Waltrop

Waltrop

Saint Peter Church

Coat of arms
Waltrop

Coordinates: 51°37′N 07°23′E / 51.617°N 7.383°ECoordinates: 51°37′N 07°23′E / 51.617°N 7.383°E
Country Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region Münster
District Recklinghausen
Government
  Mayor Anne Heck-Guthe (SPD)
Area
  Total 46.98 km2 (18.14 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)[1]
  Total 28,885
  Density 610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 45731
Dialling codes 02309,
02363 (Oberwiese)
Vehicle registration RE

Waltrop is a town in the district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the Datteln-Hamm Canal, approximately 15 km east of Recklinghausen and 15 km north-west of Dortmund.

Division of the town

The town of Waltrop is surrounded by the Bauerschaften (rural boroughs) Lippe (Unterlippe/Oberlippe), Elmenhorst, Brockenscheidt, Leveringhausen, Oberwiese and Holthausen.

History

People already settled in this area about 2,000 years ago.

The village developed around the parish church of St. Peter which was built in the 9th/10th century. It is known that in 1432 Waltrop was a part of the county Dortmund. After the Soest Feud, the archbishops of Cologne could intervene against the counts of Mark, so that Waltrop became a part of Vest Recklinghausen.

The production of coal in the mine started in 1905. As a consequence, Waltrop grew larger and became an industrial town. The coal mine was closed down in 1974.

In 1939, Waltrop got its municipal rights.

Governance

The town council of Waltrop consists of 40 seats, which are divided into 6 parliamentary groups

  1. SPD, 15 seats
  2. CDU, 14 seats
  3. FDP, 2 seats
  4. Waltroper Aufbruch (WA), 3 seats
  5. Grüne Liste Waltrop (GLW), 2 seats
  6. Bündnis für Waltrop, 2 seats

plus a single member of Die Linke plus a single member with no-party

Since 2014 Nicole Moenikes (CDU) is mayorette of Waltrop.

Notable places

Waltrop is home to a museum of old ship lifts, including the Henrichenburg boat lift and a historical coal mine.

Local industry

International relations

Waltrop is twinned with:

  1. England Herne Bay, Kent, England
  2. France Cesson-Sévigné, France
  3. Nicaragua San Miguelito, Río San Juan, Nicaragua
  4. Germany Gardelegen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany (former GDR)

References

  1. "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen". Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW (in German). 4 September 2014.

External links