Oerlinghausen (German pronunciation: [ˈœʁlɪŋhaʊzən] ; Low German: Ankhiusen) is a city in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany located between Bielefeld and Detmold in the Teutoburg Forest. At the end of February 2023, it had 17,314 inhabitants.[3]

Oerlinghausen
A view of Oerlinghausen
A view of Oerlinghausen
Flag of Oerlinghausen
Coat of arms of Oerlinghausen
Location of Oerlinghausen within Lippe district
North Rhine-WestphaliaLower SaxonyHöxter (district)Paderborn (district)Gütersloh (district)BielefeldMinden-LübbeckeHerford (district)DetmoldBarntrupBlombergDörentrupSchlangenLemgoLageAugustdorfBad SalzuflenExtertalLeopoldshöheHorn-Bad MeinbergLügdeSchieder-SchwalenbergOerlinghausenKalletal
Oerlinghausen is located in Germany
Oerlinghausen
Oerlinghausen
Oerlinghausen is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Oerlinghausen
Oerlinghausen
Coordinates: 51°58′00″N 08°40′00″E / 51.96667°N 8.66667°E / 51.96667; 8.66667
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionDetmold
DistrictLippe
Government
 • Mayor (2020–25) Dirk Becker[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total32.69 km2 (12.62 sq mi)
Elevation
214 m (702 ft)
Population
 (2023-12-31)[2]
 • Total17,287
 • Density530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
33813
Dialling codes05202
Vehicle registrationLIP
Websiteoerlinghausen.de
Aerial view of Oerlinghausen

Geography

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Geographically, Oerlinghausen is situated on top of the Teutoburger Forest hills. Oerlinghausen's highest point is the Tönsberg with 334 meters. The flatlands of northern Germany start some 40 km north of Oerlinghausen. There are hiking routes along the hill chain which stretches 80 km in east-west direction. To the south of the hills are large sand areas originating from melting glaciers during past ice ages. Although not high, the hills are steep in many places and almost completely covered by forest.

 
Hünenkapelle, old church in Oerlinghausen.

History and culture

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First mentioned in documents in 1036, the town became a city in 1926 by authority of the Land of Lippe. In 1969 the city was expanded with the addition of Helpup, Währentrup and Lipperreihe as part of the "Gebietsreform" movement.

Oerlinghausen is home to an airfield which is one of Europe's largest gliding centres as well as the well known Archäologisches Freilichtmuseum Oerlinghausen (archaeological open-air museum) featuring reconstructions of a variety of dwellings spanning from 10,000 BC to 1000 AD.

The city has also been home to an unusual number of well-known sociologists. Marianne Weber (born Schnitger), who was born in Oerlinghausen and married Max Weber here in 1893, was a well-respected author herself. Niklas Luhmann and Richard Grathoff, two of the key sociologists who made the Bielefeld University one of the premier institutions for sociology in Europe, have also lived in Oerlinghausen for extended time periods.

Hanning Elektro-Werke is headquartered in Oerlinghausen.

Number of inhabitants

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Main street
 
Town hall
Year Inhabitants
1968 12.839
1970 13.276
1974 14.292
1975 14.474
1980 14.751
1985 14.738
1987 14.757
1990 15.689
1995 17.165
2000 17.465
2005 17.305
2007 16.988
2012 16.654

Mayors

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Alexander Church
Mayors of Oerlinghausen
Time of office Name Party
1926–1933 August Reuter
1933–1945 Friedrich Möller NSDAP
1945–1946 August Reuter
1946–1965 Heinrich Kramer SPD
1965–1969 Heinrich Schildmann SPD
1969–1975 Konrad Dreckshage FDP
1975–1984 Erich Diekhof SPD
1984–1989 Horst Steinkühler SPD
1989–1999 Martin Weber SPD
1999–2015 Ursula Herbort independent
since 2015 Dirk Becker SPD
 
Marianne Weber, 1896

Sons and daughters of the town

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References

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  1. ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.
  2. ^ "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 2024-06-20.
  3. ^ "Bevölkerungsstand nach Geschlecht – Gemeinden – Februar (28. bzw. 29.)", Landesbetrieb Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen
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