Olfen
Town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olfen (German pronunciation: [ˈɔlfn̩] ⓘ) is a town in the district of Coesfeld, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Olfen | |
|---|---|
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Olfen
within Coesfeld district  | |
 Location of Olfen | |
  Olfen  Olfen | |
| Coordinates: 51°43′N 7°23′E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Münster |
| District | Coesfeld |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Wilhelm Sendermann[1] (CDU) |
| Area | |
• Total | 52.43 km2 (20.24 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Population (2024-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 13,175 |
| • Density | 251.3/km2 (650.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 59399 |
| Dialling codes | 02595, 02592 (part of Vinnums) |
| Vehicle registration | COE/LH |
| Website | www.olfen.de |
History
Bishop Wolfhelm, who originated from the Ulfloa Oberhof, gave the small town its name in 889. Wolfhelm was the fourth bishop of "Mimingardeford", today called Münster.
The fire disaster of 1857, in which 142 houses were destroyed, has gone down as the "Great Fire of Olfen" in Olfen's history books.
Buildings
Interesting sights include St. Vitus church, a castle and a historic sawmill.
Olfen, St. Vitus church
Olfen, Füchteln mill
Füchteln mill on a foggy day (art project)
Politics
Wilhelm Sendermann (CDU) was elected for mayor in September 2015 with 87.4% of the vote.[3] He was re-elected in 2020.
Notable people
- Thomas Hoof (born 1948), founder of Manufactum
- Günter Schlierkamp (born 1970), professional bodybuilder
