Holzminden

Holzminden
Holzminden
Location of the town of Holzminden within Holzminden district
Coordinates	51°49′47″N 9°26′54″E
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Holzminden
Mayor	Jürgen Daul
Basic statistics
Area	88.25 km2 (34.07 sq mi)
Elevation	89 m  (292 ft)
Population	20,073 (31 December 2010)
- Density	227 /km2 (589 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal code	37603
Area code	05531
Website	www.holzminden.de

Holzminden (German pronunciation: [hɔltsˈmɪndən]) is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located directly on the river Weser, which here is the border to North Rhine-Westphalia.

History

A view over the town in autumn

Holzminden was first mentioned in the 9th century as Holtesmeni; however, the name did not originally refer to the present city, but to the village of Altendorf, the "old village", which was incorporated into the city in 1922.

Many towns are built because they are the location of the source of river and Holzminden is no exception. During the time of Ludwig the Pious, monks from the Abbey of Corbie in France came here and founded the monastery in Hethis in the Solling. When the site of this monastery was no longer viable it was closed and a new one, (Corvey Abbey, Corbeia nova) was opened close to the river. Old documents show that many donations were given to the Holtesmeni (monastery) – people in those times were very concerned about the condition of their souls and godly living.

Presumably, it came into being, along with other settlements in the vicinity, in the period of 500 to 800 AD. Some other of the villages were abandoned when Holzminden was granted municipal laws, thus promising more privileges to its citizens and exerting a stronger attraction on its surroundings.

In 1200 the town was moved under the protection of the prince’s castle of Everstein, and by 1245 a town charter had already been issued. It had been the Count of Everstein who granted the town its new rights. The town's coat of arms shows the Everstein lion rampant within the open town gate.

From 1408 the town belonged to the Welfen princes and from the 16th century to the princes of Brunswick of the Wolfenbüttel line. So from the 16th century until 1942, Holzminden belonged to Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1640 during the Thirty Years' War, Holzminden was destroyed by the emperor’s troops and it only recovered slowly. Until the 20th century Holzminden remained a provincial town of small farmers and holdings.

Holzminden was the site of a German POW camp for captured British officers in the First World War.

Economy

Holzminden: the 'Weser-quay' and the big granary

Crafts and farming have long ceased to be the main town's sources of income. Today, Holzminden is quite an industrial town.

It's almost a hundred years since Dr. Wilhelm Haarmann began developing the scent and flavors industry. In 1874, together with Prof. Ferdinand Tiemann, Dr. Haarmann managed the first synthesis of vanillin. More and more new products were developed that are today produced in the factory Symrise. Today Holzminden is the famous centre of the flavor and fragrance ingredient industry, ingredients which are used in the cosmetic and food industries worldwide.

The company Stiebel Eltron, known worldwide, has its headquarters in Holzminden. This large company which produces heating equipment and ovens is an important part of, and contribution to the towns economy.

Religion

As a part of the former Brunswick territory, Holzminden maintains a Protestant tradition. The church of St. Pauls in Altendorf, dating back to a time before 1200, is the oldest of the churches in town. Although it does not own prominent pieces of historical art, this house of worship and in its simplicity offers a serene place for rest and contemplation. In addition, churches named after Luther, St. Michael, St. Thomas and St. Joseph are existing.

Sights

The old part of the town and the river Weser

The Tilly house from 1609 is located on the Johannis square and has a beautiful Renaissance door, which survived the fires of the Thirty Years' War. The story goes that the commander Tilly spent a night here during that time.

The "Reichspräsidentenhaus" links the old part of the town with the Hafendamm and was inaugurated in 1929. The beautiful „Glockenspiel“ or carrillon is very popular and it plays well known melodies at certain hours.

The steeple of the Lutheran church is a symbol of Holzminden. It was rebuilt inside in 1577 and made into a two-room church. The green-lightning roof is also shining through the night.

The Severinsche Haus is a richly decorated house dating from 1683 that is well known for its strangely slanting floors. It is also the largest of the small businessmen’s houses and is therefore particularly well known. It is decorated with a distinctive weathercock.

Museums

• The town museum
• The doll and toy museum (private)

Specials of Education

• HAWK, the Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst was founded in 1831/32 by Friedrich Ludwig Haarmann as the first college of architecture in Germany. Meanwhile, the "Bauschule" has become an essential feature of the town, and many student' activities, such as the traditional master's procession, are characteristic for Holzminden.

LSH, the Landschulheim am Solling is a private boarding school founded in 1909 in the course of an educational reform movement that sought to bring schooling to bear upon the entire personality until leaving examination. 'Mind, Heart and Hand' of students were and are to be advanced equally. School buildings and campus within large park - like grounds on a western slope of the Solling are well-remembered by many graduates throughout the world. Thus, the LSH contributes, since almost 100 years now, to the fame of its home town.[1]

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Holzminden is twinned with:

• Leven in Fife, UK

Freeman of the town

• August Hampe, * 20. April 1866 † 6. Februar 1945 in Holzminden; German politician, Minister of Justice of the Braunschweig District
• Erwin Böhme, * 29. Juli 1879 † 29. November 1917 bei Zonnebeke; veteran of WW I
• Leopold Scherman, † 11. September 1970; architect
• Carl Wilhelm Gerberding, * 14. März 1894 † 2. Mai 1984; industrialist and founder of the Dragoco
• Adolf Heusinger, * 4. August 1897 † 30. November 1982 in Köln; German general
• Eberhard Itzenplitz, * 8. November 1926; film director

Other notable people who have lived in Holzminden

• Robert Bunsen, *30. März 1811 † 16. August 1899; chemist
• Wilhelm Raabe, *8. September 1831 † 15. November 1910; novelist
• James Whale, *22 July 1889 † 29 May 1957; film director
• Niels Jannasch, *5. July 1924. † 9. November 2001; mariner, curator, maritime historian
• Jonatan Briel, *9. Juni 1942 † 26. Dezember 1988 in Berlin; film director, actor
• Uwe Schünemann, *8. August 1964; CDU-politician and Minister of the Lower Saxony
• Thomas Gnyra, *12. October 1991; entrepreneur
• Armin Nagel, *03. may 1974; entrepreneur alternativ fuel systems (GM Service)

See also

• Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg

Holzminden homepage http://www.holzminden.de/

External links

•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Holzminden". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.