Bocholt, Germany
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| Bocholt | |
| Coat of arms | Location |
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| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Münster |
| District | Borken |
| Town subdivisions | 12 |
| Mayor | Peter Nebelo (SPD) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 119.37 km² (46.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Population | 73,640 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 617 /km² (1,598 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | BOR (until 1975: BOH) |
| Postal codes | 46361–46399 |
| Area codes | 02871 02874 (Suderwick) |
| Website | www.bocholt.de |
Bocholt is a municipality in the north-west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, part of the district Borken. It is situated 4 km south of the border with the Netherlands.
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[edit] History
Bocholt was first written about in 779, when Charlemagne won a battle against the Saxons nearby. However the settlement was probably much older. Bishop Dietrich III von Isenburg from Münster gave Bocholt city rights in 1222.
In the 15th century the city flourished. The engraver Israhel van Meckenem lived and worked in the city.
Between 1803 and 1810 Bocholt was the capital of the Principality of Salm. The Principality of Salm was governed by the prince of Salm-Salm and the prince of Salm-Kyrburg.
[edit] Economy
Bocholt is a manufacturing town. It was a town of textile industry for most of the 19th and 20th century. Today there are still several successful textile manufacturers in town. The importance of texile industry, however, has greatly declined. Major employers in Bocholt are Siemens (Communications) and Flender(Siemens) - a leading manufacturer of transmissions, especially for wind energy plants. Most typical of Bocholt industries are smaller and highly specialized manufacturers. Some of them are internationally leading in their particular field of specialization. Bocholt industries profit from cooperation with the local technical college (Fachhochschule) as well as similar institutions in the region.
Bocholt is also a regional centre for shoppers from the West-Münsterland area as well as from the neighbouring rural and small town areas of the Netherlands. It has got a nice old town shopping area as well as popular new shopping malls.
[edit] Coat of arms
The coat of arms shows a beech tree, which has been the symbol for the city since the 13th century. Bocholt translated into English roughly means "beechwood". [1]
[edit] Education
Euregiogymnasium - one of four local grammar schools.
Georgsgymnasium - one of the four local grammar schools. The school maintains exchange programmes with schools in the USA, China, France, Italy and Britain.
Mariengymnasium Bocholt (MGB): One of four local grammar schools (students age 10 to 19). Bilingual section English/German.
St. Josefsgymnasium - private Roman-Catholic grammar school.
Fachhochschule - local technical college.
[edit] Transportation
Bocholt is the last stop on a 25 minute 2-way-1-track train route starting in Wesel traveling north to Bocholt. From Wesel one can transfer to trains that travel south to Düsseldorf International Airport, Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof or northwest to Amsterdam.
[edit] Twin towns
Rossendale (United Kingdom)
Aurillac ([France])
Bocholt ([Belgium])
[edit] External links
- Official site (German)
- Map of Bocholt (German)
- A collection of homepages from Bocholt (German)
- A community site in Bocholt (German)
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