Salzkotten
Encyclopedia
Salzkotten is a town in the district of Paderborn
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. The name Salzkotten (English: Salt cottage) is based on the former salt production, which gave Salzkotten its raison d'être. Salt was found in the salty springs around the city.
Schwelle is commonly called United States of Holsen-Schwelle-Winkhausen because of its 3 tiny villages.
(fair featuring shooting matches) and the Hederauenfest. The Schützenfest itself is an event that takes place in many towns and cities across the state.
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:...
, in 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...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The name Salzkotten (English: Salt cottage) is based on the former salt production, which gave Salzkotten its raison d'être. Salt was found in the salty springs around the city.
Geography
Salzkotten is situated at the border between the flat park landscape of the Münsterland in the north, the Soester Börde in the west and the dry rocky mountains with many forests in the south. It is full of small fountains and rivers bringing water from the mountains to the Rhine. It is located approx. 12 km south-west of Paderborn.Administrational division
In 1975, the then city of Salzkotten (with nearly 6 000 inhabitants and 23.65 km²) was merged with nine municipalities to form the new city of Salzkotten (nearly 17 000 inhabitants and 109.40 km²):| ward |  |
|---|---|
| Salzkotten | |
| Mantinghausen | |
| Niederntudorf | |
| Oberntudorf | |
| Scharmede | |
| Schwelle | |
| Thüle | |
| Upsprunge | |
| Verlar | |
| Verne |
Schwelle is commonly called United States of Holsen-Schwelle-Winkhausen because of its 3 tiny villages.
Industry
The economy of Salzkotten today focusses upon metal mining and refinery, machine manufacture, electronics, food production and services.History
Salzkotten was founded in 1247, but documents exist which indicate that salt production was already occurring in 1160. Before the city's foundation, there were a number of farms and villages, which were broken down and rebuilt within the new city walls.Culture
The city has three significant annual celebrations: the Sälzerfest (salt producers' festival), the SchützenfestSchützenfest
A Schützenfest is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland....
(fair featuring shooting matches) and the Hederauenfest. The Schützenfest itself is an event that takes place in many towns and cities across the state.
Politics
The politics of Salzkotten are dominated by the conservative CDU. Since World War II, the CDU is the biggest party in the city council (German: Stadtrat). Since the 2004 local election, there are 6 groups in the city council (38 seats):- CDUChristian 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...
(Christian-Democratic Union) 58.9% of the votes, 22 Seats - SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(Social Democratic Party) 22.4%, 9 seats - UWSFree VotersFree Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the...
(Independent Voters' Community Salzkotten) 5.6%, 2 seats - FDPFree 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...
(Free Democratic Party) 5.2%, 2 seats - GreensAlliance '90/The GreensAlliance '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...
(Alliance 90/The Greens) 4.4%, 2 seats - FBIFree VotersFree Voters is a German concept in which an association of persons participates in an election without having the status of a registered political party. Usually it is a locally organized group of voters in the form of a registered association . In most cases, Free Voters are active only at the...
(Free Citizens' Initiative) 3.5%, 1 seat.