Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia
Encyclopedia
Halle is a town in the German Bundesland
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...

 of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

 and belongs to the district of Gütersloh
Gütersloh (district)
Gütersloh is a Kreis in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Osnabrück, Herford, district-free Bielefeld, Lippe, Paderborn, Soest and Warendorf.-History:...

.

Geographic Location

Halle is situated in the sandy plain of the river Ems on the southern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest
Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...

, which crosses the town territory from northwest to southeast. This mountain range delimits the Eastern part of the Münsterland and the Westfalian Bay and is the drainage divide between the rivers Ems and Weser
Weser River
The Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...

 here. The highest points are the Hengeberg elevating 316 meters and the Eggeberg elevating 312 meters. With 70 meters the south- western outskirts are the lowest point. There the creeks Hessel, Rhedaer Bach as well as the Ruthebach leave the city limits, while the Ruthebach joins the Lodenbach there. All creeks have its spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

 in the Teutoburg Forest and ultimately join the river Ems. The territory of Halle is essentially characterized by agriculture, but has also a substantial amount of forest areas, namely the Teutoburg Forest and the Tatenhausen Forest as well as 40 hectares (98.8 acre) of city forest. The 52nd degree of latitude traverses the town area in its southern part.

Geology

The northern part of the town area of Halle is situated in the Teutoburg Forest
Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...

 mountain range, with the city limits running on the ridge in large parts. Towards the south the town area levels off into the sandy plains of the river Ems.

Halle is part of the north-eastern rim of the westfalian bay, that has approximately the shape of a bowl. Here the stones of the subsoil are steeply erected. They consist of marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...

stone with a high share of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...

, marlstone with a high share of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

, as well as limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 and marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...

 themselves, but also of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...

 and sandy marl of the mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...

 era (Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...

). These stones lie above a base of folded stones of the paleozoic
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...

 era (Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...

, Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...

). In the transition area towards the Münsterland the cretaceous layers are increasingly covered by a slim and mostly sandy layer of loose stones from the ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...

 (Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...

), that consist of sedimentation of the river Ems and of deposits like ground moraines or meltwater sands.

With respect to soil the Halle territory can be geomorphologically
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...

 structured into three sections. The soils of the ditches, dells and lowlands in the southwest are filled with groundwater close to the surface. These gley soil
Gley soil
Gley soil in soil science is a type of hydric soil which exhibits a greenish-blue-grey soil color due to wetland conditions. On exposure to the air, gley colors are transformed to a mottled pattern of reddish, yellow or orange patches. During gley soil formation , the oxygen supply in the soil...

s are natural locations for grasslands. Peaks and ridges are rising from the lowlands consisting of dune sands und meltwater sands, which are sediments and sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....

 of the quaternary.

These sands have decomposed to nutrient-poor, acidic heather soils (Podsol
Podsol
In soil science, podzols are the typical soils of coniferous, or boreal forests. They are also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia...

s), partly with hardpan
Hardpan
In soil science, agriculture and gardening, hardpan or ouklip is a general term for a dense layer of soil, usually found below the uppermost topsoil layer. There are different types of hardpan, all sharing the general characteristic of being a distinct soil layer that is largely impervious to water...

 in the subsoil. On the south-western slope of the Teutoburg Forest, for example near Künsebeck, they occupy large areas. As a consequence of historic tillage
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...

 techniques and long-term agricultural usage these soils are partly composed of deeply rooting humus, in scattered areas with a sod coat. Some isolated dells are located in south-westerly direction of the main ridge of the Teutoburg Forest, for example the Hesseln mountains. Slim clay-loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...

 soils (Rendzina
Rendzina
Rendzina is a dark, grayish-brown, humus-rich, intrazonal soil. It is one of the soils most closely associated with the bedrock type and an example of initial stages of soil development...

) have developed here from limestone and marlstone of the Cretaceous. These basic
Base (chemistry)
For the term in genetics, see base A base in chemistry is a substance that can accept hydrogen ions or more generally, donate electron pairs. A soluble base is referred to as an alkali if it contains and releases hydroxide ions quantitatively...

 soils are typical locations for precious hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...

. The main ridge, for example represented by the Große Egge (=Big Harrow), is composed of sandstone of the Cretacious. On this stone thick, acidic and rocky heather soils have built up.

Halle is fairly to well, in areas on or near the ridge very well suited to use geothermal power sources by means of geothermal probes and heat production using a heat pump
Heat pump
A heat pump is a machine or device that effectively "moves" thermal energy from one location called the "source," which is at a lower temperature, to another location called the "sink" or "heat sink", which is at a higher temperature. An air conditioner is a particular type of heat pump, but the...

 (see also adjoining map).

Dimensions and usage of urban area

The town covers an area of 69.21 square kilometre. The major part consists of agricultural area (4550 hectares (11,243.3 acre)) and forests (1168 hectares (2,886.2 acre)), in total approx. 83 %, followed by developed area (673 hectares (1,663 acre)) and circulation area (386 hectares (953.8 acre)), in total approx. 15 %. The maximum stretch both in northern – southern direction and in western – eastern direction is approx. 10 km. The northernmost point is north of Eggeberg at approx. 52° 5´ 4´´ northern latitude, the southernmost point is south of Kölkebeck at approx. 51° 59´ 38´´.
Area acc. to
Type of Usage
Agricultural
Area
Forest
Area
Buildings
and Free Space
Traffic
Area
Industrial
Area
Water
Area
Sports Area and
Public Green Space
Other
Usage
Area in km² 45,5 11,68 6,73 3,86 0,85 0,30 0,23 0,13
Percentage of Total Area 65,68 % 16,86 % 9,71 % 5,57 % 1,23 % 0,43 % 0,33 % 0,19 %

