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| Meschede | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 View over Meschede | |
 Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Meschede within Hochsauerlandkreis district
 | |
  Meschede Show map of Germany Meschede Show map of North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Coordinates: 51°21′N 8°17′E / 51.350°N 8.283°E / 51.350; 8.283 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Arnsberg |
| District | Hochsauerlandkreis |
| Subdivisions | 17 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Christoph Weber (CDU) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 218.5 km (84.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 260 m (850 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 29,988 |
| • Density | 140/km (360/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 59872 |
| Dialling codes | 0291 |
| Vehicle registration | HSK |
| Website | www.meschede.de |
Meschede (German: [ˈmɛʃədə] ) is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Hochsauerlandkreis.
Education
One of the five branches of South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (also: Fachhochschule Südwestfalen (FH SWF)) is located here.
Geography
Meschede is situated in the Ruhr valley, near to the Hennesee, south of the nature-park Arnsberger Wald. Major towns in the vicinity of Meschede are Paderborn (51 km), Kassel (85 km), Siegen (57 km), Hagen, Dortmund (60 km) and Hamm (49 km).
Neighbouring municipalities
Division of the town
After the local government reforms of 1975 Meschede consists of these districts and villages:
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History
Meschede was founded as a settlement around a convent, the Walpurgis-Stift , in the 10th century. In 1572, it became a member of the Hanseatic League.
In the 18th century, many inhabitants of Meschede died during at least two epidemics of dysentery.
Both in World War I and in World War II, Meschede was notorious as a location where the Germans exploited POWs in labour camps. In February, 1945, the town was destroyed by Allied air raid bombings, because of its strategically important railway station, but rebuilt after the war.
In 1921, the Sauerländer Heimatbund was founded.
In 1970, Meschede's St. Walburga Hospital was the site of a smallpox outbreak, as described in the book The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston.
Economy
Meschede is the seat of three major companies:
- a department of Deutsche Telekom
- the Veltins Brewery
- the Honsel factory, founded in 1908, that produces car parts and other products from aluminum, owned by the Canadian company Martinrea.
An industrial zone is located near the crossing of the A 46 with the B 55 (see below).
Tourism also is important to the town's economy.
Transportation
Meschede is connected with two national roads, the federal roads B 7 and B 55, and the motorway A 46.
Meschede has a railroad station, and is connected via the Sauerland Net, RB 57, to Arnsberg and other towns.
It has an airfield, the Meschede-Schüren Airfield, with a 900 m runway.
Climate
The city's climate is continental. The lowest temperature recorded was −20 °C (−4 °F), its highest was recorded at 39 °C (102 °F).
Culture
Spanish fricco is a traditional stew dish of Meschede.
Mayors of Meschede
- 1952–1961: Engelbert Dick (CDU)
- 1961–1969: Josef Busch (CDU)
- 1969–1974: Bruno Peus (CDU)
- 1975–1998: Franz Stahlmecke (CDU)
- 1998–1999: Bruno Peus (CDU)
- 1999–2015: Hans-Ulrich (Uli) Hess (CDU)
- 2015–present: Christoph Weber (CDU)
Notable people
- Joseph Hippolyt Pulte (1811–1884), homeopathic physician
- August Macke (1887–1914), painter
- Carola Matthiesen (1943– 2015), German University Teacher
- Klaus-Jürgen Wrede (born 1963), board game creator, author of the Carcassonne
- Matthias Ungemach (born 1968), rower, trained here
- Susanne Kreher (born 1998), skeleton racer
Main sights
- Abbey Königsmünster, built by the Order of Saint Benedict.
- Lake Hennesee near Meschede is the main recreational area of the town.
Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in GermanyMeschede is twinned with:
Cousolre, France (1965)- Le Puy-en-Velay, France (1975)
Meschede also has friendly relations with:
Neufraunhofen, Germany
References
- Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.
- "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2023 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- "Rezept fürs Mescheder Traditionsgericht Frikko bleibt geheim". Westphalen Post (in German). 15 January 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2022. (subscription required)
- ^ "Partnerstädte". meschede.de (in German). Meschede. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
External links
- Official site (in German)
| Towns and municipalities in Hochsauerland | ||
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