Bielefeld

Bielefeld is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the most populous city in the administrative region of Detmold and the 18th largest city in Germany, with a population of 342,952 people.

The city is located in the Ravensberg Basin north of the Teutoburg Forest hill range, and it stretches across the range into the flat Westphalian Basin. Bielefeld sits along the Hermannsweg, a hiking trail that runs for 156 km along the ridges of the Teutoburg Forest.

Bielefeld is an important place for business, with many companies that operate around the world, such as Dr. Oetker, DMG Mori, Möller Group, Goldbeck, and Schüco. The city also has a university and several technical colleges (Fachhochschulen). It is also known for the Bethel Institution, which does important work for the community.

History

Bielefeld was founded in 1214 to protect a pass through the Teutoburg Forest. It became known for its linen and was part of the Hanseatic League. Over time, it changed hands between different rulers, including becoming part of Brandenburg–Prussia and later Kingdom of Prussia.

In the 1800s, Bielefeld grew with new railways and factories. It built important buildings like theatres and concert halls. During World War II, the city was bombed but was later rebuilt. After the war, it became an important place for the British military until the 1980s. Today, Bielefeld is a larger city, having grown through local government changes in 1973.

Subdivisions

Bielefeld is divided into ten different areas. These areas are:

• Bielefeld-Mitte (central district)
• Brackwede
• Dornberg
• Gadderbaum
• Heepen
• Jöllenbeck
• Schildesche
• Senne
• Sennestadt
• Stieghorst

Climate

Bielefeld has an oceanic climate. The average high temperature is 14.6 °C (58.3 °F), and the average low temperature is 5.4 °C (41.7 °F). The city gets about 866 millimetres (34.11 inches) of rain each year.

Weather records show that the highest temperature ever measured was 39.0 °C (102.2 °F), and the coldest was −21.3 °C (−6.3 °F). Some years have had much more rain than others, with the most being 1,466 millimetres (57.72 inches) and the least being 652.6 millimetres (25.69 inches). The amount of sunshine also changes, with the most hours of sunshine being 1,918.3 hours and the least being 1,418.4 hours in different years.

Industry and education

Bielefeld has a rich history in making things, like linen and home appliances. Some well-known companies there make food, leather products, clothing, and textiles.

The city also has a university that started in 1969, along with other schools for higher learning. These schools offer many different courses to help students learn many useful skills.

Demographics

Bielefeld is a lively city in Germany with lots of people living there. It is the biggest city in a special area called Detmold and one of the bigger cities in all of Germany. The city sits in a beautiful place between hills and flat lands, making it a nice spot for everyone.

Politics

The current mayor of Bielefeld is Christiana Bauer of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who was elected in 2025. The most recent mayoral election took place on 13 September 2020, with a runoff on 27 September.

The Bielefeld city council works together with the mayor to guide the city. The most recent city council election was also held on 13 September 2020. The SPD, the Greens, and the Left formed a group with 35 of the 66 seats in the council.

Transport

Two major roads, the A 2 and A 33, meet in the southeast part of Bielefeld. The Ostwestfalendamm expressway links the two sides of the city, which are separated by the Teutoburg Forest. Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof, the main train station, is on the Hamm–Minden railway and part of Germany’s fast ICE train network. The main spot for long-distance bus trips is Brackwede station.

Bielefeld has a small airfield in the Senne area, but people usually fly from three bigger airports close by: Paderborn Lippstadt Airport, Münster Osnabrück Airport, and Hannover Airport. The city has good public transport, with trains and buses run by local companies. The Bielefeld Stadtbahn has four main train lines, and buses travel all around the city.

Main sights

Sparrenburg Castle is a famous landmark in Bielefeld. Built between 1240 and 1250, its tall tower and special underground rooms are open for visitors to explore.

The city also has important buildings like the Old City Hall, built in 1904, and the City Theatre, which shares a similar style. The oldest church, Altstädter Nicolaikirche, has a tall tower and beautiful old art inside. Another big church, Neustädter Marienkirche, played a key role in history and contains wonderful medieval artwork. Bielefeld is also known for its music, with a famous children’s choir that has performed around the world.

Sport

Bielefeld has a professional football team called DSC Arminia Bielefeld. They currently play in the 2. Liga during the 2025–26 season and their home games are held at the SchücoArena stadium, located in the west part of the town centre.

The city also has a bike racing track named Radrennbahn Bielefeld where cycling races take place.

