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Verl

Coordinates: 51°52′59″N 08°31′00″E / 51.88306°N 8.51667°E / 51.88306; 8.51667
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Verl
St. Anna Church in Verl
St. Anna Church in Verl
Flag of Verl
Coat of arms of Verl
Location of Verl within Gütersloh district
GüterslohSchloß Holte-StukenbrockVerlRietbergLangenbergRheda-WiedenbrückHerzebrock-ClarholzSteinhagenWertherHalleHarsewinkelBorgholzhausenVersmoldPaderborn (district)Lippe (district)Soest (district)BielefeldHerford (district)Warendorf (district)Lower SaxonyNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Verl is located in Germany
Verl
Verl
Verl is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Verl
Verl
Coordinates: 51°52′59″N 08°31′00″E / 51.88306°N 8.51667°E / 51.88306; 8.51667
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionDetmold
DistrictGütersloh
Subdivisions5
Government
 • Mayor (2020–25) Robin Rieksneuwöhner[1] (CDU)
Area
 • Total
71.37 km2 (27.56 sq mi)
Elevation
85 m (279 ft)
Population
 (2023-12-31)[2]
 • Total
25,669
 • Density360/km2 (930/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
33415
Dialling codes05246
Vehicle registrationGT
Websitewww.verl.de

Verl (German: [fɛʁl] ) is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is approximately 15 km south of Bielefeld and 10 km east of Gütersloh.

Geography

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Verl is located in Ostwestfalen-Lippe in a triangle formed by Gütersloh (9.2 km), Bielefeld (15.4 km), and Paderborn (25.1 km). The administrative region for the town is Detmold. The urban area for the town is located in the large landscape area of the North German Plain, in a subarea of the Westphalian Lowland.

The rivers that cross through the town are the Dalke, Menkebach, Ellbach, Sennebach, Furlbach, and Wapelbach streams. The Ellbach is joined by the Landerbach while the Wapelbach is joined by the Rodenbach. The Sennebach drains directly into the Ems, into which all the streams that cross through Verl flow northeast/southwest from the Teutoburg Forest. To protect nearby towns from flooding, a flood basin called Wapelbecken I was established in 2011, followed by Wapelbecken II in 2023.

The town covers an area of 71.36 km². The majority of the town's area consists of agricultural land, buildings, and open spaces, together accounting for approximately 86%, followed by forest and traffic areas, accounting for approximately 8.5%. Verl is sparsely forested compared to the rest of the Gütersloh district, with a forest cover of only around 6.4%.

History

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The name Verl was first mentioned in the expression 'Henricus de Verlo', which can be found in a charter from 1264.[3] The designation probably relates to the farm estate Meier zu Verl, which belonged to a group of four estates that presumably came into existence around the turn of the first millennium. Some earlier documented references to estates in this area can be dated back to the year 1188.

In 1512, a chapel was built in the farming community. This chapel was turned into a parish church in 1577 and, since then, has marked the social center for the communities of Verl, Sende and Bornholte. Count Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg sponsored the building of the church of St. Anna at the location of the former chapel in 1792. The construction of this classical hall church was completed in 1801.[3]

County of Rietberg showing Latin "Verle" at upper middle

Until the establishment of the Kingdom of Westphalia in 1807 during the Napoleonic period, Verl belonged to the County of Rietberg. From 1807 on, the county was divided into two administrative districts (called cantons) -- Rietberg and Neuenkirchen—comprising the now independent municipalities of Verl, Bornholte, Sende, Liemke, and Österwiehe. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the districts where incorporated into the newly created district of Wiedenbrück.

On July 1, 1838, the canton administration was moved from Neuenkirchen to Verl and, in addition to the aforementioned municipalities, the village of Kaunitz was added to the newly created canton of Verl. With the introduction of a new local government code in the Kingdom of Prussia on October 31, 1841, the canton's name was changed to Amt Verl (meaning department). By this time, Verl already had 6,786 inhabitants.

During World War I, more than 350 citizens fell victim to the conflict, and the ensuing aftermath left the district in economic struggle.[4] After the Nazi seizure of power, the town square was renamed to "Hindenburg-Hitler-Platz" as part of a campaign of name changes across the country.[5] The name remained until the fall of Nazi Germany.

