Minden | ||
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Old City Hall of Minden
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Coordinates: 52°17′N 8°55′E / 52.283°N 8.917°ECoordinates: 52°17′N 8°55′E / 52.283°N 8.917°E | ||
Country | Germany | |
State | North Rhine-Westphalia | |
Admin. region | Detmold | |
District | Minden-Lübbecke | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Michael Jäcke (SPD) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 101.08 km2 (39.03 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 42 m (138 ft) | |
Population (2015-12-31) | ||
• Total | 81,598 | |
• Density | 810/km2 (2,100/sq mi) | |
Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) | |
Postal codes | 32300-32499 | |
Dialling codes | 0571 | |
Vehicle registration | MI | |
Website | www.minden.de |
Largest groups of foreign residents | |
Nationality | Population (2013) |
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Turkey | 617 |
Poland | 449 |
Syria | 405 |
Italy | 404 |
Portugal | 366 |
Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the River Weser. It is the capital of the district (Kreis) of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the cultural region of Minden Land. It is widely known as the intersection of the Mittelland Canal and the River Weser. The town is over 1,200 years old and has yet some buildings in the Weser Renaissance style, in addition to its architecturally symbolic 1,000-year-old cathedral.
Minden is a town in the northeastern part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It lies on the River Weser, north of the Porta Westfalica gap between the ridges of the Weser Hills and Wiehen Hills. The Weser leaves the Weser Uplands and flows into the North German Plain. The town centre lies 5 kilometres (3 miles) to the north, on a plateau on the western side of the river. The small Bastau stream flows into the Weser from the west near the town centre. The edge of the plateau marks the transition from the Middle Weser Valley to the Lübbecke Loessland. This marked change in terrain divides the upper town from the lower town, and marks the boundary between two ecological zones.
The formation of the town was strongly influenced by the Prussian fortress of Minden, whose now-demolished fortifications have been turned into a green belt around the town centre.
Minden is 40 kilometres (25 miles) NE of Bielefeld, 60 km (37 miles) W of Hanover, 80 km (50 mi) S of Bremen and 60 km (37 mi) E of Osnabrück. It acted as the historic and political focus for the surrounding countryside.