Drensteinfurt
Encyclopedia
Drensteinfurt is a town in the district of Warendorf
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. It is situated approx. 15 km north of Hamm
and 20 km south of Münster
. The villages Rinkerode in the north and Walstedde in the south are part of Drensteinfurt.
and adjoins (in clockwise direction, beginning in the north-east) to Sendenhorst
, Ahlen
, Hamm
, Ascheberg
as well as Münster
.
The surroundings of the town are dominated by agricultural used areas like fields and meadows mostly for cattle breeding. Small woods and hedges intercept these and are home to several wild animals. Together with a well constructed system of cycle tracks and field paths this all makes up the typical "Münsterländer Parklandschaft", a description of the landscape around Münster
which also fits for the surroundings of Drensteinfurt.
The district Rinkerode is surrounded by the two woodlands Davert and Hohe Ward.
Davert is a relatively young woodland. Till the end of the 19th century it was marsh before it was drained and afforested. Today it consists mainly of oak- and beech-copses which are intercepted by smaller brownfields and meadows.
Hohe Ward is an older woodland and is based on sandy soil so that the main trees in this woodland are conifers. Nowadays parts of the woodland serve as a refuge for drinking water abstraction.
At the beginning of the 19th century Drensteinfurt obtained some wealth through Strontianite
mining. Today some old buildings which reflect this prosperous period still can be seen in the town.
On march 23rd, 1944 a bombing raid by the British Royal Air Force
hit the town and some 80 residents died. Most of the historical buildings in the Old Town were destroyed.
which can be translated as 'fruitful soil'. The second part "-steinfurt" refers to a "stone ford" which crossed the river Werse
in the middleages. The name of the town is also symbolized in the coat of arms.
The coat of arms is based on a seal of Drensteinfurts court from the end of the 18th century. It shows a silver deer carrying a twig in its mouth and pacing to the left. The deer is standing on some stones which symbolize the ford that crossed the river Werse
in the middleages. The coat of arms is again being used in administrational manner since 1976.
of North Rhine-Westphalia
.
Drensteinfurt is also passed by three Bundesstrassen (federal highways) enabling fast access to the next Autobahn (A1 in Ascheberg). In 1988 a bypass in the north was finished. Since then the Old town was traffic calmed and trucks especially from Hamm which head for the Autobahn A1 are no longer forced to drive through the narrow streets of the town.
, the degree of industry in Drensteinfurt is only very low. Most of the workforce is employed in the adjacent cities of Münster (mainly administration or tertiary industry) and Hamm (mainly heavy industry). The biggest employer in Drensteinfurt is an enamel
factory giving work to some 100 people. Besides this, there are only small-scale factories and businesses. Downtown consists of mainly small retail shops and supermarkets.
The surroundings of Drensteinfurt are mainly of agricultural usage. Farming consists of nearly equal parts of livestock farming (basically cattle and pig breeding) and crop growing (basically maize
, wheat
and canola
).
or the Realschule
.
Due to the absence of a Gymnasium within the city limits a larger quantity of pupils commutes to Münster-Hiltrup
, a suburb and district of Münster, and visits the two Gymnasiums there.
(called "Erlbad") with a 50 m long bassin and 8 swimming lanes for swimming competitions. There is also a 3 m diving platform
and a 78 square meter shallow children's pool.
Surrounding the pool, there is a sunbathing area 2 hectare
s in size.
soccer field. The gravel field and the artificial turf field are equipped with floodlight
, enabling practice and competition even late at night.
. There is a 400 m running track, a sand pit for long jump
and a discus
throwing circle.
track, 850 meters in length. It is mainly used for the annual horse derby (see also events). Each august the local horse race association (Rennverein Drensteinfurt) has this race which is visited by some ten thousand people. In 1993 the association raised a monument for equestrian sports. The bronze statue displays a horse and is situated on the Mühlenstraße (millstreet).
(a European variant of bowling
) spread over the whole town, normally connected with a pub.
s to offer. The largest of them (44 m x 22 m, stands for a 300 people audience) is the "Dreingau Halle", home of the local handball
team HSG Drensteinfurt/Ascheberg. Also, every school is equipped with its own gym.
, still a lot of old buildings could be preserved. The most remarkable buildings are "Haus Steinfurt" (a moated castle
from the 18th century), the "Alte Post" (an old horse carriage post office constructed in 1647) and the "Alte Synagoge" (an old synagogue
constructed in 1872). Also, several timber-framed
houses can be seen in the old alleys and streets of downtown Drensteinfurt.
In the Middle Ages Drensteinfurt possessed three town gates, the Münstertor, the Hammertor and the Mühlentor. Nowadays small walls mark their former sites and commemorative plaques remember these constituents of the town fortification.