Another adjustment to the local government code was carried out on January 1, 1970, constituting the current city limits. Now simply called Verl, the municipality consists of five administrative units (Verl, Bornholte, Sürenheide, Sende, and Kaunitz) and belongs to the district of Gütersloh. Verl is a town as of 1 January 2010. In 2017, the town was declared "culturally significant" by the LWL-Geodaten Kultur organization.[6]

Culture

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Musical festivities

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In the town, the Verl Music Association hosts an annual concert every January. At the Verl Comprehensive School's Pedagogical Center, the brass band presents an annual program of marching band, polka, and samba performances, as well as films and musical hits. Since 1970, the Verl Kolping Theater has performed a play annually. Every spring, for two weeks, the school's auditorium is transformed into a small theater.

Places of interest

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  • St. Anna Church
  • Timbered houses from the 16th century
  • Flea market "Hobbymarkt" - one of the largest flea markets in Germany, every first Saturday of the month[7]
  • Verl Button Museum - founded in a former print building in 2014[8]
  • Village Mill - Oldest mill in the Verl municipal area, listed as an architectural monument since 1991
Verl Village Mill

Sport

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SC Verl, an association football club, was founded on 6 September 1924,[9] and since 1970 has consistently played in the higher echelons of amateur football. The club was promoted to the professional national third division in 2020 where it has played ever since.

In the town, twelve different homing pigeon clubs are represented as of 2006.[10]

In 2021, the town of Verl applied to be a host city for an international program as part of the 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin. For the occasion of the Olympics, the town was selected to host the Honduran chapter of Special Olympics International.[11] The delegation consisted of 25 people and were to stay in the city for four days total.[12]

Sister cities

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Verl has sister city relationships with the following two cities:[13]

The sister relationship with Annaburg was established in 1990, shortly after the Fall of the Berlin Wall. In the first few years of the relationship, Verl assisted Annaburg in finding a new administration, which would eventually help create new connections between the two cities.

The sister relationship was Delphos was founded in 1999. The town was founded in the 1800s by pastor Johannes Otto Bredeick, a native of Verl, after a period of famine had struck North Rhine-Westphalia.[15] Periodic visits and a student exchange happen between the two towns every year since the sister relationship went into effect.[13]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18497,144—    
18717,245+1.4%
18907,633+5.4%
19109,811+28.5%
193012,566+28.1%
193814,324+14.0%
194818,432+28.7%
195620,396+10.7%
196926,497+29.9%
Population for Amt Verl

Demographics

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After the recognition of the Verl Municipality in the 1970s, parts of Amt Verl were incorporated into Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock or Bielefeld, drastically reducing its area and population size.[16] From 1975 onwards, demographic data for the town is compiled by the State Office for Information and Technology (NRW).[17]

Religion

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In the town, the St. Anna Catholic Church merged with the St. Maria Immaculata of Kaunitz and the Church of St. Judas Thaddäus in 2001. As of the most recent 2022 census, 44.7% of the town's population was Roman Catholic while 17.1% were Protestant; the remaining 38.2% declared other religious affiliations or none.[18]

Verl is also a stronghold of Germany's Assyrian community, the majority of whom belong to the Syriac Orthodox Church. Several associations, such as Suryoye Verl, operate to represent the town's Assyrian community.[19] The town also has a New Apostolic Church and a Baptist house for worship.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
197015,077—    
198018,799+24.7%
199019,778+5.2%
199521,266+7.5%
200023,573+10.8%
200424,403+3.5%
201025,084+2.8%
201525,533+1.8%
202025,976+1.7%
202326,201+0.9%
Population for Verl Municipality
Source: [20] [21]

Politics

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Coat of arms

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In 1970, the council of the newly formed municipality of Verl decided to enact a coat of arms and banner.[22] The coat of arms of the town of Verl is divided into four areas. In the center of the coat of arms is a golden shield. The first and fourth areas of the coat of arms contain a green background with silver oak trees with two golden acorns, while the second and third contain the same imagery with opposite coloration. On the coat of arms of the District of Verl are five diamonds that represent the five municipalities belonging to Amt Verl in the Prussian Kingdom; Verl, Bornholt, Senden, Liemke, and Österwiehe.

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Since 2014, the town of Verl has employed a logo to represent itself publicly.[23] The logo was chosen after a competition took place among several agencies and representatives.[24] The logo contains five multi-colored lines of differing length and the slogan "City of Verl – A Good Reason" (German: Stadt Verl – Ein guter Grund).

