Gütersloh

Gütersloh
Martin Luther Church
Gütersloh
Administration
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Detmold
District	Gütersloh
Town subdivisions	12
Mayor	Maria Unger (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area	111.99 km2 (43.24 sq mi)
Elevation	75 m  (246 ft)
Population	96,202  (5 December 2008)
- Density	859 /km2 (2,225 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	GT
Postal codes	33241–33335
Area codes	05241, 05209 (Friedrichsdorf)
Website	www.guetersloh.de
Location of the town of Gütersloh within Gütersloh district
Coordinates: 51°54′0″N 8°23′0″E / 51.9°N 8.383333°E / 51.9; 8.383333

Gütersloh (German pronunciation: [ˈɡyːtɐsloː]) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name. Gütersloh has a population of 96,200 people.

Geography

Gütersloh lies in the Emssandebene, south-west of the Teutoburg Forest and on the north-eastern edge of the Westphalian basin and has no significant points of elevation. The town's lowest point is 64 metres above sea level on the river Ems near the Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh and the highest point is 105 metres above sea level in the eastern township of Friedrichsdorf.

The border to Rheda-Wiedenbrück extends as part of the Rhedaer Forest, a large wooded area with predominantly coniferous trees. The river Dalke flows through the town from east to west, crossing close to the Stadt Park as well as the town centre and river Ems.

Politics

City council

The city council consists of 58 seats, according to the Local election in 2009:

Major industries

Gütersloh is an industrial town with major employers including Miele and Bertelsmann, inside the ring road is the town centre which contains a variety of shops and department stores.

Recreational amenities

Gütersloh has two parks: the Mohns Park which contains an amphitheater, paddling pool and several adventure playground areas, and a larger park, the Stadtpark und Botanischer Garten Gütersloh, which contains a boating lake, botanical garden, and many paths bordered by mature trees.

Swimmers are accommodated amply in Gütersloh with no less than four pools, both indoor and outdoor, the large outdoor pool has an Olympic Size Pool, Diving Boards and sunbathing space, while the original indoor pool has the usual sauna and steam rooms.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Gütersloh is twinned with Châteauroux in France (since 1977), with Broxtowe in the United Kingdom (1978), with Grudziądz in Poland (1989), with Falun in Sweden (1994) and with Rzhev in Russia (2008).

RAF Gutersloh

A Royal Air Force station was located in Gütersloh until after the fall of the Berlin Wall home of RAF Squadrons 3 and 4 which flew the distinctive VTOL Harrier, they were supported by Chinook Helicopters manned by 18 Squadron and 230 Squadron which flew Puma Helicopters. There were also personnel at the station from the RAF Regiment who provided Rapier Ground to Air Missile Support. It was the most easterly of the NATO airbases during the Cold War.

The Station was originally built for the Luftwaffe who flew Junkers bombers from the station and the runway was extended during this period with Soviet Prisoners of War, a memorial to whom now stands near Junkers Farm, a farm building which was later used as a Scout Hut within the station's perimeter fence.

RAF Gütersloh closed in 1993.

Gütersloh British Army Base

The British Army took over RAF Gütersloh in 1993 and re-named it Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh. It now houses Regiments of the Royal Logistic Corps, Army Air Corps and 114 Provost Company, Royal Military Police. The second barracks in Gütersloh is called Mansergh Barracks, which holds a British high school called King's School and a primary school called Haig School for the armed forces. Mansergh Barracks is home to 26 Regiment of the Royal Artillery. It has a postal address of BFPO 113. BFPO 47 refers to Princess Royal Barracks.

Famous people born in Gütersloh

• Hans Werner Henze (born 1926), composer
• Ludwig Müller (1883-1945), leader of the Protestant Reich Church
• Rudolf Miele (1929-2004), entrepreneur
• Reinhard Mohn (1921-2009), owner of Bertelsmann
• Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen (1833-1910), pathologist

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gütersloh

v • d • e Towns and municipalities in Gütersloh (district) Borgholzhausen | Gütersloh | Halle | Harsewinkel | Herzebrock-Clarholz | Langenberg | Rheda-Wiedenbrück | Rietberg | Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock | Steinhagen | Verl | Versmold | Werther