Nieheim
Encyclopedia
Nieheim is a town in Höxter
district in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
.
. From its beginnings as a community, it grew after being granted municipal privileges (lower court rights, market rights and minting rights, among others) in Bishop Bernhard IV's time (1228 - 1247), into today's town of Nieheim. After quickly developing from a former farming town and Hanseatic
member, Nieheim has risen today to be a climatic spa with a function as a minor centre, and a mediaeval town with flair.
Note: UWG is a citizens' coalition.
might heraldically be described thus: In gules a cross Or, in each quarter an orb Or.
These arms date from 1591 at the latest, and the colours are those borne by the old Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn, among whose many holdings was Nieheim. The orbs stand for Saint Nicholas
, the town's patron saint.
The coat of arms was granted on 18 July 1908.http://www.ngw.nl/int/dld/n/nieheim.htm
-Ruhr area
) and A 44
(Dortmund
-Kassel
) are right at hand.
Nieheim is also easily reached by public transport. The nearest railway stations are Steinheim
, Brakel
and Altenbeken
.
s, 3 primary schools, a Hauptschule
and a Realschule
(Peter-Hille-Realschule).
style, the Ratskrug from 1712, a stately half-timbered
building, and the Richterhaus ("Judge House"), built in 1701.
The Catholic
Parish Church of Saint Nicholas with its artistically relief-decorated baptismal font
and late Gothic
little sacramental house has parts that were built as early as the 13th century.
The Evangelical
Church of the Cross (Kreuzkirche) was built in a neo-Gothic style in 1868-1869.
is the vault system through which runs the Nikolausbach (brook), which rises below the Holsterberg (mountain) and runs through the middle of town in this mediaeval vault system.
's former abode, today houses a widely known Kolping
diocesan training centre and a Heimvolkshochschule
, which lends itself well to any form of training work and has at its disposal the best technical equipment.
Also, the Pan-German Education Centre of Youth in Europe (Gesamtdeutsche Bildungsstätte der Deutschen Jugend in Europa) in Nieheim-Himmighausen offers extensive seminars for groups geared towards various ends.
growth, all planted in a row. Here and there are found the odd hawthorn
and single wild roses
. Trimmed willow
trees, about 2 m high, serve as living fenceposts to keep the hedges steady. Young withes are taken from these willows to do the braiding. If dairy cow
s or horse
s are to be kept in the paddock ringed by one of these braided hedges, blackthorn
twigs are also tied onto the inside to thwart any nibbling. A finished hedge has a height of roughly 1.5 m and is braided in three layers.
is made, Nieheimer Käse (Nieheim cheese), a sour milk cheese
nowadays made by only one cheesemaker
. It had almost been forgotten, but is now becoming better known thanks to tourism
. It is ripened in wooden moulds in a warm place and then seasoned with salt
and caraway
. Depending on the ripening time, it can be a Handkäse
, a cooking cheese or a hard grating cheese.
In 2004, the Fourth German Cheese Market drew more than 70,000 visitors to Nieheim. In 2006, the German Cheese Market is to be held on 1-3 September.
to summer time
.
s from all over Germany come to Nieheim for the Choir Festival to train their voices.
custom, and the Rosenmontag
sumzug – a colourful parade
– is the high point of the season.
s and was held in high regard in the Roman Curia
, achieved international recognition, if not outright fame. This is also said of Hugo Makibi Enomiya-Lassalle (1898 - 1990), a Jesuit priest, a religious philosopher, a meditation
teacher and the builder of the Peace Church in Hiroshima
born on the Externbrock estate near Nieheim. His life's work is the development of the Japanese Zen
practice as a way to a deep belief experience for Christian
s.
Wilhelm Hillebrand (1821-1886) was a botanist and a physician
.
Höxter (district)
Höxter is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Holzminden, Northeim, Kassel, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Hochsauerland, Paderborn, and Lippe.-History:...
district 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...
.
Constituent communities
Nieheim consists of the following 10 centres:- Entrup
- Eversen
- Erwitzen
- Himmighausen
- Holzhausen
- Merlsheim
- Nieheim
- Oeynhausen
- Schönenberg
- Sommersell mit Kariensiek
History
Nieheim, with its more than 750-year-old history reaches well back into the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. From its beginnings as a community, it grew after being granted municipal privileges (lower court rights, market rights and minting rights, among others) in Bishop Bernhard IV's time (1228 - 1247), into today's town of Nieheim. After quickly developing from a former farming town and Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
member, Nieheim has risen today to be a climatic spa with a function as a minor centre, and a mediaeval town with flair.
