Buxtehude
Encyclopedia
Buxtehude is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany in the district of Stade
and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region
(Metropolregion Hamburg). Buxtehude is a steadily growing medium-sized town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land
within easy reach of the city-state of Hamburg
. West of it are the towns of Horneburg
and Stade and to the south there are incorporated villages offering mostly upscale housing, e.g. Ottensen and Apensen
.
Buxtehude is home to several large businesses and numerous smaller ones and retailers.
and Cuxhaven. In late 2007 this line was added to the rapid transit system of the Hamburg S-Bahn
by the HVV
.
Since 1928 there has also been a second railroad line crossing Buxtehude, the EVB, (Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser, Zeven) between Hamburg's outermost district and Bremerhaven
on the coast of the North Sea.
The Este river connects the city to the important Elbe
river 6 miles north. Earlier in history this connection was used to ship goods into the small harbour, which still exists but has become less accessible due to city developments and aggradation.
A major highway, scheduled for completion in 2012, is to connect the town to Hamburg.
Several major companies are located in Buxtehude:
is set in this town. Furthermore the name is used in numerous German tales. And thus people claim there actually does not exist a town by the name of Buxtehude. Thus the German proverb "...nach Buxtehude jagen" (literally: "to hunt somebody to Buxtehude") means to exile someone too far.
, which is rarely spoken now but can be still heard spoken by older people. Also one of the local high schools Halepaghen-Schule
holds a Low German reading contest each school year.
adjacent to Buxtehude and the close Elbe
river serve as great get-aways for a bicycle
tour or a long hike. Buxtehude can as well be used as a hub for tours to the nearby cities of Hamburg
and Bremen.
For the interested visitor, some events held every year:
Buxtehuder Pistennacht
The Pistennacht is an event where bars, restaurants and clubs in the old part of town are open all night long. A stage downtown and some individual places offer live music.
Pfingstmarkt Neukloster
The Pfingstmarkt is a fair in northern Germany along the national highway B73
. It is always held on the Christian holiday of Pentacost (German: Pfingsten) exactly 50 days after Easter close to Buxtehude. It features 130 exhibitors with many rides including a Ferris wheel
and bumper cars as well as lottery booths, snack booths and sit-down food locations. In 2004 140.000 visitors flocked to the fair compared to 10.000 in 1904 and 100.000 in the 1970s.
'Altstadtfest
Like the Pistennacht, the Altstadtfest (literally: Old town festival) is held downtown. Every year on the first weekend of June the whole old part of town turns into a party with several stages with live music. Sunday morning the city's biggest flea market is held around the Fleth. For the occasion of Altstadtfest the town is decorated in the city colors of blue and yellow.
Weinfest
Vinum is the motto for the annual celebration of wine in old town Buxtehude. For one weekend the city dedicates itself to culture of wine and many booths for wine testing and entertainment open.
Christmas market
Christmas market is held in the month of December in the Altstadt
area with the highlight being mulled wine
and bratwurst stalls. Various music concerts are also held at the St. Peter's square on the weekend before Christmas.
with the stations Buxtehude and Neukloster
; and by the Bundesstraße 73
, a national highway.
, France
, since 1985 Ribnitz-Damgarten
, Germany
, since 1990
Stade (district)
Stade is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Harburg, Rotenburg and Cuxhaven, the Elbe River, and the city state of Hamburg.-History:...
and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region
Hamburg Metropolitan Region
The Metropolregion Hamburg is the compilation of 8 rural districts in the German federal state of Lower Saxony, 6 districts in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein and the city-state of Hamburg in northern Germany...