Neighbouring communities

Halle borders the town of Borgholzhausen
Borgholzhausen
Borgholzhausen is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Teutoburg Forest, approx...

 in the northwest, the town of Werther
Werther, North Rhine-Westphalia
Werther is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the Teutoburg Forest, approximately 10 km west of Bielefeld. It is best known for the Werther's Original caramel sweets, which are, however, produced in the nearby city of Halle...

 in the northeast, the community of Steinhagen in the southeast and south, the town of Harsewinkel
Harsewinkel
Harsewinkel is a town in Gütersloh District in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies on the river Ems, some 15 km north-west of Gütersloh....

 in the southwest and the town of Versmold
Versmold
Versmold is a town in Gütersloh District in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located some 30 km west of Bielefeld.- History :...

 in the west, all belonging to the district of Gütersloh
Gütersloh (district)
Gütersloh is a Kreis in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Osnabrück, Herford, district-free Bielefeld, Lippe, Paderborn, Soest and Warendorf.-History:...

. Major neighbouring cities are Bielefeld
Bielefeld
Bielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...

 and Gütersloh, both in approx. 15 km distance.

Segmentation of the city

Halle (Westf.) is segmented into ten urban districts, of which (besides Halle itself only the industrial-suburban Künsebeck as well as the rural-agrarian villages Bokel, Hesseln, Hörste and Kölkebeck are built-up areas. While the rural-agrarian districts can be clearly distinguished as separate parts within the city limits the transition between Halle and Künsebeck is flowing. Oldendorf and Gartnisch have been entirely merged into Halle itself, Eggeberg and Ascheloh are only minor settlements. This segmentation is not regulated in the main statutes of Halle, no differentiation between the settlement areas is made there.

The following table gives an overview over the population in the parts of the city:
Urban District Inhabitants Urban Districts of Halle (Westfalen)
Bokel 854
Halle 13,558
Hesseln 1,406
Hörste 1,681
Kölkebeck 503
Künsebeck 3,583
Total 21,585

Climate

Halle lies in the temperate zone of central Europe. It is located in an area of subatlantic oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...

. Due to the atlantic influence winters are mild and summers moderately warm. The average temperature is 8–8,5 °C, wheryby towards the north in elevated and/ or leeward
Windward and leeward
Windward is the direction upwind from the point of reference. Leeward is the direction downwind from the point of reference. The side of a ship that is towards the leeward is its lee side. If the vessel is heeling under the pressure of the wind, this will be the "lower side"...

 microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...

s temperatures can fall substantially short of that. In certain areas the blooming period can begin two to four weeks later than further south.

Due to its location in the subatlantic oceanic climate a year-round humid
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...

 climate with uniformly distributed precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...

 prevails. At the weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...

 Brockhagen (belonging to Steinhagen (Westfalia)), situated just south of Halle, a yearly total of 775 mm precipitation is recorded on long-term average. Hence more precipitation than on German average is recorded, but considerably less than in a northern direction towards Halle. Due to the rain catching effect of the Teutoburg Forest orographic rainfall
Orographic lift
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and create clouds and, under the right conditions,...

 can amount to 1,200 mm per year.

History

Halle is located in the Ravensberg Land
Ravensberg Land
Ravensberg Land is a cultural landscape in the district of Ostwestfalen-Lippe in the northeast of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It lies between the Wiehen Hills to the north, the Teutoburg Forest to the south, the state border with Lower Saxony to the west and the large bend...

 or more specifically in the County of Ravensberg, deducted from the Burg Ravensberg located in the neighbouring community of Borgholzhausen
Borgholzhausen
Borgholzhausen is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Teutoburg Forest, approx...

. The vicissitudes of history were predominantly influenced by the bishops of Osnabrück, Napoleon and German emperors.

The area of the town and the former district of Halle formerly belonged to the Ravensberg. The latter was surrounded by the principalities of Osnabrück
Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück
The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück was a prince-bishopric centred on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück. The diocese was erected in 772 and is the oldest see founded by Charlemagne, in order to Christianize the conquered stem-duchy of Saxony....

, Münster, Paderborn
Bishopric of Paderborn
The Archdiocese of Paderborn is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn. It was a diocese from its foundation in 799 until 1802, and again from 1821 until 1930. In 1930, it was promoted to an archdiocese...

 and Minden
Bishopric of Minden
The Bishopric of Minden was a Roman Catholic diocese and a state, Prince-bishopric of Minden , of the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Minden which is in modern day Germany.-History:...

 and was neighbouring the Principality of Lippe
Principality of Lippe
Lippe was a historical state in Germany. It was located between the Weser River and the southeast part of the Teutoburg forest.-History:...

. In contrast to these principalities Ravensberg always has been secular estate, which at first belonged to the Counts of Ravensberg and later to their Jülich
Jülich
Jülich is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Jülich is well known as location of a world-famous research centre, the Forschungszentrum Jülich and as shortwave transmission site of Deutsche Welle...

 heirs. After this nobility also became extinct the county, along with others, came into possession of the house of Kleve-Mark and about a century later via the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....

 of the kingdom of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

.

In the year 1246 bishop Engelbert of Osnabrück swapped the church "tor Halle", situated on the southern edge of his diocese, with all rights and duties with the castle and Benedictine Abbey Iburg
Bad Iburg
Bad Iburg is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the Teutoburg Forest, 16 km south of Osnabrück....

 in exchange for the church in Rheda
Rheda
Rheda may refer to:* Hreða, an obscure Anglo-Saxon goddess*Rheda, Germany, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany* Reda, Poland, a town in Pomeranian Voivodeship, PolandSee also* Reda...

 with all rights and earnings. In the document, dating May 9, 1246, which seals the exchange – in a manner of speaking the certificate of birth – Halle is mentioned for the first time. The two villages Oldendorf and Gartnisch, today subdivisions of Halle embracing it in the east and west, are older than the present core of settlement. They are already mentioned as early as in the 11th century.

