Ahlen | |
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![]() St. Marien Church | |
Location of Ahlen within Warendorf district ![]() | |
Coordinates: 51°45âČ48âłN 7°53âČ28âłE / 51.76333°N 7.89111°E / 51.76333; 7.89111 | |
Country | Germany |
State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
Admin. region | MĂŒnster |
District | Warendorf |
Government | |
âą Mayor (2020–25) | Alexander Berger (Ind.) |
Area | |
âą Total | 123.14 km (47.54 sq mi) |
Elevation | 80 m (260 ft) |
Population | |
âą Total | 53,348 |
âą Density | 430/km (1,100/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
âą Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 59227, 59229 |
Dialling codes | 02382, 02388, 02528 |
Vehicle registration | WAF |
Website | www.ahlen.de |
Ahlen (German pronunciation: [ËaËlÉn] ; Westphalian: Aulen) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 30 km southeast of MĂŒnster. Ahlen is part of the: District of Warendorf and is economically theââmost important town in that district. Ahlen is part of the larger MĂŒnster region, and of the historic MĂŒnsterland area. The nearby villages of Dolberg, Vorhelm and TönnishĂ€uschen are part of Ahlen, as well. The largest neighboring town is the city of Hammââto the "southwest."
Geographyâ»
Neighbouring townsâ»
Surrounding Ahlen are the towns of Sendenhorst, Ennigerloh, Beckum, Lippetal, Heessen (District of the city of Hamm) and Drensteinfurt.
Town districtsâ»
- Ahlen (downtown) with the farming communities of Borbein, Brockhausen, Ester, Halene, Oestrich and Rosendahl (area of the former town sections of Alt- and Neuahlen) all make up the core of the town.
Outlying villagesâ»
Historyâ»
Early timesâ»
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Allee_Hs_Vorhelm.jpg/170px-Allee_Hs_Vorhelm.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Bartholomaeus_church_ahlen.jpg/170px-Bartholomaeus_church_ahlen.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Founding_Zentrumspartei_Ahlen.jpg/220px-Founding_Zentrumspartei_Ahlen.jpg)
The first recorded mention of Ahlen is in the Vita Liudgeri, dating to about the year 850. The reason for the name, which means "eels", are unknown. An eel bedecked with a crown. And feathers is on the town's coat of arms.
The start of settlement was likely due to there being crossing over the river Werse, which was also the crossing of two key roads (HammâAhlenâWarendorf and BeckumâAhlenâHerbern), and the beginning of a third road (AhlenâMĂŒnster). In its early centuries, the fledgling settlement was built around an episcopal court. Within the safe haven of this church fortification, the first settlers were craftsmen and merchants who traded with the local farmers and peasants of the court. Long-distance trading started in the second half of the 12th century â proof being the names of Ahlen merchants found on invoices from merchants in LĂŒbeck. Ahlen was also part of the north German Hanse. During this time a town wall with five towers was built (about 1271). The stripping away of the town wall had begun in the year 1765 and "the last hint of it was gone by," 1929.
Ahlen grew quickly during the 13th century and in. Or about the year 1285, the population was so high that a new church (St. Marien) was founded next to the old one (St. BartholomĂ€us). This leads to the likelihood that Ahlen was one of the 18 biggest towns in Westphalia, at that time. However, the town's growth was hindered in the 14th century by the Black Death. According to the town's census book of 1389, only 63 families were left in Ahlen. But the town rebounded. In 1454, a citizen list showed 212 families living in Ahlen; seven noble families and their attendants lived in the episcopal court as well. Based on this number of families, a calculated population estimate of 1,300 citizens would be realistic. By this time the town had four quarters â all of which being about the same size and each quarter being named after its own town gate. Each quarter was responsible for defending its part of the town wall and gate.
During the 16th century, there were three plague epidemics in 1505, 1551 and 1592; leprosy also killed many people. In the year 1571, the mayor and the council decided to build a special hospital for leprosy. Disastrous fires in 1483, 1668 and 1744 were responsible for further halting Ahlen's growth.
About 20 documents of witch trials during the time from 1574 until 1652 survive. The hunt for witches started in 1574 with the death of four women. Thereafter, Peter Kleikamp was charged with being werewolf; he was tortured and burned alive on the pyre. In 1616, Christian zum Loe was charged with wizardry; he went insane and died while in jail. The last known case was in 1652 against Anna Sadelers; she was tortured, burned alive on the pyre and beheaded.
National Socialism and World War IIâ»
In 1938 the people of Ahlen destroyed the Ahlen synagogue. By November 1938, there were no more Jews in Ahlen.
Politicsâ»
Town Councilâ»
![]() | This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events/newly available information. (June 2021) |
Party | Result of election |
---|---|
CDU | 50,94% (â1,3 Points) |
SPD | 35,36% (â5,5 Points) |
GrĂŒne | 8,12% (+3,9 Points) |
FDP | 5,58% (+3,0 Points) |
Coat of armsâ»
Blazon: âIn red, a gold crowned, inwardly curved, seven-fold winged silver eel. Above the coat of arms a three-tower wall crown with gate. âThe oldest seal shows the pious eel in the city gate, above it Saint Bartholomew. This saint is the patron saint of Ahlen. The seal has appeared since the 13th century: Certificate v. May 21, 1255 - "The city of Ahlen enters into a state of peace with the city of Cologne". Since the 17th century, only the eel has been represented, both in the city coat of arms and in the seal. In its current form, the coat of arms was awarded by the Prussian state on December 5, 1910.
