Vechta (district)

Vechta
District
Coat of arms
250x250px
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
Capital	Vechta
Area
• Total	813 km2 (314 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2013)
• Total	134,188
• Density	170/km2 (430/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration	VEC
Website	kreis-vechta.de

Vechta (German pronunciation: [ˈfɛçta]) is a district (Landkreis) in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Oldenburg, Diepholz, Osnabrück and Cloppenburg.

History

In the 13th century the region was acquired by the bishop of Münster and became a part of his clerical state. When the clerical states of Germany were dissolved in 1803, Vechta was given to Oldenburg, while clerically still belonging to Münster, hence the name Oldenburger Münsterland is also used for the region (together with Cloppenburg district). The present district was established in 1945 and became a part of the newly founded state of Lower Saxony.

Geography

The countryside is generally flat. Only in the very south there is a hill chain close to the town of Damme, called the Damme Hills (Dammer Berge). The western shore of Lake Dümmer with its adjoining fens is also part of the district.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays:

• the arms of Oldenburg
• the arms of the County of Calvelage-Ravensberg (which ruled over the region before the 13th century)
• the arms of the counts of Galen (who were vassals of the bishops of Münster)

Cities and municipalities

Cities	Free municipalities
Damme Dinklage Lohne Vechta	Bakum Goldenstedt Holdorf Neuenkirchen-Vörden Steinfeld Visbek

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (German)