The Ravensberg rent-roll, finalized in 1556, lists 49 names in Halle between the years 1491 and 1541, thereof 26 free citizens and 23 bondmen of the territorial lord respectively of the noble landlords in Steinhausen and Tatenhausen. The population is estimated around 350 heads in the 16th century. During this time the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...

 began in Halle, gradually but largely changing people's religious affiliation. Only few noble families remained Roman Catholic, among them the Lords of castle Tatenhausen, in whose territory the catholic community Stockkämpen continues to exist to date.

On April 17, 1719 Halle was granted town privileges
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...

 by king Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...

 and it was capital of the district of Halle for 150 years. As a result of the Prussian defeat against Napoleon the town came under French reign between 1807 and 1813. Temporarily Halle was divided, the border between the French Empire
History of France
The history of France goes back to the arrival of the earliest human being in what is now France. Members of the genus Homo entered the area hundreds of thousands years ago, while the first modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons, arrived around 40,000 years ago...

 and the Kingdom of Westphalia
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a new country of 2.6 million Germans that existed from 1807-1813. It included of territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte...

 passed through the town (partly alongside the Laibach creek). During this time the population suffered from the pressing encumbrances caused by the necessity to finance the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...

.

In 1813 Prussia regained the administration. Halle was allocated to the Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...

 Minden in the Province of Westphalia
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...

 and again became capital of its own district.

Until well into the 19th century Halle remained largely agrarian- oriented, mainly grain, flax or hemp was cultivated and animal husbandry was run. The traffic infrastructure of Halle, being located alongside several supra-regional roads, was not disadvantageous; however there were no paved roads until 1844 and the town was always outshined by Bielefeld.

In the mid 19th century the town changed its face with industrialization setting in and gained significance. In particular, the connection to the railway line "Haller Willem" (Bielefeld-Osnabrück) since 1886 played a prominent role. A brandy distillery (Kisker), cold-meat factories and woodwork undertakings came into existence.

The next essential change was brought by World War II respectively its consequences. Owing to the absorption and integration of a large number of refugees grave economic and demographic shifts were brought about.

After almost 160 years Halle lost its position as district capital due to a reorganization of administrative districts in 1973: Gütersloh
Gütersloh
Gütersloh is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 96,320 people.- Geography :...

 became capital of the new district. Until then Halle even had its own license plate code "HW".

There are no known documents about the name Halle and the nascence of the town. The most common (but non- provable) explanation is that it is derived from "hale", meaning salt.

Religion

More than half of the population is member of Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...

 churches, some 15 % are Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

. Besides the Lutheran parish of Evangelical Church of Westphalia
Evangelical Church of Westphalia
The Evangelical Church of Westphalia is a Protestant church body in the German state of Northrhine-Westphalia. It's the most important Protestant denomination in Westphalia...

 (with the two churches of St. Johannis and Hörste) and the Catholic parish Herz-Jesu (Sacred Heart of Jesus) there are also the Free Church
Free church
The term "free church" refers to a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government . A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission...

 congregations of the Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...

s-Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...

, the New Apostolic Church
New Apostolic Church
The New Apostolic Church is a chiliastic church, converted to Protestantism as a free church from the Catholic Apostolic Church. The church has existed since 1879 in Germany and since 1897 in the Netherlands...

 and the Free Evangelical Church.
Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

 can attend services in the Ayasofya Mosque
Ayasofya Mosque
Ayasofya Mosque may refer to:* Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, first a church, then a mosque, now a museum.* Ayasofya Mosque , Germany, see List of mosques in Germany...

 of the Turkish-Islamic cultural association and additionally Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...

 as well as the Kurdish Yazidi
Yazidi
The Yazidi are members of a Kurdish religion with ancient Indo-Iranian roots. They are primarily a Kurdish-speaking people living in the Mosul region of northern Iraq, with additional communities in Transcaucasia, Armenia, Turkey, and Syria in decline since the 1990s – their members emigrating to...

 are represented with one parochial bodies each.

Incorporations

On October 1, 1938 the community Oldendorf and on October 1, 1956 a part of the community Gartnisch were amalgamated
Amalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...

 into the town of Halle.

Within the scope of the government reorganization of North Rhine-Westfalia and based on the "Gesetz zur Neugliederung von Gemeinden des Landkreises Halle (Law on reorganization of communities in the rural district Halle)" dating June 24, 1969 the communities Ascheloh, Eggeberg and Gartnisch where transferred from the Amt Halle (Westf.) (administrative office of Halle (Westf.)) into the town of Halle.

Due to the "Bielefeld-law", dating October 24, 1972 the town of Halle was united with the communities of Bokel, Hesseln, Hörste, Kölkebeck and Künsebeck on January 1, 1973. The new city of Halle also replaced the former administrative office of Halle. Based on the same law parts of the communities of Amshausen, Borgholzhausen, Brockhagen and Theenhausen were integrated into the city.

Inhabitants

With a few restrictions the population figures on Halle can be traced back to the year 1491. In the years 1491–1541 the inhabitants count is stated with approx. 49. Between 1500 and 1600 this number grew to approx. 350.

It is for the year 1871 that an exact number of inhabitants is known, Halle had 5,545 inhabitants at the time, including later incorporations to the city limits. Without these incorporations Halle had roughly 1,600 inhabitants in the year 1880. For the year 1939 a number of 3,500 (without incorporations) and 8,169 (with incorporations) is known.