(Metropolregion Hamburg). Buxtehude is a steadily growing medium-sized town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land
Altes Land
Altes Land is an area of reclaimed marshland straddling parts of Lower Saxony and Hamburg. The region is situated downstream from Hamburg on the southwestern riverside of the Elbe around the towns of Stade, Buxtehude, Jork and the Samtgemeinde of Lühe...
within easy reach of the city-state of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. West of it are the towns of Horneburg
Horneburg
Horneburg is a municipality southwest of Hamburg in the district of Stade in Lower Saxony.Horneburg is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Horneburg.-History:Horneburg belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen...
and Stade and to the south there are incorporated villages offering mostly upscale housing, e.g. Ottensen and Apensen
Apensen
Apensen is a municipality northwest of Hamburg . Apensen has a population of circa 3,000, the area of 20.74 km² and belongs to the district Stade, Lower Saxony.It belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen...
.
Buxtehude is home to several large businesses and numerous smaller ones and retailers.
History
- In 959 a settlement by the Este river is first recorded. The farmer colony called "Bouchstadon" is given to the cloister of MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
. Soon a wharf, "Hude", is established. - In 1135 the settlement is called "Buchstadihude" referring to the successful quay.
- In 1180 the Duchy of SaxonyDuchy of SaxonyThe medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
, to which "Buchstadihude" belonged, is conquered and dissolved. Buxtehude becomes part of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, newly upgraded to imperial immediacy it became one of the many successor states of the Duchy of Saxony. Nevertheless in religious respect, Buxtehude remained a part of the Diocese of Verden until Catholic affinity faded in the ReformationProtestant ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
with that diocese remaining vacant since 1644. - In 1197 two royal settlers found a Benedictine cloister in the near surrounding of the village. Due to the fertile soil and a partial participation in the salineSalternSaltern is a word with a number of differing meanings. In English archaeology, a saltern is an area used for salt making, especially in the East Anglian fenlands....
of LüneburgLüneburgLüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
the wealth and population increase. - In 1280 the prince-archbishop Giselbert of Bremen orders the city to be bordered by city walls and fortification buildings including 7 peelsPeel towerPeel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
and 3 town gates. - By 1328 the city's town hall is mentioned first in history and the city is granted full town privilegesTown privilegesTown privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
, modelled according to those of Hamburg. By now "Buxtehude" is self-governing advancing to a trading town. - In 1485 the immensely wealthy "Master Halepaghen" as the cousin tutor of the burgomasterBurgomasterBurgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
of Hamburg dies and donates his assets to the city for scholarshipScholarshipA scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s and charitable purposes. - In 1542 the city council of Buxtehude adopted LutheranismLutheranismLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
for its municipality. - In 1600s the HanseaticHanseatic LeagueThe Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
trade declines and cattle trade becomes majorly important. Besides Stade, Buxtehude is the only crossover over the ElbeElbeThe Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river. - In 1645 Buxtehude surrendered to the Swedish army and loses its independence. Trade and population recede dramatically.
- In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal unionPersonal unionA personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
by the Swedish and from 1715 on by the Hanoveran Crown. - 1769 the cloister is torn down due to the secularization.
- In 1823 the Duchy was abolished and its territory became part of the Stade RegionStade (region)The Stade Region emerged in 1823 by an administrative reorganisation of the dominions of the Kingdom of Hanover, a sovereign state, whose then territory is almost completely part of today's German federal state of Lower Saxony...
. - In 1837 the link road through the city reanimates business and trade.
- 1845 is dominated by industrial boom with a paperfactory being installed on the former cloister ground.
- In 1945 the population grows to 14,000. Much living space in Hamburg was bombed out and people flee to the suburbs and exurbs such as Buxtehude.
- In 1958 Buxtehude is decided to be in charge of reconstructing much of Hamburg after the war and thus is heavily funded with government money.
- Lower Saxony incorporates 9 neighboring villages into the town in 1972 changing the structure of Buxtehude and creating a cluster of more than 30,000 inhabitants.
- In 1983 the old part of town is pedestrianized.
- In 1985 town twinning with Blagnac (France)BlagnacBlagnac is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Toulouse, although governed by a separate council, and is adjacent to it on the northwest side. It is a member of the Urban community of Greater Toulouse...
is undertaken. - In 1990 Ribnitz-DamgartenRibnitz-DamgartenRibnitz-Damgarten is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated at the Ribnitzer See . Ribnitz-Damgarten is the largest town of the district Vorpommern-Rügen, but not its capital.-Geography:...
in the former German Democratic RepublicGerman Democratic RepublicThe German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
becomes the second sister city.
