Minden | |
|---|---|
 Old Town Hall of Minden | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Minden within Minden-Lübbecke district  | |
  Minden  Minden | |
| Coordinates: 52°17′18″N 08°55′00″E / 52.28833°N 8.91667°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Detmold |
| District | Minden-Lübbecke |
| Founded | 798 |
| Subdivisions | 19 quarters |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Michael Jäcke[1] (SPD) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 101.12 km2 (39.04 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 42 m (138 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
| • Total | 83,100 |
| • Density | 820/km2 (2,100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 32423, 32425, 32427, 32429 |
| Dialling codes | 0571, 05704, 05734 |
| Vehicle registration | MI |
| Website | www |
Minden (German: [ˈmɪndn] ) is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (Kreis) of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. The town extends along both sides of the River Weser, and is crossed by the Mittelland Canal, which is led over the river on the Minden Aqueduct.
In its 1,200-year written history, Minden had functions as diocesan town from 800 CE to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 CE, as capital of the Prince-Bishopric of Minden as imperial territory since the 12th century, afterwards as capital of Prussia's Minden-Ravensberg until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and as capital of the East-Westphalian region from the Congress of Vienna until 1947. Furthermore, Minden has been of great military importance with fortifications from the 15th to the late 19th century, and is still a garrison town.
Minden hosts diverse industries, none predominant. The town has been terminus of one of the oldest German railway trunks since 1847, adding to the multimodal transport hub between its harbour, federal roads, and a nearby highway (Autobahn) junction.
- ^ 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 20 June 2024.