Due to a large number of refugees that came into Halle as a consequence of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 the number of inhabitants grew to 15,258 (with incorporations until December 31, 1961.

Since the incorporation of surrounding villages in 1973 generally only one combined figure is surveyed. While in 1998 Halle had 20,023 inhabitants, this number grew continually to 21,638 until April 30, 2007. The table on the right illustrates the increase in population across the entire known stretch, prior to 1871 the numbers are stated without incorporations, since 1871 with incorporations.
class="wikitable"> Year Inhabitants
1491 49
1541 49
1600 350
1818 1.070
1831 1.280
1837 1.343
1843 1.452
1849 1.423
1852 1.447
class="wikitable"> Year Inhabitants 1858 1.415 1861 (3. Dec.) 1.445 1867 (3. Dec.) 1.503 1871 (1. Dec.) 1.480
5.545 1 1885 (1. Dec.) 1.711 1895 (1. Dec.) 1.758 1905 (1. Dec.) 1.841 1925 (16. June) 2.094 class="wikitable"> Year Inhabitants 1933 (16. June) 2.309 1939 (17. May) 3.393
8.351 1 1946 (29. Oct.) 5.234 1950 (13. Sep.) 5.805
13.853 1 1961 (6. June) 7.542
15.573 1 1970 (27. May) 10.123
17.458 1 class="wikitable"> Year Inhabitants 1975 (31. Dec.) 17.868 1980 (31. Dec.) 18.556 1985 (31. Dec.) 18.323 1987 (25. May) 18.161 1990 (31. Dec.) 18.841 1995 (31. Dec.) 19.502 2000 (31. Dec.) 20.478 2005 (31. Dec.) 21.283 2007 (31. Dec.) 21.177
1 present territory

The Community Profile of the North Rhine-Westphalian authority for data processing and statistics typecasts Halle as a "small medium-sized town" and compares it to other cities of that type. While the population development was comparable to other cities of the same type until ca. 2001 the increase in Halle is substantially higher since then. On an Index the average for the type "small medium-sized town" arrived at 115 (1976 = 100), whereas Halle reached 119, in effect roughly 3.5% higher. Comparing the population increase with North Rhine-Westphalia in total, the figure increases to 12.3%. However, the growth mainly recruits from migration since for a number of years the relation between birth rate and death rate has been even.

Compared to other cities of the same type as well as to North Rhine-Westphalia there are no statistically significant deviations with respect to the population structure based on age groups, but Halle has a significantly lower number of severely disabled persons.

Town Council

As a result of communal elections on August 30, 2009 currently the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...

, the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...

, The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...

, the FDP
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...

 as well as two independent voters' alliances, the UWG and the STU (agenda party favouring a specific marked-out route for the unfinished motorway) are represented in the Halle town council.

Communal politics are strongly coined by local topics, with one of the major issues of the voters being the future dealing with the Bundesautobahn 33 (see below). The above mentioned STU stood for election for the first time in 2004, their only agenda being the continuation of the Autobahn on a specific marked-out route. The STU gained 6 seats at the first go and took away votes mainly from the CDU, but also from the SPD. In the elections in 2009 the party suffered great losses.
2009 2004 1999 1994 1989 1984 1979 1975
Party Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats % Seats %
CDU 13 33,17 14 36,08 19 49,06 17 40,94 n/v 37,62 18 43,23 18 46,40 n/v 49,78
SPD 13 33,47 11 27,76 12 31,54 14 36,01 n/v 34,10 15 35,73 14 35,23 n/v 40,45
Greens 4 11,85 3 8,06 3 8,03 4 11,17 n/v 9,29 4 9,88
FDP 2 6,58 2 5,23 2 4,50 2 5,43 n/v 10,07 0 4,89 3 8,30 n/v 9,77
UWG 3 7,20 2 6,09 2 6,88 2 6,44 n/v 8,91 4 6,27 2 10,07
STU 3 7,73 6 16,78
total 1 38 100 38 100 38 100 39 100 n/v 100 41 100 37 100 n/v 100
voter participation 58,11 57,61 60,73 84,23 69,60 70,22 71,14 86,79


1not considering rounding errors

Mayor

Name Term of Office Remark
Anne Rodenbrock-Wesselmann since 2002 second directly elected mayoress in North Rhine-Westfalia
Jürgen Wolff 1997–2002 resigned due to age
Wilhelm Bentlage 1969–1997 honorary mayor
Heinrich Thomas until 1969 died in office

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Halle shows three silver lilies on red ground. In the foreground the heart sign shows the coat of arms of the County of Ravensberg (three red chevrons on silver). The three lilies assumedly date back to an official community seal of the 18th century.

It was granted for the first time in 1908 by order of the King of Prussia, continued to be used unchanged after the incorporations of 1973.

International relations

The town twinning between Halle and   Ronchin
Ronchin
-References:*...

 (France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

) dates back to September 22, 1984. In honour of the twinning a central square in Halle was named Ronchin-Platz (Platz = square). There is regular cultural exchange and sporting encounters. During the town fest Haller Willem Ronchin is represented with a stand offering local delicacies.

Culture and Sights

In Town

  • The Protestant parish church is located amidst the tree-lined church square and surrounded by half-timbered buildings, altogether often called "The Heart of Halle". The arched building was originally built single-nave in the 13th century; a square choir and a west tower were added to the southern side aisle in the 15th century. The northern addition dates from 1886. Remnants of Baroque features in the interior could be preserved, among them the sandstone pulpit of 1716. In the northern side aisle there is a gallery balustrade that dates back to 1661. The church was equipped with a new organ in 1992. The church square was Halle's most important graveyard until 1828.

