Ochtrup
Encyclopedia
Ochtrup is a town in the district of Steinfurt
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. It is situated approx. 20 km west of Rheine
and 20 km east of Enschede
.
or Ostepe) in the year 1143. A Christian church was established there in 1203.
Between Dezember 25 and Dezember 30, 2005, the town was often off the German power grid, and was the topic of national news. The cause was a heavy snow storm with very wet snow. The power poles and cables between Gronau
and Ochtrup were encrusted with a thick layer of ice. Due to the increased weight and the heavy storm most power poles toppled. Emergency generators from all regions of Germany were installed and operated in the following days and weeks. Dairy farmers were economically impacted as were other companies in the area. The collapse of the power poles, even today, is not completely understood. Some were 65 years old and rusted, but some were newer and constructed with special steel. Politicians in North Rhine-Westphalia blamed the power company, RWE
for failure to replace older poles.
with:
Steinfurt (district)
Steinfurt is a Kreis in the northern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Bentheim, Emsland, district-free Osnabrück and the Osnabrück district, Warendorf, district-free Münster, Coesfeld, Borken.-Geography:...
, 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. 20 km west of Rheine
Rheine
Rheine is a city in the district of Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base.-Geography:Rheine is located on the river Ems, approx. north of Münster, approx...
and 20 km east of Enschede
Enschede
Enschede , also known as Eanske in the local dialect of Twents, is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region...
.
History
An early mention of the town was „Ohtepe“ (the eastern EpeEpe, North Rhine-Westphalia
Epe is a village in the district of Borken in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the border with the Netherlands, approx. 10 km east of Enschede. It is part of the town Gronau.-Town Twinning:...
or Ostepe) in the year 1143. A Christian church was established there in 1203.
Between Dezember 25 and Dezember 30, 2005, the town was often off the German power grid, and was the topic of national news. The cause was a heavy snow storm with very wet snow. The power poles and cables between Gronau
Gronau
Gronau is the name of two German cities*Gronau in Westfalen, district Borken, North Rhine-Westphalia*Gronau an der Leine, district Hildesheim, Lower Saxony...
and Ochtrup were encrusted with a thick layer of ice. Due to the increased weight and the heavy storm most power poles toppled. Emergency generators from all regions of Germany were installed and operated in the following days and weeks. Dairy farmers were economically impacted as were other companies in the area. The collapse of the power poles, even today, is not completely understood. Some were 65 years old and rusted, but some were newer and constructed with special steel. Politicians in North Rhine-Westphalia blamed the power company, RWE
RWE
RWE AG , is a German electric power and natural gas public utility company based in Essen. Through its various subsidiaries, the energy company contributes electricity and gas to more than 20 million electricity customers and 10 million gas customers, principally in Europe...
for failure to replace older poles.
The pottery museum
The pottery museum of Ochtrup is in the house of an old pottery family which was called Eiling. The still original furniture shows the visitor how the people lived between the 19th and the 20th century. The oldest objects are from the 14th /15th century and it’s restored Blackwood ware. The “Ochtruper Nachtigall” and the “Siebenhenkeltopf” are nicer than the other sights. In the past, the “Siebenhenkeltopf” was a chamber pot and at the rand, there are seven identical handles.Town twin
Ochtrup is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
-
Valverde del CaminoValverde del CaminoValverde Del Camino is a town in the Huelva province of Spain. As of 2008 it has 12,000 inhabitants....
(HuelvaHuelvaHuelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. It is located along the Gulf of Cadiz coast, at the confluence of the Odiel and Tinto rivers. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 149,410 inhabitants. The...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) -- since 1991