Melle, Germany

Melle is a ceety in the destrict o Osnabrück, Lawer Saxony, Germany. The ceety corresponds tae wha uised tae be the destrict o Melle till regional territorial reform in 1972. Syne then Melle is the third lairgest ceety in Lawer Saxony in terms o surface aurie.

History

Melle wis first mentioned in a document frae 1169. In 1443 Heinrich von Moers, Bishop o Osnabrück, gave Melle the privilege o a Wigbold. Osnabrück leukit efter Melle's interests in the Westphalian Hanseatic League. Melle belanged tae the Kinrick o Hanover till 1866 when it became pairt o Proushie. In 1885 Amt Grönenberg an the municipality Melle formed the prussian destrict Kreis Melle. The destrict Melle later on became the municipality Melle. In 1972 the umwhile destrict wi its 56 municipalities wur unitit tae the ceety Melle which syne then is pairt o Osnabrück (destrict).

Geography

Geographical Position

Melle is situatit in a valley penned atween the Wiehen Hills in the North an the Teutoburg Forest in the Sooth. The ceeties o Osnabrück an Bielefeld are some 30 km away each. The Münster Osnabrück Initernational Airport is locatit aboot 60 km tae the soothwast.

Admeenistrative organisation o Melle

Neighbourin Touns

Neighbouring touns are Preußisch Oldendorf in the North Rhine-Westphalie Minden-Lübbecke destrict, Rödinghausen, Bünde an Spenge in the North Rhine-Westphaliean Herford destrict, Werther an Borgholzhausen in the North Rhine-Westphalie Gütersloh destrict, as well as Dissen, Hilter, Bissendorf, an Bad Essen in the Osnabrück destrict.

Municipalities

The ceety consists o the aicht municipalities o Melle-Mitte, Buer, Bruchmühlen, Gesmold, Neuenkirchen, Oldendorf, Riemsloh an Wellingholzhausen.

Evangelical Lutheran St. Petri Kirk

Roman Catholic St. Matthäus Kirk

Toun Haw

Releegion

• Christian confessions:
  • Evangelical Lutheran Kirk: 22.579
  • Evangelical Reformed Kirk: 244
  • Roman Catholic Kirk: 15.036
  • Auld Catholic Kirk
  • Evangelical Free Kirk (Baptists)
  • Roushie Orthodox Kirk
  • Greek Orthodox Kirk
  • New Apostolic Kirk
  • The Kirk o Jesus Christ o Latter-day Saunts (Mormon): 9
• Muslims
• Jews
• nane: 10.061
• no kent: 91

Last updatit: 31 December 2007

Politics

Major

André Berghegger (CDU) is mayor o Melle.

Ceety cooncil

The CDU, in a coalition wi the FDP, haes a majority in the ceety cooncil, which is composed o 41 ceety cooncil members.

	CDU	SPD	The Greens	FDP	Total
2006	19	15	4	3	41 seats

(As o: Local elections on 10 September 2006)

Twin touns

Melle is maintainin toun twinnins wi Bad Dürrenberg in Saxony-Anhalt an wi Reinickendorf in Berlin. Its French twin toun is Melle in the region of Poitou-Charentes. Further twin touns in Europe are Jēkabpils in Latvie, Resko in Poland, an Sint-Denijs-Westrem in Belgium. Ootside Europe there are the twin touns o New Melle in the USA an Niğde in Turkey.

Economy

A substantial economic factor for Melle is the wood processin industry. Further important branches are metal, fuid, an plastics processin. Tetra (company) wis foondit in Melle. In recent years Melle haes mair an mair become a logistics steid alang the A 30 motorway.

Cultur an Sichts

Observatories

There are twa astronomical observatories in the surroondin o Melle providin guidit tours for the public. The EXPO 2000 observatory in Melle-Oberholsten runs the lairgest Newtonian telescope uised for public observation.

Freemit airtins

• http://www.stadt-melle.de Offeecial wabsteid