  • To this date a considerable number of half-timbered buildings could be preserved. The built-up area around the church has an impressive closedness, only few comparable structures are preserved in the area (compare Delbrück
    Delbrück
    Delbrück is a town in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the district Paderborn. As of 2002 it has a population of 29,846.-History:...

    , Gütersloh
    Gütersloh
    Gütersloh is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 96,320 people.- Geography :...

    ). The oldest building is Kirchplatz No. 3, which was dated dendrochronologically
    Dendrochronology
    Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...

     to the year 1512. Kirchplatz No. 11 has a storefront that is carved with fan rosettes
    Rosette (design)
    A rosette is a round, stylized flower design, used extensively in sculptural objects from antiquity. Appearing in Mesopotamia and used to decorate the funeral stele in Ancient Greece...

    , the storefront was used for a new building after the old building to which it originally belonged was broken down. In the nearby Bahnhofstraße there are further eminent half-timbered buildings. The house no. 10 is exceptionally stately, showing a special form of bay windows to the street, that dates back to the 17th century.

  • Kiskerhaus (Kisker House), nowadays used by the folk high school
    Folk high school
    Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...

    . The former head office of the Kisker distillery consists of an older core building from 1692 that was extended in 1712. It served as residence and office. On the same compound furthermore the Schinkenhaus (Ham House), a plastered stone house with garret roof and a half-timbered gavel to the northwest, the distillery house, built early in the 19th century and with the old distillery in the cellar that can be sightseen to date, and the remise, built as a coach and store house around 1880.

  • The Catholic Church Herz-Jesu was inaugurated on November 14, 1909. The building was donated by Countess Julia Korff-Schmising- Kerßenbrock.

  • In front of the old building of the county court a war memorial can be seen, which was erected in 1898. The inscription reads: Ihren in den siegreichen Feldzügen 1866 und 1870/71 gefallenen Soehnen in Darkbarkeit; Die Kirchengemeinde Halle i./W. 1898 (With gratitude to its sons killed in action in the victorious expeditions of 1866 and 1870/71; The parish of Halle i./W. 1898)

Out of Town

  • The moated castle Tatenhausen is situated in the Tatenhausen Forest. The castle was ancestral home to the barons and counts von Korff, called Schmising. It was built in the Weser Renaissance
    Weser Renaissance
    Weser Renaissance is a form of Renaissance architectural style that is found in the area around the River Weser in central Germany and which has been well-preserved in the towns and cities of the region.- Background :...

     style. The erection of the east wing started in the year 1540, based on foundations from the 14th century. The centre section and the west wing were built in Baroque style in the 18th century. The Baroque style Orangery
    Orangery
    An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...

     was designed by Johann Conrad Schlaun in 1751. The castle is still inhabited. The surrounding lake is fed by the creek Laibach.

  • The Kaffeemühle ("Burr Mill"; 52° 04′ 09″ N, 8° 22′ 03″ O) is a building in the Teutoburg Forest. It was built by the Hagedorn family, a merchant family from Bremen that worked in Halle. It is in possession of the town of Halle by way of donation by the families Julius and Florenz Kisker since 1904. The building offers views on Halle as well as the surrounding region to the south. The name of the building has been coined by the public because of its great resemblance to a burr mill
    Burr mill
    A burr mill or burr grinder is a device to grind hard, small food products between two revolving abrasive surfaces separated by a distance usually set by the user. Usually the device includes a revolving screw that pushes the food through...

    .

  • Shortly below the burr mill the Hagedorn Memorial was erected in honour of Hermann Hagedorn on the occasion of his 68th birthday.

  • On a number of places on the slopes of Teutoburg Forest bordered forest graveyards can be found, e.g. at 52° 04′ 11″ N, 8° 22′ 00″ O.

  • Also on the slopes of Teutoburger Wald a Walther von der Vogelweide
    Walther von der Vogelweide
    Walther von der Vogelweide is the most celebrated of the Middle High German lyric poets.-Life history:For all his fame, Walther's name is not found in contemporary records, with the exception of a solitary mention in the travelling accounts of Bishop Wolfger of Erla of the Passau diocese:...

    -Memorial
    can be found (52° 04′ 06″ N, 8° 22′ 13″ O). Its erection was encouraged at the of the years 1920 by the Ravensberg Men's Choral Society, despite the known fact that Vogelweide had never visited the region. By its construction the singing club wanted to express its great attachment to Walther von der Vogelweide. The memorial was unveiled in 1930 in Vogelweide's 700th year of death. Since the singing club annually holds its traditional Whitsun Singing at the memorial. The inscription on the memorial reads: Grüß Gott mit hellem Klang / Heil deutschem Wort und Sang; Zur Erinnerung an das 700. Todesjahr Walther's von der Vogelweide / Halle(Westf.) den 29.Juni 1930 / Männer-Gesang-Verein Ravensberg / "Walther von der Vogelweide, wer sein vergäße, tät mir leid!" (Greetings with bright clang / Hail to German word and sang; To commemorate the 700th year of death of Walther von der Vogelweide / Halle(Westf.) June 29, 1930 / Ravensberg Men's Choral Society / "Walther von der Vogelweide, he who would forget him would have my pity!"). The memorial is a station on the cultural path Teutoburger Wald Laibachweg.

  • Halle was home to coal and iron ore mining for roughly 400 years. In the year 1505 Duke Wilhelm IV. of Jülich-Berg granted rights to his stadtholder
    Stadtholder
    A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...

