Waltrop
Waltrop | |
---|---|
Location of Waltrop within Recklinghausen district | |
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) |
Elevation | 67 m (220 ft) |
Population (2023-12-31)[1] | |
• Total | 29,586 |
• Density | 630/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
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, approx. 15 km east of Recklinghausen and 15 km north-west of Dortmund.
Division of the town
The town 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 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 Soester Fehde, the archbishops of cologne could intersperse themselves against the counts of Mark, so that Waltrop became a part of the Vest Recklinghausen.
The production of coal in the coal mine started in 1905. As a consequence, Waltrop grew larger and became an industrial city. The coal mine was closed down in 1974.
In 1939, Waltrop got its municipal rights.
Governance
The city council of Waltrop consists of 40 seats, which are divided into 6 parliamentary groups
- SPD, 15 seats
- CDU, 14 seats
- FDP, 2 seats
- Waltroper Aufbruch (WA), 3 seats
- Grüne Liste Waltrop (GLW), 2 seats
- Bündnis für Waltrop, 2 seats
plus a single member of Die Linke plus a single member with no-party
Since 2004 Anne Heck-Guthe (SPD) 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
- Manufactum, upscale retailer for traditionally-made household goods
- Langendorf, a tipping trailer manufacturer
International relations
Waltrop is twinned with:
- Herne Bay, Kent, England
- Cesson-Sévigné, France
- San Miguelito, Río San Juan, Nicaragua
- Gardelegen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany (former GDR)