Herford Facts for Kids

For other uses, see Herford (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

Herford

Town Hall

Flag	Coat of arms

Country

Germany

State

North Rhine-Westphalia

Founded

789

Elevation

56-240 m (−731.4 ft)

Population

(2022-12-31)

• Total

67,459

CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)

32049, 32051, 32052

05221

Herford (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛɐ̯ˌfɔɐ̯t]; Low German: Hiarwede) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It sits in a flat area between the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoburg Forest. Herford is also the main town of the Herford district.

Exploring Herford's Location
A Look at Herford's History
Culture and Interesting Places
Sports in Herford
Herford's Economy
Military Presence
Twin Towns and Friendly Cities
Famous People from Herford
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Herford's Location

Where is Herford?

Herford is an old Hanseatic town. It is found among the hills south of the Wiehen Hills. The highest point in Herford is Dornberg, which is 240 meters (787 feet) high. The lowest point is only 56 meters (184 feet) high. The Aa River joins the Werre River right in the middle of town.

Towns Nearby

Herford has several towns close by:

To the west: Enger and Hiddenhausen
To the north: Löhne
To the northeast: Vlotho
To the southeast: Bad Salzuflen
To the southwest: Bielefeld

Herford's Districts

Herford is divided into several smaller areas called districts. These include:

Altstädter Feldmark
Neustädter Feldmark
Radewiger Feldmark
Diebrock
Eickum
Elverdissen
Falkendiek
Herringhausen
Laar
Schwarzenmoor
Stedefreund

A Look at Herford's History

Herford was started in the year 789 by Charlemagne. He built it to protect a place where people could cross the Werre River. About 100 years later, a girl named Matilda grew up in the Herford monastery. She later met Henry the Fowler, who became the king of Germany.

In the Middle Ages, Herford was part of the Hanseatic League. This was a powerful group of trading cities. Herford was also a Free Imperial City, meaning it was directly under the emperor's rule. This special status ended in 1648 after the Peace of Westphalia. Herford then became part of Brandenburg-Prussia. After the Napoleonic Wars, it was part of the Province of Westphalia. Finally, after World War II, Herford became part of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Culture and Interesting Places

Main Sights to See

Herford has many old and beautiful buildings:

Herford Minster (Münsterkirche): This large church was built between 1220 and 1250. It's one of Germany's oldest hall churches.
St. James' (Jakobikirche/Radewiger Kirche): A Gothic church built around 1330.
St. John's (St. Johannis/Neustädter Kirche): Another Gothic church, built around 1340.
St. Mary's (St. Marien auf dem Berge): This Gothic church was finished around 1325-1350.
Town Hall: Built from 1913 to 1916, it has a grand Neo-Baroque style.
Neustädter Rathaus: This building was the old town hall, built in 1600.
Remensnider-Haus: A half-timbered building from 1521.
Kantorhaus: Another half-timbered building, from about 1484-1494.
Bürgermeisterhaus: A stone building from 1538 with a unique stepped roof.
Wulfert-Haus: This building from 1560 has a brick Renaissance style.

Museums to Visit

MARTa Herford: This museum shows modern art and design. It opened in 2005 and was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry. The art displays here change often.
Daniel-Pöppelmann-Haus: This museum teaches visitors about Herford's history.
Memorial and Meeting Place Cell Block: Located in the city hall basement, this place tells the story of how minorities were treated in the past.

Music and Theatre

Herford is home to the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. This orchestra plays music regularly in the Stadtpark Schützenhof and in other nearby cities. The Stadttheater (Municipal theatre) is a place where plays and shows are performed by visiting theatre groups. It can seat 706 people.

Fun Events in Herford

Herford hosts many events throughout the year:

Easter Fair: A fun fair around Easter time.
Jazz Festival: In May, different jazz artists play music in various bars.
Organ Summer: A series of organ concerts.
Summer Stage: Concerts held in the summer between the city hall and market hall.
Hoekerfest: A big city festival in August with many activities in the town center.
City Fair: Held in October in the city center.
Wine Festival: Enjoy wines at Gänsemarkt in the autumn.
Christmas Lights: Herford's Christmas market in December.

Sports in Herford

Herford has an ice hockey team called the Herforder EV (Ice Dragons). They play in the Regionaliga and are quite successful. About 800 fans usually come to watch their games.

Herford's Economy

Herford is home to Vivani, a company that makes organic chocolate.

Military Presence

Herford used to be the main base for the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division. This was part of the British Forces Germany. The division moved to the United Kingdom in 2015. The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) studio for Germany was also in Herford until 2009.

Twin Towns and Friendly Cities

Herford has special connections with other cities around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities."

Hinckley, England, United Kingdom (since 1972)
Fredericia, Denmark (since 1987)
Quincy, United States (since 1991)

Herford also has friendly relations with these cities:

Vodice, Croatia (since 1974)
Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland (since 1995)
Manavgat, Turkey (since 2008)
Xinbei (Jiangsu), China (since 2015)

Famous People from Herford

Many notable people were born or lived in Herford:

Heinrich von Herford (c. 1300–1370) – A historical figure.
Gerhard Friedrich Müller (1705–1783) – An explorer who traveled in Siberia.
Frederick August Otto Schwarz (1836–1911) – The person who started the famous FAO Schwarz toy store.
Friedrich Adolf Richter (1847–1910) – The founder of Richter (toy company), a toy company.
Carl Severing (1875–1952) – An important politician.
Otto Weddigen (1882–1915) – A submarine commander during World War I.
Carl Menckhoff (1883–1949) – A fighter pilot ace from World War I.
Hermann Höpker-Aschoff (1883–1954) – A politician.
Karl Steinhoff (1892–1981) – A Minister-president of Brandenburg.
Reinhard Maack (1892–1969) – An explorer, geologist, and geographer.
Erich Gutenberg (1897–1984) – An economist.
Hans Kornberg (1928–2019) – A biochemist.
Wilhelm Leber (born 1947) – A mathematician.
Marian Gold (born 1954) – A singer-songwriter.
Karl-Heinz Wiesemann (born 1960) – The 96th Bishop of Speyer.
Jörg Rüpke (born 1962) – A scholar of religion and classical studies.
Thomas Helmer (born 1965) – A footballer.
Philipp Heithölter (born 1982) – A footballer.
Diego Demme (born 1991) – A footballer.
Carlotta Wamser (born 2003) – A footballer.