Borken, Hesse
| Borken | ||
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Historic centre
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 Borken
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Location of Borken within Schwalm-Eder district
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| Coordinates: 51°02′45″N 09°16′02″E / 51.04583°N 9.26722°ECoordinates: 51°02′45″N 09°16′02″E / 51.04583°N 9.26722°E | ||
| Country | Germany | |
| State | Hesse | |
| Admin. region | Kassel | |
| District | Schwalm-Eder-Kreis | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Bernd Heßler (SPD) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 82.3 km2 (31.8 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 205 m (673 ft) | |
| Population (2015-12-31) | ||
| • Total | 12,633 | |
| • Density | 150/km2 (400/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | 34582 | |
| Dialling codes | 05682 | |
| Vehicle registration | HR | |
| Website | www.borken-hessen.de | |
Borken is a small town with about 13,000 inhabitants in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany.
The town is a former centre for brown coal mining and coal-fired electrical generation in Hesse. The coalmine, unlike those in other regions, also had underground workings. After a major disaster – namely a coal dust explosion – the mine was shut down on 1 June 1988.
Since that time, the former coal pits have been redeveloped into recreation areas with lakes, nature areas – some actually protected by law – and sporting grounds. Among these areas are der Borkener See (Borken Lake) with its nature reserve, der Singliser See (Singlis Lake) with windsurfing, and die Stockelache ("Stagnant Puddle"), used as a bathing lake.
One particular attraction in Borken is the Hessian Brown Coal Mining Museum (Hessisches Braunkohle Bergbaumuseum) which displays the town's coal-mining tradition. Since 2003, an open-air museum, where visitors may learn about "coal and energy", has also been open. The museum is also affiliated with a nature conservation information centre for the Borkener See.
Borken's best known landmark is its watertower.
The next towns to Borken are Fritzlar (15 km) in the northwest and Homberg (15 km) in the west. Within 50 km distance is Kassel the next large city in the north and with 55 km Marburg in the south.
The municipal area is a part of natural region of the West Hesse Depression. The following sub-divisions of this natural region impinge on Borken:
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Wikipedia