     Count Philipp II. of Waldeck to erect mines in the County of Ravensberg. The first pit assumedly was in the borderland between Halle and Werther. In the mid-17th century coal digging also took place in Eggeberg. Furthermore ore was searched near the surface on the hilltop of the Teutoburg Forest. Log wood to support the extension of the pits was available in abundance in the Teutoburg Forest. In the middle of the 18th century coal mining yielded due to high wood prices and difficulties to import less expensive coal. During the mining booms in the 19th century there were as many as 23 coal pits and 24 pits for near-surface ore. All pits were closed down in 1883 due to the growing impact of the Cologne-Minden railway line and the options to import coal cheaper from the Ruhr Area
    Ruhr Area
    The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...

    . Due to the Occupation of the Ruhr
    Occupation of the Ruhr
    The Occupation of the Ruhr between 1923 and 1925, by troops from France and Belgium, was a response to the failure of the German Weimar Republic under Chancellor Cuno to pay reparations in the aftermath of World War I.-Background:...

     by French troops in 1923 one drift was reopened for a short period. On a marked hiking trail starting at 52° 04′ 27″ N, 8° 22′ 02″ O with an information panel the hiker goes past some of the old drifts and the pithead building.

Parks

Halle has no laid-out parks. Merely the Friedhof I (Cemetery I) near the train station is park-like with large free spaces. Numerous playgrounds, among them those covering a relatively vast area, e.g. the Laibach-playground, are used like parks by the population.

Museums

Halle has the only "museum for works of childhood and adolescence of important artists" in the world. Namely paintings during adolescence of artists like Paul
Paul Klee
Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism...

 and Felix Klee, August Macke
August Macke
August Macke was one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter . He lived during a particularly innovative time for German art which saw the development of the main German Expressionist movements as well as the arrival of the successive avant-garde movements which...

, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a...

 and Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...

 are in the focus of the museum's work.

In the remise of the Kisker House there are regular single and group exhibitions of visual arts with regional reference. Contemporary artwork, sculptures, acrylic, oil and aquarelle paintings and photo arts are presented.

In the former leather manufacture Güttgemanns more than 15 local artists and artisans took domicile. They regularly organize joint exhibitions and presentations.

Music

In February Halle hosts the super regionally renowned "Haller Bachtage", with choir- and orchestra concerts, chamber and organ concerts being staged during one week. In many cases international celebrities of classical music can be engaged (Peter Schreier
Peter Schreier
Peter Schreier is a German tenor and conductor.-Early life:Schreier was born in Meissen, Saxony, and spent his first years in the small village of Gauernitz, near Meissen, where his father was a teacher, cantor and organist...

, Thomas Quasthoff
Thomas Quasthoff
Thomas Quasthoff is a German bass-baritone. Although his reputation was initially based on his performance of Romantic lieder, Quasthoff has proven to have a remarkable range from the Baroque cantatas of Bach to solo jazz improvisations.-Biography:Quasthoff was born in Hildesheim, Germany, with...

, Petr Eben
Petr Eben
Petr Eben was a Czech composer of modern and contemporary classical music.-His life:Born in Žamberk in northeastern Bohemia, Eben spent his youth in Český Krumlov in southern Bohemia. There he studied piano, and later cello and organ...

 a.o.).

Natural Monuments and Nature Reserves

In terms of nature reserves Halle has an outstanding position in the district of Gütersloh in more than one respect, since with a total of seven designated nature reserves it is home to the highest number and the single biggest reserve of all communities in the district. Also with 939.3 ha the total area covered by the reserves is in absolute area as well percental with roughly 13.6 % in relation to the community territory the biggest in the district.

Approx. 437 acres (1.8 km²) of the Tatenhausen Forest are protected by the Habitats Directive of the European Union. This area hosts rare bats like the Bechstein bat
Bechstein's Bat
Bechstein's Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family.It can be found in the following countries: Austria, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Liechtenstein, Republic of Macedonia,...

, the greater mouse-eared bat
Greater mouse-eared bat
The greater mouse-eared bat, Myotis myotis, is a European species of bat in the Vespertilionidae family.-Description:It is relatively large for a member of the Myotis genus, weighing up to , making it one of the largest European bats.-Foraging:Like its relatives it eats various arthropods;...

 and the Pond Bat
Pond Bat
The Pond Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family. It is found in Eurasia from France to Russia and Kazakhstan.-Physical characteristics:...

. Moreover the Laibach creek is a habitat for the common kingfisher. The reserve is the only known habitat for the rare Great Capricorn Beetle
Cerambyx cerdo
The Cerambyx cerdo, commonly known as great capricorn beetle, is a species of beetle in family Cerambycidae. It is widespread in Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Spain, Sweden,...

 in Germany. Typical types of biotopes are mixed forests of beech and oak with a high degree of old wood and alder-ash tree-pasture forests.

Sports

Every year in June Halle hosts the Gerry Weber Open
Gerry Weber Open
The Gerry Weber Open is a tennis tournament held in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Held since 1993, the tournament is played on four outdoor grass courts and is a part of the ATP World Tour 250 series on the ATP Tour schedule....

, one of a handful of ATP tournaments in the world played on grass. Tennis professionals use this tournament as a tune-up for Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...

.

In 2007 the Gerry-Weber-Stadium, which is the 2nd- biggest stadium in the district of Gütersloh, hosted several matches of World Men's Handball Championship
2007 World Men's Handball Championship
The 20th World Men's Handball Championship took place from January 19 to February 4, 2007 in Germany. 24 national teams played in 12 German cities.The tournament was won by Germany.-Stadiums:...

.

The men's team of "TC Blau-Weiß Halle" have won the German Team Tennis Championships in 1995 and 2006.