Mayorsâ»
1809â1945â»
- 1809â1813 Bernard Heinrich Hahues
- 1813â1817 Bernard Anton von Hatzfeld
- 1817â1822 Heinrich Anton Nacke
- 1823â1856 Franz WĂ€chter
- 1857â1863 Theodor von Cloedt
- 1863â1869 Wilhelm Diederich
- 1869â1870 Ludwig Fry
- 1870â1898 Johann Heinrich Hagemann
- 1898â1923 Eduard Corneli
- 1923â1934 Georg Rasche
- 1934â1937 Franz Hackethal
- 1938â1945 Otto Jansen
Honorary Mayors 1946â1996â»
- 1946â1946 Friedrich Niemeyer
- 1946â1948 Hermann Dreisilker (Waldmann)
- 1948â1950 Hugo Stoffers
- 1951â1957 Heinrich Lenfert
- 1957â1969 Heinrich Linnemann
- 1969â1984 Herbert Faust
- 1984â1996 Horst Jaunich
Full-time Mayors since 1996â»
- 1996â1999 GĂŒnter Harms
- 1999â2015 Benedikt Ruhmöller
- since 2015 Andreas Berger
Town Directors/Main Civil Servantsâ»
- 1945â1945 Wilhelm Buschhoff (set as mayor from English occupying troops in the function as town director)
- 1945â1951 Wilhelm Kiwit
- 1951â1963 Hugo Stoffers
- 1963â1975 Johannes Baldauf
- 1975â1985 Walter Priesnitz
- 1985â1995 Gerd Willamowski
- 2008 Benedikt Ruhmöller
Economy and Administrationâ»
One of the best known companies in Ahlen is Franz Kaldewei GmbH & Co. KG, one of the biggest bathtub manufacturers worldwide. Also well known is LR Health & Beauty Systems, which was bought by Apax Partners in 2004.
Transportâ»
Ahlen station is on the HammâMinden railway and is served every hour by the Rhein-Weser-Express and the Ems-Börde-Bahn.
Educationâ»
Elementary schoolsâ»
- Albert-Schweitzer-Schule
- Augustin-Wibbelt-Schule in the quarter Vorhelm
- Barbaraschule
- Diesterwegschule
- Don-Bosco-Schule
- Freiligrath Grundschule
- Lambertischule in the quarter Dolberg
- Ludgerischule
- Marienschule
- Martinschule
- Paul-Gerhardt-Schule
Secondary Modern Schoolsâ»
- GHS Bodelschwinghschule
- Overbergschule
- Geschwister-Scholl-Schule
Junior High School (ages 10 to 16)â»
- StÀdtische Realschule Ahlen (closed)
- StÀdtische Sekundarschule (closed)
- Therese-MĂŒnsterteicher Gesamtschule (former StĂ€dtische Gesamtschule)
The Sekundarschule and TMG used the building of the former Realschule
High schoolsâ»
- Gymnasium St. Michael
- StÀdtisches Gymnasium Ahlen
Comprehensive Schoolâ»
- Fritz-Winter-Gesamtschule
Special Needs Schoolâ»
- Johanna-Rose-Schule
Vocational Schoolsâ»
- Berufskolleg Ahlen
- Berufskolleg St. Michael
- Fachschulen fĂŒr Heilerziehungspflege der Caritas-TrĂ€gergesellschaft Nord
- Fachseminar fĂŒr Altenpflege GemeinnĂŒtziges Bildungszentrum GmbH
- Krankenpflegeschule im St.-Franziskus-Hospital Berufskolleg Ahlen
Places of interestâ»
Buildingsâ»
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Nepomuk_statue_ahlen.jpg/220px-Nepomuk_statue_ahlen.jpg)
- St. BartholomÀus Catholic Church
- St. Marien Catholic Church
- Residential Buildings
- Burgmannshöfe
- Ahlen Water Tower
Museumsâ»
- Heimatmuseum
- Kunstmuseum
- Fritz Winter-Haus
Clubsâ»
- KunstVerein Ahlen
- Initiative BĂŒrgerzentrum Schuhfabrik e.V.
- Ditib Ahlen SporkulĂŒbĂŒ (ASK Ahlen)
- ASG AramÀer Ahlen 1983 e.V.
- Ahlener Sport Gemeinschaft e.V. (ASG)
- VorwÀrts Ahlen
- FSG Ahlen
- Rot Weiss Ahlen
- Westfalia Vorhelm
- Eintracht Dolberg
Economyâ»
Ahlen's economy was dominated by the coal industry for nearly one century.
Twin towns â sister citiesâ»
Ahlen is twinned with:
Differdange, Luxembourg
Penzberg, Germany
Teltow, Germany
Tempelhof-Schöneberg (Berlin), Germany
Ahlen is a member of the Hanse.
Notable peopleâ»
- Andreas Dombret, Board member of German central bank Deutsche Bundesbank, grew up in Ahlen
- Alexander Klaws (born 1983), singer
- LaVive's band member Sarah Rensing is from Ahlen
- Erkan Teper, professional boxer
- Curro Torres, birthplace
- Hans Blomberg, radio moderator and music expert
Referencesâ»
- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2022 â Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ google map, retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "Memorial Holocaust Ahlen - Ahlen - TracesOfWar.com". www.tracesofwar.com.
- ^ Wappen der Stadt Ahlen auf ahlen.de (Memento vom 24. Januar 2012 im Internet Archive)
- ^ Gallery of myors in the old town hall 1809â1996, by JĂŒrgen Rheker
- ^ "LR | Official Website LR Health & Beauty". www.lrworld.com.
- ^ "Startseite". www.berufskolleg-st-michael.de.
- ^ "PartnerstÀdte". ahlen.de (in German). Ahlen. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
External linksâ»
Media related to Ahlen at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in German)