Warendorf (district)
Warendorf is a Kreis in the northern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Steinfurt, Osnabrück , Gütersloh, Soest, district-free city Hamm, Coesfeld and the district-free city Münster.-History:...
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, 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...
. It is situated approx. 15 km north of Hamm
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
and 20 km south of Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
. The villages Rinkerode in the north and Walstedde in the south are part of Drensteinfurt.
Geography
Drensteinfurt is situated on the river WerseWerse
The Werse is a 67 km long, left-hand tributary of the River Ems in Münsterland, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The catchment area of the Werse is 762.47 km². Its name may be derived from a pre-Indo-European language, Vasconic, from which the Basque language developed. Its water...
and adjoins (in clockwise direction, beginning in the north-east) to Sendenhorst
Sendenhorst
Sendenhorst is a town in the district of Warendorf, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 20 km north of Hamm and 20 km south-east of Münster.- Geography :...
, Ahlen
Ahlen
Ahlen is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the District of Warendorf and is economically the most important town in that district. Ahlen is part of the larger Münster region, and of the historic Münsterland area....
, Hamm
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
, Ascheberg
Ascheberg
Ascheberg is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.The neighbouring cities, towns and municipalities of Ascheberg are the city Münster, the town Drensteinfurt , the city Hamm, the town Werne Ascheberg is a municipality in the district of...
as well as Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
.
The surroundings of the town are dominated by agricultural used areas like fields and meadows mostly for cattle breeding. Small woods and hedges intercept these and are home to several wild animals. Together with a well constructed system of cycle tracks and field paths this all makes up the typical "Münsterländer Parklandschaft", a description of the landscape around Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
which also fits for the surroundings of Drensteinfurt.
The district Rinkerode is surrounded by the two woodlands Davert and Hohe Ward.
Davert is a relatively young woodland. Till the end of the 19th century it was marsh before it was drained and afforested. Today it consists mainly of oak- and beech-copses which are intercepted by smaller brownfields and meadows.
Hohe Ward is an older woodland and is based on sandy soil so that the main trees in this woodland are conifers. Nowadays parts of the woodland serve as a refuge for drinking water abstraction.
Division of the town
Drensteinfurt consists of three districts- Drensteinfurt
- Rinkerode
- Walstedde
History
The first documentary mention of the town is from the year 851.At the beginning of the 19th century Drensteinfurt obtained some wealth through Strontianite
Strontianite
Strontianite is an important raw material for the extraction of strontium. It is a rare carbonate mineral and one of only a few strontium minerals...
mining. Today some old buildings which reflect this prosperous period still can be seen in the town.
On march 23rd, 1944 a bombing raid by the British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
hit the town and some 80 residents died. Most of the historical buildings in the Old Town were destroyed.
Name
The town's name consists of two parts. The first part "Dren-" refers to the medieval Gau DreingauDreingau
Dreingau is the medieval name of one of five Saxon pagi in what today is the Münsterland in Westphalia. During the Middle Ages documents referred to it as Dreine, Dreni, Drieni, Dragini, Dragieni, Drachina or Treine. The name came into use around the year 800, and is hardly used anymore today...
which can be translated as 'fruitful soil'. The second part "-steinfurt" refers to a "stone ford" which crossed the river Werse
Werse
The Werse is a 67 km long, left-hand tributary of the River Ems in Münsterland, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The catchment area of the Werse is 762.47 km². Its name may be derived from a pre-Indo-European language, Vasconic, from which the Basque language developed. Its water...
in the middleages. The name of the town is also symbolized in the coat of arms.
Coat of Arms
Werse
The Werse is a 67 km long, left-hand tributary of the River Ems in Münsterland, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The catchment area of the Werse is 762.47 km². Its name may be derived from a pre-Indo-European language, Vasconic, from which the Basque language developed. Its water...
in the middleages. The coat of arms is again being used in administrational manner since 1976.
Transportation
The Münster–Hamm railway passes through the city in north - south direction serving three stations within the city limits. By this, Drensteinfurt is connected to the regional commuter systemRegional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
Drensteinfurt is also passed by three Bundesstrassen (federal highways) enabling fast access to the next Autobahn (A1 in Ascheberg). In 1988 a bypass in the north was finished. Since then the Old town was traffic calmed and trucks especially from Hamm which head for the Autobahn A1 are no longer forced to drive through the narrow streets of the town.
