in the Werretal in the Falkendiek district. The River Aa joins the river Werre in the center of the city. The Stuckenberg is located east of the city.

Neighbouring cities

* West: Enger, Hiddenhausen
* North: Löhne
* North-East: Vlotho
* South-East: Bad Salzuflen (Lippe district)
* South-West: Bielefeld.

Districts

Culture and sights

Museums

The MARTa Herford, a museum for contemporary art and design directed by Jan Hoet and designed by Frank Gehry, has been open to the public since May 2005. Its exhibits change regularly.

The Daniel-Pöppelmann-Haus in Herford explores the history of the city, and the Memorial and Meeting Place Cell Block, in the basement of the city hall, documents the persecution and the obliteration of minorities. Moreover, the municipal administration intends to construct a museum of city history next to the city hall and the Münster church.

Music and theatre

The Stadttheater (Municipal theatre) provides seats for 706 viewers and it is served by visiting groups. Several halls and rooms are available at StadtPark/Schützenhof.

Events at regular intervals

* Easter Fair "around Easter" (Oster-Kirmes)
* Jazz Festival "May" - Performances of different jazz artists in a couple of bars
* Organ Summer
* Vision's Fair "June"
* Summer Stage "Summer" (Sommerbühne) - Concerts at the square between city hall and market hall
* Hoekerfest "August" - Municipal festival with plenty of events in the city centre
* City Fair "October" - In the city centre
* Herbstzeitlos (Autumnally timeless) "Autumn" - Exhibition at the former depot site
* Wine Festival "Autumn" - At Gänsemarkt
* Christmas Lights "December" - Municipal Christmas fair (Weihnachtsmarkt)

ights

*The Münsterkirche (Herford Munster) is a late Romanesque hall church, built about 1220-1250 for the Fürstabtei Herford (Herford monastery). It is one of the earliest hall churches in Germany
*The Jakobikirche (Radewiger Kirche) is a late Gothic hall church
*St. Johannis (Neustädter Kirche) is a late Gothic hall church
*St. Marien auf dem Berge (Herforder Marienkirche) is also a late Gothic hall church It was completed about 1325/50 and part of a monastery
*Town hall, built 1913-16 by Paul Kanold in Neo-Baroque forms
*Neustädter Rathaus (former town hall), built 1600, later destroyed, 1988/89 reconstructed
*Remensnider-Haus, Brüderstraße 26, a late Gothic timber framed building from 1521
*Kantorhaus, Elisabethstraße 2, a timber framed building, about 1484/1494
*Holland 21, timber framed building, 1554
*Holland 39, timber framed building, 1559
*Bürgermeisterhaus, Höckerstraße 4, a late Gothic stone building from 1538 with a stepped gable similar to houses in Münster and Bielefeld
*Frühherrenstraße 11, a Renaissance building, 1591
*Wulfert-Haus, Neuer Markt 2 with a brick-built Renaissance gable, 1560

History

The town was founded in 789 by Charlemagne in order to guard a ford crossing the narrow Werre river. A century later, Matilda, daughter of Theudebert, duke of Saxony, grew up in the abbey of Herford; she was a descendant of the Saxon leader Widukind. In Herford she met Henry the Fowler, who later became king of Germany.

In late medieval times Herford was a member of the Hanseatic League. It was a Free Imperial City, i.e. it was directly subordinated to the emperor. This status was lost after the Peace of Westphalia (1648), when Herford was annexed by Brandenburg-Prussia. It was administered within the Province of Westphalia following the Napoleonic Wars, and made part of the new state North Rhine-Westphalia after World War II.

Military

Herford is the location of the 1st Armoured Division and the headquarters of the British Forces Germany. There is also a telecommunications office in the town. Currently there are 870 soldiers serving at the three camps. Including the civil staff and the families, 2200 British people live in Herford.

The Wentworth barracks are the German station of the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).

Connections

Herford is twinned with:
* Voiron, Isère, France
* Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
* Hinckley, Leicestershire, England
* Fredericia, Syddanmark, Denmark
* Gorzów Wielkopolski, Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland
* Logan, Utah, USA

City-friendships include:
* Quincy, Illinois, USA
* Vodice, Šibenik-Knin County, Croatia

Born in Herford

*late 13th century, Heinrich von Herford
*1610, Otto Tachenius, surgeon and apothecary
*1662, Daniel Pöppelmann, Rococo and Baroque architect, builder of the Dresdener Zwinger
*1686, Christian Klausing, organ-builder
*1705, Gerhard Friedrich Müller, Siberia-explorer
*1842, Nikolaus Dürkopp
*1846, Friedrich Adolf Richter
*1868, Friedrich Bockelmann
*1875, Carl Severing, Politician(SPD)
*1882, Otto Weddigen, submarine-commander in World War I
*1883, Hermann Höpker-Aschoff, politician (DDP, FDP)
*1886, Heinrich Höcker, Politician (SPD)
*1892, Karl Steinhoff
*1892, Reinhard Maack
*1897, Friederike Nadig
*1897, Erich Gutenberg
*1909, Heinz Röttger
*1930, Hans-Heinz Emons
*1947, Elke Wülfing
*1947, Dr. Wilhelm Leber
*1954, Marian Gold
*1955, Christian Bogner
*1960, Karl-Heinz Wiesemann
*1960, Ralph Herforth, actor
*1961, Wiglaf Droste
*1965, Thomas Helmer
*1971, Martin Heckmanns
*1972, Eva Haßmann
*1981, Linnet Westphal
*1982, Philipp Heithölter
*2000, Daniel Campbell

External links

* [http://www.herford.de/ Official website] de icon

References