Diepholz (district)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Diepholz | |
|---|---|
 Map of Lower Saxony highlighting the district Diepholz |
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| State | Lower Saxony |
| County seat | Diepholz |
| Area | 1987 km² |
| Population | 211,200 (2000) |
| pop. density | 106 inh./km² |
| Car identification | DH |
| Web page | http://www.diepholz.de |
Diepholz is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the northeast and clockwise) the districts of Verden, Nienburg, Minden-Lübbecke (in North Rhine-Westphalia), Osnabrück, Vechta and Oldenburg, and by the cities of Delmenhorst and Bremen.
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[edit] History
From the 12th century to 1585 Diepholz was a county within the Holy Roman Empire. At the beginning of the 16th century there was great pressure from the powerful duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, which tried to annex the smaller states. By forming an alliance with the neighbouring County of Hoya and asking for help from the emperor himself the state of Diepholz managed to survive some more decades. In 1585 the ruling family became extinct, and Diepholz was eventually annexed by Brunswick-Lüneburg.
The district was established in 1932 by merging the former districts of Diepholz and Sulingen. The former district of Diepholz was roughly identical to the medieval state, while the Sulingen district had been a part of the County of Hoya.
[edit] Geography
The district extends from the southern outskirts of Bremen to the border of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the south there is the Dümmer, a lake with an area of 16 km², which is surrounded by fens. Many rare bird species breed in the reeds around the lake. The northern portions of the district are occupied by forests and agricultural lands.
[edit] Coat of arms
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The lion is taken from the original arms of the County of Diepholz. The bear claws are from the arms of Hoya (since Sulingen was a part of that county in medieval times). |
[edit] Cities and municipalities
| Cities | Samtgemeinden | Free municipalities |
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[edit] External links
- Official website (German)
- Lake Dümmer (German)
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Urban and rural districts in the Federal State of Lower Saxony in Germany |
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Region |
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Urban |
Brunswick | Delmenhorst | Emden | Oldenburg | Osnabrück | Salzgitter | Wilhelmshaven | Wolfsburg |
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Rural |
Ammerland | Aurich | Grafschaft Bentheim | Celle | Cloppenburg | Cuxhaven | Diepholz | Emsland | Friesland | Gifhorn | Goslar | Göttingen | Hamelin-Pyrmont | Harburg | Helmstedt | Hildesheim | Holzminden | Leer | Lüchow-Dannenberg | Lüneburg | Nienburg | Northeim | Oldenburg | Osnabrück | Osterholz | Osterode | Peine | Rotenburg | Schaumburg | Soltau-Fallingbostel | Stade | Uelzen | Vechta | Verden | Wesermarsch | Wittmund | Wolfenbüttel |