Town council
Town council's 24 seats are apportioned as follows, in accordance with municipal elections held on 26 September 2004:- CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
13 seats - SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
7 seats - FDPFree Democratic Party (Germany)The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
1 seat - UWG 3 seats
Note: UWG is a citizens' coalition.
Coat of arms
Nieheim's civic coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
might heraldically be described thus: In gules a cross Or, in each quarter an orb Or.
These arms date from 1591 at the latest, and the colours are those borne by the old Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn, among whose many holdings was Nieheim. The orbs stand for Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, the town's patron saint.
The coat of arms was granted on 18 July 1908.http://www.ngw.nl/int/dld/n/nieheim.htm
Transport
Owing to Nieheim's advantageous location on the north-south-running East Westphalia Road (Ostwestfalenstraße), otherwise known as Federal Highway (Bundesstraße) B252, connections to Autobahnen A 2 (HanoverHanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
-Ruhr area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
) and A 44
Bundesautobahn 44
is a German Autobahn. It consists of three main-parts and a few smaller parts. It begins in Aachen at the German-Belgian border and ends near Kassel. Before the German unification it was an unimportant provincial-motorway but after this event it became an integral part of the German highway-system...
(Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
-Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
) are right at hand.
Nieheim is also easily reached by public transport. The nearest railway stations are Steinheim
Steinheim, Westphalia
Steinheim is a town in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.The middle centre of Steinheim forms the economic, cultural and social hub of the Steinheimer Börde, one of the main territories of the old Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn. This territory was known as Wethi-Weizengau in Saxon...
, Brakel
Brakel
Brakel is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek and the Flemish Ardennes. The name is derived from a Carolingian villa Braglo first mentioned in 866 and located in the center of Opbrakel. Since 1970, the municipality has comprised the villages of Nederbrakel,...
and Altenbeken
Altenbeken
Altenbeken is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Altenbeken is situated in the Eggegebirge, approx. 15 km northeast of Paderborn...
.
Education
Nieheim has 3 kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s, 3 primary schools, a Hauptschule
Hauptschule
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...
and a 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...
(Peter-Hille-Realschule).
Buildings
Among the town's buildings that are worthiest of a look are the Town Hall, built in 1610 in the Weser RenaissanceWeser Renaissance
Weser Renaissance is a form of Renaissance architectural style that is found in the area around the River Weser in central Germany and which has been well-preserved in the towns and cities of the region.- Background :...
style, the Ratskrug from 1712, a stately half-timbered
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...
building, and the Richterhaus ("Judge House"), built in 1701.
The Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Parish Church of Saint Nicholas with its artistically relief-decorated baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
and late Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
little sacramental house has parts that were built as early as the 13th century.
The Evangelical
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
Church of the Cross (Kreuzkirche) was built in a neo-Gothic style in 1868-1869.
"Holsterturm" landmark
As Nieheim's landmark, the Holsterturm (tower) on a nearby bank south of the main town, can look back on a 700-year history.Mediaeval vault system
Unique in WestphaliaWestphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
is the vault system through which runs the Nikolausbach (brook), which rises below the Holsterberg (mountain) and runs through the middle of town in this mediaeval vault system.
Weberhaus Nieheim
The Weberhaus Nieheim, the doctor, poet and politician Friedrich Wilhelm WeberFriedrich Wilhelm Weber
Friedrich Wilhelm Weber was a German doctor, politician of the Prussian House of Deputies, and poet.Weber was born in Alshausen, near Bad Driburg, in Westphalia. His father was forester for the Count of Asseburg...
's former abode, today houses a widely known Kolping
Adolph Kolping
Adolph Kolping was a German Catholic priest.-Life:Kolping grew up as the son of a shepherd. At the age of 18 he went to Cologne as a shoemaker’s assistant. He was shocked by the living conditions of most people living there, which influenced his decision to become a priest...
diocesan training centre and a Heimvolkshochschule
Folk high school
Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...
, which lends itself well to any form of training work and has at its disposal the best technical equipment.
Also, the Pan-German Education Centre of Youth in Europe (Gesamtdeutsche Bildungsstätte der Deutschen Jugend in Europa) in Nieheim-Himmighausen offers extensive seminars for groups geared towards various ends.