Economy

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Until the end of the 19th century, Verl consisted of only small craft businesses, mainly engaged in wood and meat processing with some brickworks. Today, the town is host to a number of strategically important companies and their headquarters/branches including Beckhoff New Automation Technology,[25] Bertelsmann Financial Services,[26] Teckentrup,[27] Heroal,[28] and Nobilia.[29]

Verl is one of the strongest municipalities in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia financially, due to consistently high trade tax revenues. In 2018, these revenues totaled 54.5 million, and the town's budget's equity amounted to €237.8 million.[30] The town also has the second-lowest trade tax assessment of all state municipalities.[31]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ Die Glocke: Verls neuer Bürgermeister heißt Robin Rieksneuwöhner
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2023 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  3. ^ a b "Stadtgeschichte". Stadt Verl (in German). Verl. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  4. ^ Thöring, Von Roland. "Als der Erste Weltkrieg nach Verl kam". Neue Westfälische (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  5. ^ "Verl". www.lwl.org. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  6. ^ "Kulturlandschaftlich bedeutsamer Stadt- und Ortskern Verl". www.lwl.org. Landschaftsverband Westfalen‑Lippe (LWL). Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  7. ^ "Ostwestfalenhalle | Stadt Verl". www.verl.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  8. ^ Glocke, Die (2014-09-04). "Knopfmanufaktur ist mehr als Museum". www.die-glocke.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  9. ^ Grüne, Hardy (2001). Vereinslexikon. Kassel: AGON Sportverlag ISBN 3-89784-147-9
  10. ^ "Brieftaubenzuchtvereine" (PDF). www.verl.de. VERL erleben!. 2006. p. 64. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-30. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  11. ^ "Baden-Württemberg" (PDF). assets.berlin2023.org. March 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
  12. ^ "Verl App: Special Olympics: Delegation aus Honduras erwartet". Verl App (in German). 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  13. ^ a b "Städtepartnerschaften | Stadt Verl". www.verl.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-04.
  14. ^ "Städtepartnerschaften". www.verl.de. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  15. ^ Meißner, Frithjof. "Ursprung und Geschichte der Partnerschaft Verl - Delphos". Amerikanetz (in German). Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Gesetz zur Neugliederung der Gemeinden und Kreise des Neugliederungsraumes Bielefeld (Bielefeld-Gesetz)" (PDF). www.bielefeld.de. 24 October 1972. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-03-20. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  17. ^ "Federal Statistical Office Germany - GENESIS-Online". www.landesdatenbank.nrw.de. 2025-07-02. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  18. ^ "Zensusdatenbank: Ergebnisse des Zensus". ergebnisse.zensus2022.de. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  19. ^ "30 Jahre Assyrischer Mesopotamien Verein Gütersloh". Bethnahrin (in German). 2012-06-25. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
  20. ^ "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen" (in German). IT.NRW. 2010. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011.
  21. ^ "Entwicklungskonzept Fortschreibung: Verl 2020" (in German). City of Verl. December 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  22. ^ Verl, Stadt. "Stadt Verl · Das Wappen der Stadt Verl". www.verl.de (in German). Archived from the original on 2015-08-26. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  23. ^ "Stadt Verl · Das Logo". www.verl.de. Archived from the original on 2015-09-17. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  24. ^ THÖRING, VON ROLAND. "Elegant und stark zugleich". Neue Westfälische (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  25. ^ "Company". Beckhoff Automation. Hülshorstweg 20, 33415 Verl, Germany: Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co KG. Retrieved 2025-06-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  26. ^ "Locations –". arvato.com. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  27. ^ "Garage doors, doors and industrial doors from Teckentrup". www.teckentrup.biz. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  28. ^ "Über heroal | Familienunternehmen mit langer Tradition". www.heroal.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  29. ^ "Europe's leading kitchen manufacturer". nobilia Küchen. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  30. ^ Schmidt, Barbara; Schönauer, Heribert (2019). "Haushaltsplan 2020" [Budget 2020] (PDF). verl.de (in German). Verl: Stadt Verl. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  31. ^ Esken, Michael (8 October 2019). "Haushaltsrede 2020: Bürgermeister Michael Esken" (PDF). verl.de (in German). Verl. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
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