{{More citations needed|date=August 2008}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}}
{{Infobox German location |name = Meschede |type = Stadt |image_photo = Meschede_Ausschnitt_Kern.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = View over Meschede |image_flag = Flagge Meschede.svg |image_coa = Stadtwappen Meschede.svg |coordinates = {{coord|51|21|N|8|17|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |image_plan = Meschede in HSK.svg |state = NRW |region = Arnsberg |district = Hochsauerlandkreis |elevation = 260 |area = 218.5 |pop_source = |postal_code = 59872 |area_code = 0291 |licence = HSK |Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 9 58 032 |divisions = 17 |website = [https://www.meschede.de/ www.meschede.de] |mayor = Christoph Weber<ref>[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_bm.shtml Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020], Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.</ref> |leader_term = 2020–25 |party = CDU }}
'''Meschede''' ({{IPA|de|ˈmɛʃədə|lang|De-Meschede.ogg}}) is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Hochsauerlandkreis.
==Education==
One of the five branches of South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (also: Fachhochschule Südwestfalen (FH SWF)) is located here.
==Geography== Meschede is situated in the Ruhr valley, near to the Hennesee, south of the nature-park Arnsberger Wald. Major towns in the vicinity of Meschede are Paderborn (51 km), Kassel (85 km), Siegen (57 km), Hagen, Dortmund (60 km) and Hamm (49 km).
=== Neighbouring municipalities === * Arnsberg * Bestwig * Eslohe * Schmallenberg * Sundern * Warstein
=== Division of the town === thumb|500px|right|Panorama of Meschede After the local government reforms of 1975 Meschede consists of these districts and villages: {{div col|colwidth=18em}} * Baldeborn * Berge * Berghausen * Beringhausen * Blüggelscheidt * Bockum * Bonacker * Calle * Drasenbeck * Einhaus * Enkhausen * Enste * Ensthof * Erflinghausen * Eversberg * Frenkhausen * Freienohl * Frielinghausen * Galiläa * Giesmecke * Grevenstein * Heggen * Heinrichsthal * Höhringhausen * Horbach * Immenhausen * Klause * Köpperkopf * Köttinghausen * Kotthoff * Laer * Löllinghausen * Löttmaringhausen * Mielinghausen * Mosebolle * Mülsborn * Obermielinghausen * Olpe * Remblinghausen * Schederberge * Schedergrund * Schüren * Stesse * Stockhausen * Vellinghausen * Visbeck * Wallen * Wehrstapel * Wennemen * Windhäuser * Wulstern. {{div col end}}
==History== Meschede was founded as a settlement around a convent, the ''Walpurgis-Stift'' , in the 10th century. In 1572, it became a member of the Hanseatic League.
In the 18th century, many inhabitants of Meschede died during at least two epidemics of dysentery.
Both in World War I and in World War II, Meschede was notorious as a location where the Germans exploited POWs in labour camps. In February 1945, the town was destroyed by Allied air raid bombings, because of its strategically important railway station, but rebuilt after the war.
In 1921, the Sauerländer Heimatbund was founded.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
In 1970, Meschede's St. Walburga Hospital was the site of a smallpox outbreak, as described in the book ''The Demon in the Freezer'' by Richard Preston.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
==Economy== Meschede is the seat of three major companies: * a department of Deutsche Telekom * the Veltins Brewery * the Honsel factory, founded in 1908, that produces car parts and other products from aluminium, owned by the Canadian company Martinrea.
An industrial zone is located near the crossing of the A 46 with the B 55 (see below).
Tourism also is important to the town's economy.
==Transportation==
Meschede is connected with two national roads, the federal roads B 7 and B 55, and the motorway A 46.
Meschede has a railroad station, and is connected via the Sauerland Net, RB 57, to Arnsberg and other towns.
It has an airfield, the Meschede-Schüren Airfield, with a 900 m runway.
==Climate==
The city's climate is continental. The lowest temperature recorded was {{convert|-20|°C|0|abbr=on}}, its highest was recorded at {{convert|39|°C|0|abbr=on}}.
==Culture== Spanish fricco is a traditional stew dish of Meschede.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rezept fürs Mescheder Traditionsgericht Frikko bleibt geheim | website=Westphalen Post | date=15 January 2020 | url=https://www.wp.de/staedte/meschede-und-umland/rezept-fuers-mescheder-traditionsgericht-frikko-bleibt-geheim-id228151247.html | language=de | access-date=14 April 2022}} {{subscription required}}</ref>
==Mayors== *1952–1961: Engelbert Dick (CDU) *1961–1969: Josef Busch (CDU) *1969–1974: Bruno Peus (CDU) *1975–1998: Franz Stahlmecke (CDU) *1998–1999: Bruno Peus (CDU) *1999–2015: Hans-Ulrich (Uli) Hess (CDU) *2015–present: Christoph Weber (CDU)
==Notable people== *Joseph Hippolyt Pulte (1811–1884), homeopathic physician *August Macke (1887–1914), painter *Carola Matthiesen (1943– 2015), German University Teacher *Klaus-Jürgen Wrede (born 1963), board game creator, author of the Carcassonne *Matthias Ungemach (born 1968), rower, trained here *Matthias Kerkhoff (born 1979), politician (CDU) *Laura Hoffmann (born 1991), footballer *Susanne Kreher (born 1998), skeleton racer *Hannah Neise (born 2000), skeleton racer *Alexandra Föster (born 2002), rower
==Main sights== *Abbey Königsmünster, built by the Order of Saint Benedict. *Lake Hennesee near Meschede is the main recreational area of the town.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
==Twin towns – sister cities== {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}} Meschede is twinned with:<ref name=twins>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.meschede.de/tourismus-freizeit-kultur/stadtportrait/partnerstaedte/|website=meschede.de|publisher=Meschede|language=de|access-date=25 February 2021}}</ref> *{{flagicon|FRA}} Cousolre, France (1965) *{{flagicon|FRA}} Le Puy-en-Velay, France (1975)
Meschede also has friendly relations with:<ref name=twins/> *{{flagicon|GER}} Neufraunhofen, Germany
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.meschede.de/ Official site] {{in lang|de}}
thumb|left|Meschede in winter 2004 thumb|left|Meschede in winter 2005
{{Commons}}
{{Cities and towns in Hochsauerland (district)}}
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Category:Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia Category:Hochsauerlandkreis