Bünde

Bünde
Coat of arms
Bünde
Location of Bünde within Herford district
Coordinates: 52°12′N 8°36′E / 52.200°N 8.600°E / 52.200; 8.600Coordinates: 52°12′N 8°36′E / 52.200°N 8.600°E / 52.200; 8.600
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Detmold
District	Herford
Government
• Mayor	Wolfgang Koch (CDU)
Area
• Total	59.30 km2 (22.90 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	45,615
• Density	770/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	32257
Dialling codes	05223
Vehicle registration	HF
Website	www.buende.de

Bünde [ˈbʏndə] (Low German Buine) is a town in the Herford district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Bünde is situated between Osnabrück (west), Hannover (east) and Bielefeld (south).

The town is crossed from west to east by the River Else, one of the few rivers in the world that does not originate from a spring, but as a result of bifurcation. It drains the whole area and discharges via the Werre and Weser into the North Sea. Within the town area it is joined by numerous small streams from the south and north. One of the northern streams is the Gewinghauser Bach, which on its way to the Else crosses water meadows in the district of Ennigloh-Gewinghausen. Other tributaries coming from the north in downstream order are the Ahler Bruchbach, which starts in Rödinghausen, flows mainly through the district of Ahler Bruch and enters the Else in the Melle area; in addition there is the Darmühlenbach, which also rises in Rödinghausen; then the Spradower Mühlenbach and finally the Eselsbach. From the south the Else is joined by the Werfener Bach.

The town is divided into 12 districts (Population numbers as of June 30, 2005):

Bünde is twinned with:=

Bünde was first mentioned, as Buginithi, in 853. It has one of the oldest church foundations of Westphalia, the 'Laurentius Church' (founded about 778 - 840). During the Cold War, it was home to a British military base (part of the BAOR) which closed in 1993.