Bunde, Germany
| Bunde | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
 Bunde
|
||
|
Location of Bunde within Leer district
  |
||
| Coordinates: 53°11′N 7°16′E / 53.183°N 7.267°ECoordinates: 53°11′N 7°16′E / 53.183°N 7.267°E | ||
| Country | Germany | |
| State | Lower Saxony | |
| District | Leer | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Gerald Sap (SPD) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 121 km2 (47 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) | |
| Population (2015-12-31) | ||
| • Total | 7,607 | |
| • Density | 63/km2 (160/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
| Postal codes | 26831 | |
| Dialling codes | 0 49 53 | |
| Vehicle registration | LER | |
| Website | www.gemeinde-bunde.de | |
Bunde is a municipal district in East Frisia, in Lower Saxony, Germany, about 20 km (32 mi.) south of Emden, Germany, and 50 km (30 mi.) east of Groningen, Netherlands. It lies on the southern tip of the Dollart, a bay of the North Sea between Germany and the Netherlands, and has a land border with the Netherlands.
Bunde is among the smaller distrcts of East Frisia, with a population of 7,607 (as of 2015). About half live in the town of Bunde itself. The district's population density is comparatively low, equating to 62 per square km (160 per sq. mi.), compared to 228/sq. km (591 sq. mi.) for Germany as a whole. In the 17th and 18th centuries, sizeable areas of the district were wrested from the sea by the creation of polders.
Bunde's economy centers on agriculture and tourism. The community has been officially recognized as a resort town since 1998. Many of the town's residents commute to jobs elsewhere, notably in Leer, about 13 km (8 mi.) to the east. Residents include a number of Dutch nationals, most of whom commute to jobs in the Netherlands.
The town's cultural artifacts include the Reformed Church (Reformierte Kreuzkirche), the nave of which dates from the 13th century, and the red brick Steinhaus Bunderhee castle, which dates from the 14th century.
Bunde was first mentioned in a document in 1428. The name has been variously written as Buenda, de Bunda and Bonde. Due to its situation on a Geest, or slightly raised landform, the town was spared the great floods that inundated much of the region in the Middle Ages.
Prior to the Reformation, Bunde belonged to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Münster. Bunde became predominantly Protestant in the early 16th century, largely following the Reformed (Calvinist) faith as in the adjacent Netherlands. During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), Bunde, though not a battlefield, was plundered several times by Imperial (Catholic) troops.
East Frisia became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1744. Thereafter, crafts and cottage industries came to the fore in the region's economy. During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), the town was twice occupied by French troops, and was subjected to tributes by the conquerors. After the war, Prussian King Frederick the Great sponsored construction of dikes to expand the region's polders.
...
Wikipedia