Nieheimer Flechthecke
Typical of countryside scenery around Nieheim is what is called Flechthecke, meaning, roughly, "braided hedge". The hedges themselves are mostly – about 80% – hazelnutHazelnut
A hazelnut is the nut of the hazel and is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species. A cob is roughly spherical to oval, about 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm in diameter, with an outer fibrous husk surrounding a smooth shell. A filbert is more elongated, being about twice...
growth, all planted in a row. Here and there are found the odd hawthorn
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
and single wild roses
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
. Trimmed willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
trees, about 2 m high, serve as living fenceposts to keep the hedges steady. Young withes are taken from these willows to do the braiding. If dairy cow
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
s or horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s are to be kept in the paddock ringed by one of these braided hedges, blackthorn
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....
twigs are also tied onto the inside to thwart any nibbling. A finished hedge has a height of roughly 1.5 m and is braided in three layers.
Telegraph station no. 32
As a relic of an almost forgotten communication technology, a reconstructed optical telegraph station still stands high over the countryside near Oeynhausen. This is run by the Oeynhausen history club (Heimatverein), and guided tours are available to those who wish them.Culinary specialities
In Nieheim, a kind of cheeseCheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
is made, Nieheimer Käse (Nieheim cheese), a sour milk cheese
Sour milk cheese
Sour milk cheese is a cheese that has been curdled by natural souring or by the addition of lactic acid bacteria, such as Cottage cheese. Sour milk cheese does not use rennet for coagulation....
nowadays made by only one cheesemaker
Cheesemaker
A cheesemaker is a person who makes cheese.The craft of making cheese dates back at least 4,000 years. Archaeological evidence exists of cheesemaking by the ancient Egyptian civilizations....
. It had almost been forgotten, but is now becoming better known thanks to tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. It is ripened in wooden moulds in a warm place and then seasoned with salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and caraway
Caraway
Caraway also known as meridian fennel, or Persian cumin is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe and Northern Africa....
. Depending on the ripening time, it can be a Handkäse
Handkäse
Handkäse is a German regional sour milk cheese and is a culinary speciality of Frankfurt, Offenbach am Main, Darmstadt, Langen and all other parts of South-Hessen. It gets its name from the traditional way of producing it: forming it with one's own hands.It is a small, translucent, yellow cheese...
, a cooking cheese or a hard grating cheese.
Deutscher Käsemarkt
The "German Cheese Market" is held every other year – in even-numbered years – and draws cheesemakers from all over the world who make their cheeses the old way, by hand, presenting their finished products.In 2004, the Fourth German Cheese Market drew more than 70,000 visitors to Nieheim. In 2006, the German Cheese Market is to be held on 1-3 September.
Nieheimer Holztage
The "Nieheim Wood Days" are held every other year – in odd-numbered years – and everything at this event revolves around the themes "wood, forest and nature".Nieheimer Kulturnacht
The "Nieheim Culture Night" is held on the day when the clocks are advanced from standard timeStandard time
Standard time is the result of synchronizing clocks in different geographical locations within a time zone to the same time rather than using the local meridian as in local mean time or solar time. Historically, this helped in the process of weather forecasting and train travel. The concept...
to summer time
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
.
Nieheimer Chorfestival
ChoirChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s from all over Germany come to Nieheim for the Choir Festival to train their voices.
Nieheimer Rosenmontagsumzug
Nieheim considers itself a stronghold of East Westphalian carnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
custom, and the Rosenmontag
Rosenmontag
Rosenmontag is the highlight of the German "Karneval" , and is on the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The "Mardi Gras," though celebrated on Tuesday, is a similar event...
sumzug – a colourful parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
– is the high point of the season.
Sons and daughters of the town
In the ecclesiastical field, Dietrich von Nieheim (1338/48 - 1418), who served three popePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
s and was held in high regard in the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
, achieved international recognition, if not outright fame. This is also said of Hugo Makibi Enomiya-Lassalle (1898 - 1990), a Jesuit priest, a religious philosopher, a meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
teacher and the builder of the Peace Church in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
born on the Externbrock estate near Nieheim. His life's work is the development of the Japanese Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
practice as a way to a deep belief experience for Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s.
Wilhelm Hillebrand (1821-1886) was a botanist and a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
.