Industry
Being mainly a commuter cityCommuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
, the degree of industry in Drensteinfurt is only very low. Most of the workforce is employed in the adjacent cities of Münster (mainly administration or tertiary industry) and Hamm (mainly heavy industry). The biggest employer in Drensteinfurt is an enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
factory giving work to some 100 people. Besides this, there are only small-scale factories and businesses. Downtown consists of mainly small retail shops and supermarkets.
The surroundings of Drensteinfurt are mainly of agricultural usage. Farming consists of nearly equal parts of livestock farming (basically cattle and pig breeding) and crop growing (basically maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and canola
Canola
Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...
).
Elementary school
In each of the three districts of Drensteinfurt exists one elementary school (German: Grundschule).- Kardinal-von-GalenClemens August Graf von GalenBlessed Clemens August Graf von Galen was a German count, Bishop of Münster, and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church....
Grundschule (Drensteinfurt) - Katholische Grundschule Rinkerode (Catholic elementary school, Rinkerode)
- Lambertus-Grundschule (Walstedde)
Secondary education
In Drensteinfurt pupils can attend the HauptschuleHauptschule
A Hauptschule is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling, which offers Lower Secondary Education according to the International Standard Classification of Education...
or the Realschule
Realschule
The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and in the Russian Empire .-History:The Realschule was an outgrowth of the rationalism and empiricism of the seventeenth and...
.
Due to the absence of a Gymnasium within the city limits a larger quantity of pupils commutes to Münster-Hiltrup
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, a suburb and district of Münster, and visits the two Gymnasiums there.
Swimming
Drensteinfurt has a public open air swimming poolSwimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
(called "Erlbad") with a 50 m long bassin and 8 swimming lanes for swimming competitions. There is also a 3 m diving platform
Diving platforms
A diving platform or diving tower is a type of structure used for competitive diving.They consist of a vertical rigid "tower" with one or more horizontal platforms extending out over a deep pool of water. In platform diving, the diver jumps from a high stationary surface...
and a 78 square meter shallow children's pool.
Surrounding the pool, there is a sunbathing area 2 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s in size.
Soccer
Directly next to the public swimming pool is the town's public sporting field "Erlfeld". This sporting complex consists of one 109 m x 73 m grass soccer field, a 109 m x 71 m red gravel soccer field and one 110 m x 70 m artificial turfArtificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
soccer field. The gravel field and the artificial turf field are equipped with floodlight
Floodlights (sport)
Floodlights are broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
, enabling practice and competition even late at night.
Track and Field
The sporting complex "Erlfeld" also offers a wide variety of facilities for track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. There is a 400 m running track, a sand pit for long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
and a discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
throwing circle.
Horse Racing
Surrounding the "Erlfeld" is a horse racingHorse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
track, 850 meters in length. It is mainly used for the annual horse derby (see also events). Each august the local horse race association (Rennverein Drensteinfurt) has this race which is visited by some ten thousand people. In 1993 the association raised a monument for equestrian sports. The bronze statue displays a horse and is situated on the Mühlenstraße (millstreet).
Skittles
There are 13 indoor skittle lanesSkittles (sport)
Skittles is an old European lawn game, a variety of bowling, from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, and candlepin bowling in the United States, and five-pin bowling in Canada are descended. In the United Kingdom, the game remains a popular pub game in England and Wales, though it tends to be...
(a European variant of bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
) spread over the whole town, normally connected with a pub.
Indoor Sports
For indoor sports, Drensteinfurt has 5 gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
s to offer. The largest of them (44 m x 22 m, stands for a 300 people audience) is the "Dreingau Halle", home of the local handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
team HSG Drensteinfurt/Ascheberg. Also, every school is equipped with its own gym.
Culture and Landmarks
Despite the disastrous bombing damage of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, still a lot of old buildings could be preserved. The most remarkable buildings are "Haus Steinfurt" (a moated castle
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
from the 18th century), the "Alte Post" (an old horse carriage post office constructed in 1647) and the "Alte Synagoge" (an old synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
constructed in 1872). Also, several timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
houses can be seen in the old alleys and streets of downtown Drensteinfurt.
In the Middle Ages Drensteinfurt possessed three town gates, the Münstertor, the Hammertor and the Mühlentor. Nowadays small walls mark their former sites and commemorative plaques remember these constituents of the town fortification.
Events
Drensteinfurt is the host for many events known in the whole region.- There are, for example, three annual SchützenfesteSchützenfestA Schützenfest is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland....
(marksmen's festivals), attracting thousands of people. - Every year in august, a horse derbyDerby (horse race)A derby is a type of horse race, named after the Derby Stakes, still run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in England. That was in turn named for Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, who inaugurated the race in 1780...
takes place at the "Erlfeld" (the town's sporting field). - In December, the traditional Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas fair) is being held on the central market place downtown.