Olfen

Olfen

Coat of arms
Olfen
Location of Olfen within Coesfeld district
North Rhine-WestphaliaRecklinghausen (district)Unna (district)HammBorken (district)Steinfurt (district)MünsterWarendorf (district)OlfenRosendahlSendenBillerbeckDülmenAschebergHavixbeckCoesfeldNottulnLüdinghausenNordkirchenOlfen in COE.svg
About this image
Coordinates: 51°43′N 7°23′E / 51.717°N 7.383°E / 51.717; 7.383Coordinates: 51°43′N 7°23′E / 51.717°N 7.383°E / 51.717; 7.383
Country Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region Münster
District Coesfeld
Area
 • Total 52.43 km2 (20.24 sq mi)
Elevation 45 - 80 m (−217 ft)
Population (2016-12-31)[1]
 • Total 12,470
 • Density 240/km2 (620/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 59399
Dialling codes 02595
02592 (part of Vinnums)
Vehicle registration COE
Website www.olfen.de

Olfen is a town in the district of Coesfeld, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is sometimes called the "Gate to the Ruhr Area". It is also considered the "horse-friendliest town in North Rhine-Westphalia".

History

Bishop Wolfhelm, who originated from the Ulfloa Oberhof, gave the small town its name. It was in the year 889. Wolfhelm was the fourth Bishop of "Mimingardeford", today called Münster.

The fire disaster of 1857, in which 142 houses were destroyed, has gone down as the "Great Fire of Olfen" in Olfen's history books.

Buildings

Interesting sights include St. Vitus church, a castle and a historic sawmill.

Politics

Wilhelm Sendermann (CDU) was elected for mayor in September 2015 with 87,4 % of the vote.[2]

Notable people

  • Thomas Hoof (born 1948), founder of Manufactum
  • Günter Schlierkamp (born 1970), professional bodybuilder

Town partnerships

References

  1. ↑ "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  2. ↑ Wilhelm Sendermann ist neuer Bürgermeister, Ruhrnachrichten vom 13. September 2015
  3. ↑ "Interactive City Directory". Sister Cities International.
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