Werl

Werl
Wallfahrtsbasilika Wallfahrtsbasilika
Coat of arms
Werl
Location of Werl within Soest district
Coordinates:
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Arnsberg
District	Soest
Government
• Mayor	Michael Grossmann (CDU)
Area
• Total	76.24 km2 (29.44 sq mi)
Population (2013-12-31)
• Total	30,061
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	59457
Dialling codes	02922
Vehicle registration	SO
Website	www.werl.de

Werl is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Geography

Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area. The Hellweg road runs through the city, as Werl is a part of the fertile Bördelandschaft of the Werl–Unnaer Börde.

Neighbouring municipalities

Arnsberg Hamm Soest

Unna Welver Wickede

Division of the town

Werl consists of the following districts:

• Blumenthal (48 inhabitants)
• Budberg (596 inhabitants)
• Büderich (3107 inhabitants)
• Hilbeck (1339 inhabitants)
• Holtum (1049 inhabitants)
• Mawicke (521 inhabitants)
• Niederbergstraße (210 inhabitants)
• Oberbergstraße (363 inhabitants)
• Sönnern (870 inhabitants)
• Westönnen (2665 inhabitants)
• Werl (22151 inhabitants)

History

Werl was a member of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages, and has contained a statue of the Virgin Mary since 1661. Today this relic is located in the Wallfahrtsbasilika, and the Franciscan religious order takes care of it. Due to the Marien pilgrimage, Werl is the third largest prisons in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Werl Prison, is located here.

• The 4th United States Army Field Artillery Detachment was stationed in Werl until 1992.

Famous people from Werl

• Franz von Papen: German nobleman, Roman Catholic monarchist politician, General Staff officer, and diplomat, who served as Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and as Vice-Chancellor under Adolf Hitler in 1933 to 1934, and who helped him come to power, was born in Werl on 29 October 1879.

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Werl is twinned with:

• Halle, Belgium, since 1973

External links

• Official website (German)
• Images from Werl (German)