There is a number of possibilities to do sports in clubs:
  • various football clubs
  • various tennis clubs
  • various gymnastics clubs
  • Golfclub Teutoburger Wald with 27 holes
  • CVJM athletics club
  • Canadian Canoe Club
  • 1st RSC Gerry Weber Rackets e. V., Squash Club
  • 1st sports fishing club of Halle
  • Automobile Club Halle (Westf.) e. V.
  • Karate Dojo Halle e. V.
  • Karate Dojo Mushin Halle of 1991
  • Modellfluggruppe Halle (Westf.)
  • Horse Riding and Carriage Driving Club Halle
  • Chess Club Halle 1946 / Künsebeck 1948 e. V.
  • Swimming Club Halle (Westf.)
  • Folk Dance Club Halle

Regular Events

Besides the Gerry-Weber-Open and the "Haller Bachtage", mentioned in earlier sections, the town fest "Haller Willem" traditionally takes place on Ascension Day.

Further regular events are:
  • Weekly Market: The weekly market takes place in city center each Friday
  • Hörster Bummel: an annual funfair in the village Hörste
  • Hemdsärmelball: an annual folk festival
  • Party im gelben See (= party in the yellow pond): an annual folk festival on a field with sunflowers that have been sown for this occasion
  • Christmas Market: annual market around the Protestant church, takes place on one of the Advent Sundays
  • Gewerbeschau Gartnisch: annual exhibition of local trade and industry

Road Traffic

The highway B68 runs through Halle. The marked- out path of the Bundesautobahn 33
Bundesautobahn 33
is an autobahn in Germany which connects the Bundesautobahn 30 in the north and the A 44 in the south.- History :The history of the A 33 began in the 1960s as the B 68...

 runs through Halle. For decades the planning of this highway is politically controversial. On one hand it is bound to take pressure of the highway B68 in city centre, on the other hand the marked- out path runs through the Tatenhauser Wald, part of which is protected by the FFH.

Train and Bus Transport

The train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...

s "Halle (Westf.)", "Künsebeck", "Halle Gerry-Weber-Stadion" and "Hesseln" are located alongside the railway tracks of the Haller Willem (KBS 402). The identically named Regionalbahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...

 commutes hourly between Bielefeld
Bielefeld
Bielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...

, Halle and Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...

 (during weekdays partly half- hourly between Bielefeld and Halle). The service is run by the NordWestBahn which uses Talent trains
Talent (train)
The Talent is a multiple unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier that was developed by Waggonfabrik Talbot in Aachen shortly before the company was acquired by Bombardier in 1995...

 for speeds up to 120 km/h. The line was opened in 1886.

Regional buses run to Bielefeld, Gütersloh
Gütersloh
Gütersloh is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 96,320 people.- Geography :...

, Werther (Westfalia)
Werther, North Rhine-Westphalia
Werther is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the Teutoburg Forest, approximately 10 km west of Bielefeld. It is best known for the Werther's Original caramel sweets, which are, however, produced in the nearby city of Halle...

, Steinhagen (Westfalia), Brockhagen and Versmold
Versmold
Versmold is a town in Gütersloh District in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located some 30 km west of Bielefeld.- History :...

.

For all public transport within North- Rhine Westfalia there are two unified tariffs: Der Sechser and the NRW- tariff. For connections to Osnabrück an additional tariff (VOS plus) is valid.

Lines within Halle are reinforced by four taxi-bus lines during early morning/ late evening hours and the weekend.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic

Halle is located on four supra- regional bike routes. The BahnRadRoute Teuto-Senne leads from Osnabrück via Halle and Bielefeld to Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...

. The routes R3 from Haaksbergen
Haaksbergen
Haaksbergen is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel, in the Twente region.-External links:*...

 to Bad Pyrmont
Bad Pyrmont
-External links:* * -Multimedia:*...

 and R45 from Schledenhausen to Hainchen lead through Hörste and Bokel. The Wellness(i.e. Fitness)- bike route Teutoburg Forest, which is laid out as a circular route of roughly 500 km, also runs through Halle. Additionally four circular routes, each approx. 20 km long, run through Halle, developing in a shamrock shape starting at the train station.

Halle has a car-free zone
Car-free zone
Pedestrian zones are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian only use and in which some or all automobile traffic may be prohibited. They are instituted by communities who feel that it is desirable to have pedestrian-only areas...

 which is host to the weekly market and hikers find a choice of twelve signposted circular routes.

Air Traffic

Bielefeld, being the next bigger town, does not have a commercial airport. Hence farther drives must be accepted, which timewise, however, do not differ substantially from those in large cities. There is a choice of four regional commercial airports within one to one and a half, thus the number of destinations that can be reached with a direct flight is quite high. The Münster/ Osnabrück- Airport
Münster Osnabrück International Airport
Münster Osnabrück International Airport or Flughafen Muenster/Osnabrueck , is the 4th largest international commercial airport in North Rhine-Westphalia...

 lies within 55 km distance, the Paderborn/ Lippstadt- Airport
Paderborn Lippstadt Airport
-Facilities:The terminal offers several facilities for travelers. There are mainly travel agencies in the airport. A Restaurant is available, too. There are also shops and car rentals at the airport....

 is ca. 70 km away. Dortmund Airport
Dortmund Airport
Dortmund Airport , is the international airport located east of Dortmund, Germany. Its slogan is Näher als man denkt . Since 2006 it has been carrying the name "Dortmund Airport 21", in reference to the fact that Dortmund's utility company, DSW21, is its major shareholder...

 lies within 100 km, that of Hanover
Hanover/Langenhagen International Airport
Hannover-Langenhagen Airport is located in Langenhagen, 11 km north of the centre of Hanover, the capital of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the ninth largest airport in Germany.- History :...

 roughly within 130 km distance.

