# Meschede > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Meschede > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Meschede.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meschede > Source revision: 1355634147 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Meschede** (ˈmɛʃədə) is a town in the [Hochsauerland](/source/Hochsauerland) district, in [North Rhine-Westphalia](/source/North_Rhine-Westphalia), Germany. It is the capital of the district [Hochsauerlandkreis](/source/Hochsauerlandkreis). ## Education One of the five branches of [South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences](/source/South_Westphalia_University_of_Applied_Sciences) (also: Fachhochschule Südwestfalen (FH SWF)) is located here. ## Geography Meschede is situated in the [Ruhr](/source/Ruhr_(river)) valley, near to the [Hennesee](/source/Hennesee), south of the nature-park [Arnsberger Wald](/source/Arnsberger_Wald). Major towns in the vicinity of Meschede are [Paderborn](/source/Paderborn) (51 km), [Kassel](/source/Kassel) (85 km), [Siegen](/source/Siegen) (57 km), [Hagen](/source/Hagen), [Dortmund](/source/Dortmund) (60 km) and [Hamm](/source/Hamm,_North_Rhine-Westphalia) (49 km). ### Neighbouring municipalities - [Arnsberg](/source/Arnsberg) - [Bestwig](/source/Bestwig) - [Eslohe](/source/Eslohe) - [Schmallenberg](/source/Schmallenberg) - [Sundern](/source/Sundern) - [Warstein](/source/Warstein) ### Division of the town After the local government reforms of 1975 Meschede consists of these districts and villages: - Baldeborn - Berge - Berghausen - Beringhausen - Blüggelscheidt - Bockum - Bonacker - Calle - Drasenbeck - Einhaus - Enkhausen - [Enste](/source/Enste,_North_Rhine-Westphalia) - Ensthof - Erflinghausen - [Eversberg](/source/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. ## 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](/source/Hanseatic_League). In the 18th century, many inhabitants of Meschede died during at least two epidemics of [dysentery](/source/Dysentery). Both in [World War I](/source/World_War_I) and in [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Meschede was notorious as a location where the Germans exploited [POWs](/source/POW) 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](/source/Sauerl%C3%A4nder_Heimatbund) was founded.[citation needed] In 1970, Meschede's St. Walburga Hospital was the site of a [smallpox](/source/Smallpox) outbreak, as described in the book *[The Demon in the Freezer](/source/The_Demon_in_the_Freezer)* by [Richard Preston](/source/Richard_Preston).[citation needed] ## Economy Meschede is the seat of three major companies: - a department of [Deutsche Telekom](/source/Deutsche_Telekom) - the [Veltins Brewery](/source/Veltins_Brewery) - the Honsel factory, founded in 1908, that produces car parts and other products from aluminium, owned by the Canadian company [Martinrea](/source/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](/source/Bundesstra%C3%9Fe_7) and [B 55](/source/Bundesstra%C3%9Fe_55), and the motorway [A 46](/source/Bundesautobahn_46). Meschede has a [railroad station](/source/Railroad_station), and is connected via the [Sauerland Net](/source/Sauerland_Net), RB 57, to [Arnsberg](/source/Arnsberg) and other towns. It has an airfield, the [Meschede-Schüren Airfield](/source/Meschede-Sch%C3%BCren_Airfield), with a 900 m runway. ## Climate The city's climate is continental. The lowest temperature recorded was −20 °C (−4 °F), its highest was recorded at 39 °C (102 °F). ## Culture [Spanish fricco](/source/Spanish_fricco) is a traditional stew dish of Meschede.[2] ## 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](/source/Joseph_Hippolyt_Pulte) (1811–1884), homeopathic physician - [August Macke](/source/August_Macke) (1887–1914), painter - [Carola Matthiesen](/source/Carola_Matthiesen) (1943– 2015), German University Teacher - [Klaus-Jürgen Wrede](/source/Klaus-J%C3%BCrgen_Wrede) (born 1963), board game creator, author of the [Carcassonne](/source/Carcassonne_(board_game)) - [Matthias Ungemach](/source/Matthias_Ungemach) (born 1968), rower, trained here - [Matthias Kerkhoff](/source/Matthias_Kerkhoff) (born 1979), politician (CDU) - [Laura Hoffmann](/source/Laura_Hoffmann) (born 1991), footballer - [Susanne Kreher](/source/Susanne_Kreher) (born 1998), skeleton racer - [Hannah Neise](/source/Hannah_Neise) (born 2000), skeleton racer - [Alexandra Föster](/source/Alexandra_F%C3%B6ster) (born 2002), rower ## Main sights - [Abbey Königsmünster](/source/Abbey_K%C3%B6nigsm%C3%BCnster), built by the [Order of Saint Benedict](/source/Order_of_Saint_Benedict). - Lake [Hennesee](/source/Hennesee) near Meschede is the main recreational area of the town.[citation needed] ## Twin towns – sister cities See also: [List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany](/source/List_of_twin_towns_and_sister_cities_in_Germany) Meschede is [twinned](/source/Sister_city) with:[3] - [Cousolre](/source/Cousolre), France (1965) - [Le Puy-en-Velay](/source/Le_Puy-en-Velay), France (1975) Meschede also has friendly relations with:[3] - [Neufraunhofen](/source/Neufraunhofen), Germany ## References 1. [Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020](https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_bm.shtml), Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021. 1. ["Rezept fürs Mescheder Traditionsgericht Frikko bleibt geheim"](https://www.wp.de/staedte/meschede-und-umland/rezept-fuers-mescheder-traditionsgericht-frikko-bleibt-geheim-id228151247.html) (in German). *Westphalen Post*. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2022. (subscription required) 1. ["Partnerstädte"](https://www.meschede.de/tourismus-freizeit-kultur/stadtportrait/partnerstaedte/) (in German). *meschede.de*. Meschede. Retrieved 25 February 2021. ## External links - [Official site](https://www.meschede.de/) (in German) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Meschede](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meschede) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meschede?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.