For the town in the district of Nürnberger Land, see Alfeld, Bavaria.

This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the German Wikipedia. (March 2009) Don't speak German? Click here to read a machine-translated version of the German article. Click [show] on the right to review important translation instructions before translating. Google's machine translation is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. After translating, {{Translated|de|Alfeld (Leine)}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Alfeld
Alfeld
Location of the town of Alfeld within Hildesheim district
Coordinates	51°59′19″N 9°49′37″E / 51.98861°N 9.82694°E / 51.98861; 9.82694Coordinates: 51°59′19″N 9°49′37″E / 51.98861°N 9.82694°E / 51.98861; 9.82694
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Hildesheim
Mayor	Bernd Beushausen (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area	72.86 km2 (28.13 sq mi)
Elevation	145 m  (476 ft)
Population	20,146 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	277 /km2 (716 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	HI
Postal code	31061
Area code	05181
Website	www.alfeld.de

Alfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the Leine river in the district of Hildesheim and on the German Timber-Frame Road.

History and main sights

The town was founded in 1214. Sights in Alfeld include the town hall (1586) with its octagonal tower, the church Saint Nicolai and the Fillerturm, a medieval watchtower and the Fagus Factory of 1911, a fine example of early modernist architecture by Walter Gropius. More famous are the Seven Hills (German: Sieben Berge) in the north and the Lippoldshöhle ("Lippold's cave"), where a legendary robber-knight is said to have lived.

Culture

Alfeld townhall, behind St. Nicolai

The assertion that the popular fairy tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was born in Alfeld is false. Even though the miners who mined ore In the Seven Mountains believed in the existence of dwarfs, it is more likely that the cradle of the fairy tale is to be searched in France. The version the brothers Grimm heard and wrote down, as they travelled through the Seven Mountains, on the so called Märchenstrasse (Street Of Fairytales) is just one of many.

Economy

Marktstraße

The biggest employer of the city is the SAPPI (South African Pulp and Paper Industry) factory with its big chimney, which has become one of Alfeld's landmarks. Even more famous than SAPPI is the Fagus Werk, rebuilt in 1910-1915 after the blueprints of architect Walter-Gropius, what is said to be trend-setting for modern architecture.

Popular culture

Latin school, today museum

Alfeld is a strategically important town fought for repeatedly by both NATO and Soviet forces in Tom Clancy's novel Red Storm Rising.

See also

• Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg
• Alfeld Sports Club SVA

References

External links

• Town website

v t e Towns and municipalities in Hildesheim district Adenstedt Alfeld Algermissen Almstedt Bad Salzdetfurth Banteln Betheln Bockenem Brüggen Coppengrave Despetal Diekholzen Duingen Eberholzen Eime Elze Everode Freden Giesen Gronau Harbarnsen Harsum Hildesheim Holle Hoyershausen Lamspringe Landwehr Marienhagen Neuhof Nordstemmen Rheden Sarstedt Schellerten Sehlem Sibbesse Söhlde Weenzen Westfeld Winzenburg Woltershausen

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alfeld (Leine)