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Buxtehude

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For the German Baroque composer, see Dieterich Buxtehude
Buxtehude
Coat of arms Map of Buxtehude in Germany
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Basic Information
State: Lower Saxony
District: Stade
Area: 76.49 km²
Population: 38,888 source (2004)
Population density: 490 residents/km²
Elevation: 5 m above sea level
Postal code: 21614
Area code: 04161
Latitude and Longitude: 53°28′N 9°42′E / 53.467°N 9.700°E / 53.467; 9.700
License plate prefix: STD
Website: www.buxtehude.de Official Webpage
Mayor: Jürgen Badur (independent)

Buxtehude is a town in Northern Germany in the district of Stade in the metropolitan area of Hamburg at the Este river. As of 2005, the total population for Buxtehude is 38,888.

Overview

Buxtehude is a steadily growing middle town and the second largest in the district of Stade. It lies on the southern borders of the Altes Land and stretches to the outermost Neugraben district of the city of Hamburg in the west. East of it are the town of Horneburg and city of Stade and to the south side there are incorporated villages offering mostly upscale housing as do Ottensen and Apensen. Buxtehude is home to several large businesses and numerous smaller ones and retailers. Overall Buxtehdue is made up of 19,393 male and 19,495 female residents. The religious makeup of the city is 46.31% Lutheran Protestant, 7.76% Roman Catholic and 39.88% others including other Christian denominations and Judaism. Married couples makeup 48.28%; single, widowed and divorced individuals account for 51.70% while registered same-sex relationships are represented with 0.02%. Buxtehude is home to 91.79% Germans and 8.21% with other background, most of them being Filipino (33.09%), Turkish (10.65%) or Polish (7.24%).

History

  • In 959 a settlement by the Este river is first noticed by history books. The farmer colony called "Bouchstadon" is given to the cloister of Madgeburg. Soon a wharf, "Hude", is established.
  • 1135 the settlement is called "Buchstadihude" refering to the successful quay.
  • 1197 two royal settlers found a Benedictine cloister in the near surrounding of the village. Due to the fertile soil and a partial participation in the saline of Lüneburg the wealth and population increase.
  • 1280 the archbishop Giselbert orders the city to be bordered by city walls and fortification buildings including 7 peels and 3 town gates.
  • By 1328 the city's town hall is mentioned first in history and the city is granted full town rights by Hamburg. By now "Buxtehude" is self-governing advancing to a trading town.
  • 1485 the immensely wealthy "Master Halepaghen" as the cousin tutor of the mayor of Hamburg dies and donates his assets to the city for scholarships and caricatural purposes.
  • 1600's the hanseatic trade declines and cattle trade becomes majorly important. Besides Stade, Buxtehude is the only crossover over the Elbe river.
  • In 1645 Buxtehude surrendered to the Swedish army and loses its independence. Trade and population recede dramatically.
  • 1769 the cloister is torn down due to the secularization.
  • The link road through the city in 1837 reanimates business and trade.
  • 1845 is dominated by industrial boom with a paperfactory being installed on the former cloister ground.
  • 1945 the population grows to 14,000. Much living space in Hamburg was bombed out and people flee to the suburbs and exurbs such as Buxtehude.
  • 1958 Buxtehude is decided to be in charge of reconstructing much of Hamburg after the war and thus is heavily funded with government money.
  • Lower Saxony incorporates 9 neighboring villages into the town in 1972 changing the structure of Buxtehude and creating a cluster of more than 30,000 inhabitants.
  • 1983 the old part of town is pedestrianized.
  • 1985 town twinning with Blagnac is undertaken.
  • 1990 Ribnitz-Dammgarten in the former German Democratic Republic becomes the second sister city.

Population

(each as of December 31st)

Sister Cities

Economy

Since 1881 Buxtehude has its own railroad station on the R50 line between Hamburg and Cuxhaven. Late 2007 this line is to be added to the system of the rapid transit Hamburg S-Bahn by the HVV. Since 1928 there also is a second railroad line crossing Buxtehude, the EVB, (Elb-Verbindungs-Bahn - literally Elbe river connection trains) between Hamburg's outermost district and Bremerhaven on the coast of the North Sea. The Este river connects the city to the important Elbe river 6 miles north. Earlier in history this connection was used to ship goods into the small harbor, which still exists but has decreased in accessibility by city developments and aggradation. A major highway, scheduled for completion in 2010, is going to connect the town to Hamburg.

Companies

Several major comapnies are set in Buxtehude:

  • Unilever, an Anglo-Dutch company in the personal care and food sector.
  • KID-Systeme GmbH, a Buxtehude-based supplier for airplane cabin electronics. Official Webpage
  • Airbus S.A.S, the world's leading commercial aircraft manufacturer.
  • Bacardi, the world's largest privately held, family-owned spirits company.
  • INTERPANE, a German manufacturer of insulation glass. Official Webpage
  • Pioneer Hi-Bred, a subdivision of the world's biggest American-based chemical producer DuPont, the world's larget developer and exporter of seeds Official Webpage.
  • Nord Kalksandsteinwerke, a German producer of lime sand bricks and other building material Official Webpage.

Schools


Culture

Buxtehude is known as "The Fairytale Capital" of the world. The tale of "The Bunny and the Hedgehog" by the Brothers Grimm is set in this town. Furthermore the name is used in numerous German tales. And thus people claim there actually does not exist a town by the name of Buxtehude. Thus a German proverb "...nach Buxtehude jagen" means to send someone to far.


Museums

  • Museum for Regional History and Art (seen in the article picture)


Local Dialects

German and a regional dialect called Plattdüütsch or Low German, which is rarely spoken now but can be still heard from old folks. Also one of the local high schools Halepaghen-Schule holds a Low German reading contest each school year.

Tourism

Buxtehude enjoys a good reputation as a warm, visitor-friendly town preserving its cultural and regional heritage without denying the future. Besides the beautiful old part of town, the main church of Sankt Petri (St. Peter) and the Zwinger are great places to pay a visit to. The Altes Land adjacent to Buxtehude and the close Elbe river serve as great get-aways for a bicycle tour or a long hike. Buxtehude can as well be used as your hub for tours to the nearby cities of Hamburg and Bremen.


Regular events

For the interested visitor, some events held every year:

Buxtehuder Pistennacht

The Pistennacht is an event where bars, restaurants and clubs in the old part of town are open all night long. A stage downtown and some individual places offer live music.

Pfingstmarkt Altkloster

The Pfingstmarkt is the biggest fair in northern Germany along the national highway "B73". It is always held on the German holiday of Pfingsten exactly 50 days after Easter close to Buxtehude. It features 130 exhibitors with many rides including a Ferris Wheel and Bumper Cars as well as lottery booths, snack booths and sit-down food locations. In 2004 140.000 visitors flocked to the fair compared to 10.000 in 1904 and 100.000 in the 1970s.

Altstadtfest

Like the Pistennacht, the Altadtfest (literally: "Old Town") is held downtown. Every year on the first weekend of June the whole old part of town turns into a party with several stages with live music. Sunday morning the city's biggest flea market is held around the Fleth. For the occasion of Altstadtfest the town is decorated in the city colors of blue and yellow.

Weinfest

Vinum is the motto for the annual celebration of vine in old town Buxtehude. For one weekend the city dedicates itself to culture of vine and many booths for vine testing and entertainment open.


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