Meschede

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title: "Meschede" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["towns-in-north-rhine-westphalia", "hochsauerlandkreis"] topic_path: "general/towns-in-north-rhine-westphalia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meschede" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox German location"]

Field	Value
name	Meschede
type	Stadt
image_photo	Meschede_Ausschnitt_Kern.jpg
image_caption	View over Meschede
image_flag	Flagge Meschede.svg
image_coa	Stadtwappen Meschede.svg
coordinates
image_plan	Meschede in HSK.svg
state	NRW
region	Arnsberg
district	Hochsauerlandkreis
elevation	260
area	218.5
postal_code	59872
area_code	0291
licence	HSK
Gemeindeschlüssel	05 9 58 032
divisions	17
website	www.meschede.de
mayor	Christoph Weber
leader_term	2020–25
party	CDU
::

Meschede () is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Hochsauerlandkreis.

Education

One of the five branches of South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (also: Fachhochschule Südwestfalen (FH SWF)) is located here.

Geography

Meschede is situated in the Ruhr valley, near to the Hennesee, south of the nature-park Arnsberger Wald. Major towns in the vicinity of Meschede are Paderborn (51 km), Kassel (85 km), Siegen (57 km), Hagen, Dortmund (60 km) and Hamm (49 km).

Neighbouring municipalities

Division of the town

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Meschede_2009_Stadt.jpg" caption="Panorama of Meschede"] ::

After the local government reforms of 1975 Meschede consists of these districts and villages:

Baldeborn
Berge
Berghausen
Beringhausen
Blüggelscheidt
Bockum
Bonacker
Calle
Drasenbeck
Einhaus
Enkhausen
Enste
Ensthof
Erflinghausen
Eversberg
Frenkhausen
Freienohl
Frielinghausen
Galiläa
Giesmecke
Grevenstein
Heggen
Heinrichsthal
Höhringhausen
Horbach
Immenhausen
Klause
Köpperkopf
Köttinghausen
Kotthoff
Laer
Löllinghausen
Löttmaringhausen
Mielinghausen
Mosebolle
Mülsborn
Obermielinghausen
Olpe
Remblinghausen
Schederberge
Schedergrund
Schüren
Stesse
Stockhausen
Vellinghausen
Visbeck
Wallen
Wehrstapel
Wennemen
Windhäuser
Wulstern.

History

Meschede was founded as a settlement around a convent, the Walpurgis-Stift , in the 10th century. In 1572, it became a member of the Hanseatic League.

In the 18th century, many inhabitants of Meschede died during at least two epidemics of dysentery.

Both in World War I and in World War II, Meschede was notorious as a location where the Germans exploited POWs in labour camps. In February, 1945, the town was destroyed by Allied air raid bombings, because of its strategically important railway station, but rebuilt after the war.

In 1921, the Sauerländer Heimatbund was founded.

In 1970, Meschede's St. Walburga Hospital was the site of a smallpox outbreak, as described in the book The Demon in the Freezer by Richard Preston.

Economy

Meschede is the seat of three major companies:

a department of Deutsche Telekom
the Veltins Brewery
the Honsel factory, founded in 1908, that produces car parts and other products from aluminum, owned by the Canadian company Martinrea.

An industrial zone is located near the crossing of the A 46 with the B 55 (see below).

Tourism also is important to the town's economy.

Transportation

Meschede is connected with two national roads, the federal roads B 7 and B 55, and the motorway A 46.

Meschede has a railroad station, and is connected via the Sauerland Net, RB 57, to Arnsberg and other towns.

It has an airfield, the Meschede-Schüren Airfield, with a 900 m runway.

Climate

The city's climate is continental. The lowest temperature recorded was -20 °C, its highest was recorded at 39 °C.

Culture

Spanish fricco is a traditional stew dish of Meschede.

Mayors

1952–1961: Engelbert Dick (CDU)
1961–1969: Josef Busch (CDU)
1969–1974: Bruno Peus (CDU)
1975–1998: Franz Stahlmecke (CDU)
1998–1999: Bruno Peus (CDU)
1999–2015: Hans-Ulrich (Uli) Hess (CDU)
2015–present: Christoph Weber (CDU)

Notable people

Joseph Hippolyt Pulte (1811–1884), homeopathic physician
August Macke (1887–1914), painter
Carola Matthiesen (1943– 2015), German University Teacher
Klaus-Jürgen Wrede (born 1963), board game creator, author of the Carcassonne
Matthias Ungemach (born 1968), rower, trained here
Matthias Kerkhoff (born 1979), politician (CDU)
Laura Hoffmann (born 1991), footballer
Susanne Kreher (born 1998), skeleton racer
Hannah Neise (born 2000), skeleton racer
Alexandra Föster (born 2002), rower

Main sights

Abbey Königsmünster, built by the Order of Saint Benedict.
Lake Hennesee near Meschede is the main recreational area of the town.

Twin towns – sister cities

Meschede is twinned with:

FRA Cousolre, France (1965)
FRA Le Puy-en-Velay, France (1975)

Meschede also has friendly relations with:

GER Neufraunhofen, Germany

References

[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_bm.shtml Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020], Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.
(15 January 2020). "Rezept fürs Mescheder Traditionsgericht Frikko bleibt geheim".
"Partnerstädte". Meschede.

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