Vlotho

Vlotho ([ˈfloːto] (listen)) is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Vlotho
Vlotho as seen from the castle on the Amthausberg
Coat of arms
Location of Vlotho within Herford district
Vlotho
Vlotho
Coordinates: 52°10′00″N 08°50′59″E
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionDetmold
DistrictHerford
Subdivisions4
Government
 • MayorRocco Wilken (SPD)
Area
 • Total76.92 km2 (29.70 sq mi)
Elevation
109 m (358 ft)
Population
 (2019-12-31)[1]
 • Total18,380
 • Density240/km2 (620/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
32602
Dialling codes05733 (Vlotho)
05228 (Exter)
Vehicle registrationHF
Websitewww.vlotho.de

Geography

Vlotho is located along the Weser river, south of the Wiehengebirge, bordering on the Ravensberger Hügelland in the west, Lipperland in the south, and the Weserbergland in the east. The Weser river runs through the city east to north and thus separates the northeast part of the town, Uffeln, from the rest of the city. The highest point is the Bonstapel at 342 m in the south-east.

Neighbouring municipalities

Vlotho borders on Herford and Löhne in the west, Bad Oeynhausen and Porta Westfalica (both Minden-Lübbecke district) in the north, Kalletal in the east, and Lemgo and Bad Salzuflen (both Lippe district) in the south.

Division of the town
  • Exter
  • Uffeln
  • Valdorf
  • Vlotho

History

The first historical records of Vlotho go back to the year 1185. In 1248, Vlotho gained the official status of a city, but lost it again due to both pestilence and war. In the 17th century, Vlotho recovered as a location for industry, most notably paper. During the Thirty Years War, on 17 October 1638 Vlotho was the site of a battle, which resulted in a victory for an Imperial army under the command of Field Marshal Melchior, Count of Hatzfeldt over a Palatinate-Swedish army under the command of Charles Louis of Palatine.[2] In 1650, Vlotho regained the right to hold a market, and in 1719, became an independent city. A harbour was built and Vlotho became the location of cigar, machine, and textile industry. In 1875, Vlotho station was constructed, and in 1928, a bridge replaced the ferry across the Weser river. In 1969, the old city of Vlotho was unified with the communities of Exter and Valdorf. In 1973, Uffeln (formerly part of the district of Minden) joined Vlotho.

Economy

A major part of the local economy is the emerging tourist industry. There is still some machine industry.

Sightseeing
  • Vlotho castle from the 13th century

Born in Vlotho

Notes
  1. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2019" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  2. Guthrie 2003, pp. 72,73.

References
  • Guthrie, William P (2003), "Appendix F:The Action at Vlotho, October 17, 1638", The Later Thirty Years War: From the Battle of Wittstock to the Treaty of Westphalia, Contributions in Military Studies, 222 (illustrated ed.), Greenwood Publishing Group, pp. 72, 73, ISBN 9780313324086
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