Economy
Since 1881 Buxtehude has had its own railroad station on the R50 line between HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Cuxhaven. In late 2007 this line was added to the rapid transit system of the Hamburg S-Bahn
Hamburg S-Bahn
The Hamburg S-Bahn is a railway network for public rapid mass transit in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Together the S-Bahn, the Hamburg U-Bahn, the AKN railway and the regional railway form the backbone of railway public transport in the city and the surrounding area...
by the HVV
Hamburger Verkehrsverbund
The Hamburger Verkehrsverbund is a company coordinating the public transport in and around Hamburg, Germany. Its main objectives are to provide the user with a unified fare system, requiring only a single ticket for journeys with transfers between different operating companies, and to further...
.
Since 1928 there has also been a second railroad line crossing Buxtehude, the EVB, (Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser, Zeven) between Hamburg's outermost district and Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
on the coast of the North Sea.
The Este river connects the city to the important Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river 6 miles north. Earlier in history this connection was used to ship goods into the small harbour, which still exists but has become less accessible due to city developments and aggradation.
A major highway, scheduled for completion in 2012, is to connect the town to Hamburg.
Companies
- AirbusAirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
S.A.S, the world's leading commercial aircraftAircraftAn aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
manufacturer. - UnileverUnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
, an Anglo-Dutch company in the personal care and food sector. - KID-Systeme GmbH, a Buxtehude-based supplier for airplane cabin electronics. Official Webpage
- INTERPANE, a German manufacturer of insulation glass. Official Webpage
- Harros Krämerladen, a large German supermarkt corporation.
- Pioneer Hi-Bred, a subdivision of the world's biggest American-based chemical producer DuPontDuPontE. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
, the world's largest developer and exporter of seeds Official Webpage. - Nord Kalksandsteinwerke, a German producer of lime sand bricks and other building material Official Webpage.
- Niederelbe Schifffahrtsgesselleschaft (NSB), one of the largest German containerships shipping companies Official Webpage.
- Implantcast GmbH, Germany's second largest manufacturer of orthopaedic implants, such as artificial hips and knees Official Webpage.
Culture
Buxtehude is known as "The Fairytale Capital" of the world. The tale of "The Hare and the Hedgehog" by the Brothers GrimmBrothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
is set in this town. Furthermore the name is used in numerous German tales. And thus people claim there actually does not exist a town by the name of Buxtehude. Thus the German proverb "...nach Buxtehude jagen" (literally: "to hunt somebody to Buxtehude") means to exile someone too far.
Local dialects
German and Low SaxonNorthern Low Saxon
Northern Low Saxon is a West Low German dialect.As such, it covers a great part of the West Low-German-speaking areas of northern Germany, with the exception of the border regions where Eastphalian and Westphalian are spoken...
, which is rarely spoken now but can be still heard spoken by older people. Also one of the local high schools Halepaghen-Schule
Halepaghen-Schule
The Gymnasium Halepaghen-Schule is a Gymnasium in Buxtehude .The school was mentioned for the first time 1390 as an Grammar school...
holds a Low German reading contest each school year.
Tourism
Buxtehude enjoys a good reputation as a warm, visitor-friendly town preserving its cultural and regional heritage without denying the future. Besides the beautiful old part of town, the main church of Sankt Petri (St. Peter) and the Zwinger are great places to pay a visit to. The Altes LandAltes Land
Altes Land is an area of reclaimed marshland straddling parts of Lower Saxony and Hamburg. The region is situated downstream from Hamburg on the southwestern riverside of the Elbe around the towns of Stade, Buxtehude, Jork and the Samtgemeinde of Lühe...
adjacent to Buxtehude and the close Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
river serve as great get-aways for a bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
tour or a long hike. Buxtehude can as well be used as a hub for tours to the nearby cities of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Bremen.