Companies residing in Halle

The most renowned employers in Halle are:
  • Gerry Weber International AG, a listed fashion and lifestyle company,
  • August Storck KG
    August Storck KG
    August Storck KG is a German sweets producer with headquarters in Berlin. Its subsidiary in the UK is since 1988 the Bendicks company in Winchester...

    , a confectionery manufacturer, whose headquarters are located in Berlin nowadays, but with its origin in Halle still has its main plant there,
  • Kisker-Brennereien, a liquor producer, as well as a
  • Branch of Baxter International
    Baxter International
    Baxter International Inc. , is an American health care company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute medical conditions...

    , operating in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.

Media

The Haller Kreisblatt, a cooperation partner of the Neue Westfälische, and a local edition of the Westfalen-Blatt are published as daily newspapers Monday through Saturday with a comparable number of copies. Both papers receive their non-local content from their head offices in Bielefeld. Both papers cover the entire former district of Halle. Additionally the free-of-charge-paper "OWL am Sonntag" (East-Westfalia on Sundays), a branch of the Westfalen-Blatt is published each Sunday. The city magazine "Haller Willem" is published monthly with a number of copies of 10,550.

Halle belongs to the reporting area of the regional studio of the WDR
Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Westdeutscher Rundfunk is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the consortium of German public-broadcasting institutions, ARD...

 and also to the coverage area of Radio Gütersloh (a local radio station).

Public Facilities

The town offers a number of public services for its citizens. The public library holds approx. 30.000 books. It is located in a landmarked distillery building of the Kisker- Brennereien. This building also hosts the municipal archive.

The Lindenbad is fun spa that combines indoor and outdoor swimming pools. It is operated by the Technische Werke Osning GmbH which is owned by the town.

The local hospital with 163 beds available is run by the Klinikum Ravensberg gGmbH which also operates a hospital in Versmold.

The County Court in Halle is also responsible for the former district of Halle, i.e. Borgholzhausen, Steinhagen, Versmold and Werther.

The auxiliary fire brigade of Halle is responsible for fire protection and fire fighting and deployed out of Halle, Hörste and Kölkebeck.

Education

With one exception (Comprehensive School
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...

) Halle offers all available types of schools. There are four elementary schools
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...

 (Grundschule) within the city limits:
  • Grundschule Gartnisch
  • Grundschule Lindenschule
  • Grundschule Hörste
  • Grundschule Künsebeck


Secondary schools are:
  • Hauptschule
    Hauptschule
    A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...

     Halle
  • Realschule
    Realschule
    The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...

     Halle
  • Kreisgymnasium
    Gymnasium (school)
    A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

     Halle
  • Berufskolleg Halle (vocational school)


Hauptschule and Realschule reside on the same premises.

Additionally there is the special school
  • Gerhard Hauptmann School


and for adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...

 the
  • Folk high school
    Folk high school
    Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...

    , Ravensberg


Some schools of Halle are of relevance beyond Halle since they provide offers for adjacent communities, namely the Berufskolleg, the Kreisgymnasium and the Folk High School, since neighbouring communities do not always offer these school types.

In the year 2006 in Halle's schools (except Berufskolleg and Folk High School) 198 teachers taught a total of 2,933 students, about 33% thereof in elementary schools, ca. 8% in Haupt- and 24,2% in Realschule, approx. 30,2% at the Kreisgymnasium, and finally some 4,2% at the special school.

Public Characters

Honorary Citizens

Halle has not given away the freedom of the town so far. Wilhelm Bentlage was nominated honorary mayor.

Sons and daughters of the town

The following popular characters were born in Halle:
Born in Halle are:
  • 1803: Ferdinand Wilhelm Brune, architect of the classicism era
  • 1855: Hermann Julius Kolbe, Entomologist
    Entomology
    Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...

  • 1884: Margarete Windthorst, poetess
  • 1900: Paul Kirchhoff, German philosopher and Anthropologist
    Anthropology
    Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...

  • 1939: Heiner Erke, psychologist
  • 1962: Sarah Wiener, cook
  • 1963: Monica Theodorescu, dressage rider
  • 1975: Jörg Ludewig, race cyclist
  • 1978: David Kramer, actor
  • 1980: Mia Wüsteney, radio hostess

Other public characters that are connected with Halle

Not born in Halle, but living/ having lived or worked there:
  • Wilhelm Wallbaum, labor union official and politician (CSP
    Christian Social Party (Germany)
    The Christian Social Party was a right-wing political party in the German Empire, founded in 1878 by Adolf Stoecker as the Christlichsoziale Arbeiterpartei . The party combined a strong Christian and conservative programme with progressive ideas on labour, and tried to provide an alternative for...

     and DNVP
    German National People's Party
    The German National People's Party was a national conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the NSDAP it was the main nationalist party in Weimar Germany composed of nationalists, reactionary monarchists, völkisch, and antisemitic elements, and...

    )
  • Hans Schwier, politician (SPD) and minister of cultural affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia, represented Halle in the Landtag
    Landtag
    A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...

     of North Rhine-Westphalia between 1970 and 1975
  • Inge Meidinger-Geise, authoress, lived here for 19 years
  • Burghard Schloemann, church musical director and founder of the "Haller Bach-Tage"
  • Gabriele Behler, later minister of cultural affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia, taught at Kreisgymnasium Halle
  • Heribert Bruchhagen
    Heribert Bruchhagen
    Heribert Bruchhagen is the executive chairman of Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG since December 1 2003....

    , football official, taught at Kreisgymnasium Halle
  • Lutz von Rosenberg Lipinsky, cabaret artist, grew up in Halle
  • Ingo Börchers, cabaret artist, grew up in Halle
  • Martin Baumann, scientist in religious studies, grew up in Halle

Miscellaneous

Due to the numerous linden trees growing in Halle the town is known as „linden town“.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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