Notable people

Born before 1900

Here are some notable people from Bielefeld who were born before 1900:

• Kurt Blome (1894–1969), a scientist who worked during World War II
• Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, Senior (1831–1910), a leader of a Protestant care center
• Hugo Fischer-Köppe (1890–1937), an early film actor
• Albert Florath (1888–1957), a stage and film actor
• Anne Marie Heiler (1889–1979), a politician
• Johann Christoph Hoffbauer (1766–1827), a philosopher
• Alexander Holle (1898–1978), a military officer
• Charlotte Houtermans (1899–1993), a physicist
• August Junkermann (1832–1915), an actor
• August Krönig (1822–1879), a chemist and physicist
• Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1888–1931), a film director
• Christian Friedrich Nasse (1778–1851), a psychiatrist
• Helmuth Osthoff (1896–1983), a music expert and composer
• Viktoria Steinbiß (1892–1971), a politician
• Hermann Stenner (1891–1914), an early modern artist
• Hermann Dietrich Upmann (1816–1894), a banker and cigar maker
• Franz von Waldeck (≈1491–1553), a church leader
• Roger Wilmans (1812–1881), a historian

Born 1900–1950

Here are some notable people from Bielefeld who were born between 1900 and 1950:

• Rudolph Angermüller (1940–2021), a music expert
• Aleida Assmann (born 1947), a scientist studying language and culture
• Veronica Carstens (1923–2012), a medical doctor
• Erich Consemüller (1902–1957), an architect and photographer
• Elfriede Eilers (1921–2016), a politician
• Johannes Friedrich (1948–2025), a religious leader
• Karen Gershon (1923–1993), a writer and poet
• Klaus Hildebrand (born 1941), a historian
• Heinz Klingenberg (1905–1959), an actor
• Werner Lueg (1931–2014), an athlete
• Hajo Meyer (1924–2014), a physicist and writer
• Rüdiger Nehberg (1935–2020), an expert on survival and human rights
• Ursula Oetker (1915–2005), a business leader
• Günther Pankoke (1925–1999), a bicycle racer
• Bernhard Schlink (born 1944), a professor and writer
• Hans-Werner Sinn (born 1948), an economist
• Hannes Wader (born 1942), a musician
• Horst Wessel (1907–1930), a writer

Born 1951–2000

Here are some notable people from Bielefeld who were born between 1951 and 2000:

• Julia Abe (born 1976), a tennis player
• Friederike Abt (born 1994), a football goalkeeper
• Mehmet Akgün (born 1986), a footballer
• Anja Blacha (born 1990), an athlete and mountain climber
• Tom Brüntrup (born 1997), a politician
• Mark Carleton-Smith (born 1964), a British military leader
• Charalampos Chantzopoulos (born 1994), a Greek footballer
• Michael Diekmann (born 1954), a business leader
• Hendrik Dreekmann (born 1975), a tennis player
• Kevin John Edusei (born 1976), a conductor
• Ralf Ehrenbrink (born 1960), a horse rider
• Sabine Ellerbrock (born 1975), a tennis player in a wheelchair
• Wiebke Esdar (born 1984), a politician
• Anja Feldmann (born 1966), a computer expert
• Nils Fischer (born 1987), a footballer
• Moritz Fritz (born 1993), a footballer
• Nina George (born 1973), a writer and journalist
• Lena Goeßling (born 1986), a women's footballer
• Berkant Güner (born 1998), a footballer
• Olaf Hampel (born 1965), a winter sports athlete
• Maximilian Hippe (born 1998), a footballer
• Marco Hober (born 1995), a footballer
• Stefan Hübner (born 1975), a volleyball player
• Nadine Jarosch (born 1995), a gymnast
• Denis Kina (born 1992), a footballer
• Jost Kobusch (born 1992), a mountain climber and writer
• Julian Köster (born 2000), a handball player
• Serhat Kot (born 1997), a footballer
• Mieke Kröger (born 1993), a cyclist
• Karoline Linnert (born 1958), a politician
• Julia Lohoff (born 1994), a tennis player
• Erich Marks (born 1954), an educator
• Lisa Middelhauve (born 1980), a singer
• Ingo Niermann (born 1969), a writer and artist
• Richard Oetker (born 1951), a business leader
• Ingo Oschmann (born 1969), a comedian and magician
• Hartmut Ostrowski (born 1958), a business leader
• Can Özkan (born 1999), a footballer
• Uğur Pamuk (born 1989), a footballer
• Florian Panzner (born 1976), an actor
• Dinah Pfizenmaier (born 1992), a tennis player
• Mateusz Przybylko (born 1992), an athlete
• Kacper Przybyłko (born 1993), a footballer
• Christina Rau (born 1956), a political expert
• Mike Reed (born 1974), a jazz musician
• Markus Reitzig (born 1972), a business expert
• Bianca Shomburg (born 1974), a singer
• Keanu Staude (born 1997), a footballer
• Melanie Stiassny (born 1953), a scientist studying fish
• Maike Stöckel (born 1984), a field hockey player
• Maren Tellenbröker (born 2000), a footballer
• Jens Teutrine (born 1993), a politician
• Aylin Tezel (born 1983), an actress and writer
• Iris Vermillion (born 1960), an opera singer
• Oliver Welke (born 1966), a writer and sports journalist
• Louis Weßels (born 1998), a tennis player
• Christian Wieczorek (born 1985), a footballer
• Susanne Wolff (born 1973), an actress

Born 2001 and later

Here are some notable people from Bielefeld who were born in 2001 or later:

• Dildar Atmaca (born 2002), a footballer
• Jomaine Consbruch (born 2002), a footballer
• Colin Kleine-Bekel (born 2003), a footballer
• Henrik Koch (born 2006), a footballer

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Bielefeld is twinned with several cities around the world. These partnerships help bring people together and share ideas and culture.