For the interested visitor, some events held every year:
Buxtehuder Pistennacht
The Pistennacht is an event where bars, restaurants and clubs in the old part of town are open all night long. A stage downtown and some individual places offer live music.
Pfingstmarkt Neukloster
The Pfingstmarkt is a fair in northern Germany along the national highway B73
Bundesstraße 73
The Bundesstraße 73 or B73 is a German federal highway running in a northwesterly to southeasterly direction from Cuxhaven to Hamburg. It runs partially beside the Bundesautobahn 26....
. It is always held on the Christian holiday of Pentacost (German: Pfingsten) exactly 50 days after Easter close to Buxtehude. It features 130 exhibitors with many rides including a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
and bumper cars as well as lottery booths, snack booths and sit-down food locations. In 2004 140.000 visitors flocked to the fair compared to 10.000 in 1904 and 100.000 in the 1970s.
'Altstadtfest
Like the Pistennacht, the Altstadtfest (literally: Old town festival) is held downtown. Every year on the first weekend of June the whole old part of town turns into a party with several stages with live music. Sunday morning the city's biggest flea market is held around the Fleth. For the occasion of Altstadtfest the town is decorated in the city colors of blue and yellow.
Weinfest
Vinum is the motto for the annual celebration of wine in old town Buxtehude. For one weekend the city dedicates itself to culture of wine and many booths for wine testing and entertainment open.
Christmas market
Christmas market is held in the month of December in the Altstadt
Altstadt
Altstadt is the German language word for "old town", meaning "historical city centre within the city wall", in contrast to a Neustadt built outside later....
area with the highlight being mulled wine
Mulled wine
Mulled wine, variations of which are popular in Europe, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween.-Glühwein:...
and bratwurst stalls. Various music concerts are also held at the St. Peter's square on the weekend before Christmas.
Education
- "Hochschule 21", a private college with a renowned architecture program. Official Webpage.
- "Gymnasium Halepaghen-SchuleHalepaghen-SchuleThe Gymnasium Halepaghen-Schule is a Gymnasium in Buxtehude .The school was mentioned for the first time 1390 as an Grammar school...
", local highschool. Former member in the "Quality Network for Schools" in Lower SaxonyLower SaxonyLower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Humanitarian School and rating highest in the county. Official Webpage German Wikipedia Site - "Gymnasium Süd", local highschool Official Webpage German Wikipedia Site.
- "Volkshochschule Buxtehude", community collegeCommunity collegeA community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
. - "Malerschule", private art school.
- "Berufsbildende Schulen Buxtehude", public secondary schools for the sectors of economicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, informaticsInformatics (academic field)Informatics is the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems. Informatics studies the structure, algorithms, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial systems that store, process, access and communicate information...
and electrotechnics. Official Webpage.
Transport
Buxtehude is served by the Hamburg S-BahnHamburg S-Bahn
The Hamburg S-Bahn is a railway network for public rapid mass transit in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Together the S-Bahn, the Hamburg U-Bahn, the AKN railway and the regional railway form the backbone of railway public transport in the city and the surrounding area...
with the stations Buxtehude and Neukloster
Neukloster station
-External links:...
; and by the Bundesstraße 73
Bundesstraße 73
The Bundesstraße 73 or B73 is a German federal highway running in a northwesterly to southeasterly direction from Cuxhaven to Hamburg. It runs partially beside the Bundesautobahn 26....
, a national highway.
Sister cities
BlagnacBlagnac
Blagnac is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Toulouse, although governed by a separate council, and is adjacent to it on the northwest side. It is a member of the Urban community of Greater Toulouse...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1985 Ribnitz-Damgarten
Ribnitz-Damgarten
Ribnitz-Damgarten is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated at the Ribnitzer See . Ribnitz-Damgarten is the largest town of the district Vorpommern-Rügen, but not its capital.-Geography:...
, 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...
, since 1990