Olpe (district)
Olpe (German pronunciation: [ˈɔlpə]) is a Kreis (district) in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Märkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis.
Olpe | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Adm. region | Arnsberg |
| Capital | Olpe |
| Area | |
| • Total | 710.7 km2 (274.4 sq mi) |
| Population (31 December 2021)[1] | |
| • Total | 133,120 |
| • Density | 190/km2 (490/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Vehicle registration | OE |
| Website | www |
History
The district was created in 1817 as Kreis Bilstein, in 1819 the capital was set to be Olpe. During the reorganization of the districts in 1969 several of the municipalities in the district were merged to become cities, however the district itself was only modified minimally, and also in the second reorganization 1974 it stayed nearly in the same borders as in 1817.
Geography
Geographically it covers the south-western part of the Sauerland mountains, which make the district rich in forests. The main river through the district is the Lenne.
Schützenbund
The Kreisschützenbund Olpe performs the Kreisschützenfest.[2]
Coat of arms
The left half of the coat of arms show the cologne cross, as the Olpe area belonged to the bishops of Cologne. The right side show the sign of the Lords of Fürstenberg, who were governors for the bishops in this area.
Towns and municipalities
| Towns | Municipalities |
|---|---|
References
- "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2021" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- "Vereine im Kreisschützenbund Olpe". Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
External links
Media related to Kreis Olpe at Wikimedia Commons
