Selm
Encyclopedia
Selm is a town in the district of Unna
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. It is situated approximately 20 kilometers north of Dortmund
and 25 kilometers west of Hamm
.
, Lüdinghausen
, Nordkirchen
(all in the district of Coesfeld), Werne
, Lünen
(both in the district of Unna), Waltrop
, and Datteln
(both belonging to the district of Recklinghausen).
.
In 858 it was mentioned as Seliheim in the Dreingau
.
In the early Middle Ages Selm was ruled by the county of Cappenberg, then by the bishop of Münster. In the beginning of the 19th century it was transferred to Prussia
, to which it remained, as part of the province of Westphalia, until 1946.
In 1906 the coal mine Zeche Hermann was established, transferring coal from 1,200 m under underground. The coal miners and their families lived in the Beifang quarter, which had in the origin a very rural landscape. The number of inhabitants increased from 2,000 to 10,000 in only one year, with c. 3,500 coal miners working at the plant. In 1926 the coal mine was closed.
After World War II numerous inhabitants from Beifang found work in Lünen, in a coal mine called Zeche Minister Achenbach. They were brought to that coal mine by buses. After 1965 when the houses in Beifang were sold a lot of people from the south came to Selm to live there.
In 1975 Bork, a village in the southern neighbourhood, was annexed to a part of Selm, which obtained city status in 1977.
Selm is twinned with Workington
in the United Kingdom
.
{|
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Year
! style="background:#efefef;" | Inhabitants
|-----
| 1998 || align="right" | 26,842
|-----
| 1999 || align="right" | 26,967
|-----
| 2000 || align="right" | 27,240
|-----
| 2001 || align="right" | 27,389
|-----
| 2002 || align="right" | 27,448
|-----
| 2003 || align="right" | 27,490
|-----
| 2004 || align="right" | 27,496
|-----
| 2005 || align="right" | 27,472
|}
Unna (district)
The Unna district is a Kreis in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring authorities are the district of Coesfeld, the city of Hamm, the districts of Soest and Märkischer Kreis, the cities of Hagen and Dortmund, and the district of Recklinghausen.-History:The area of the present...
, in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is situated approximately 20 kilometers north of Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
and 25 kilometers west of Hamm
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
.
Geography
The town belongs to the southern part of the Münsterland. It is surrounded by (beginning in the west) OlfenOlfen
Olfen is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is sometimes called the "Gate to the Ruhr Area". It is also considered the "horse-friendliest town in North Rhine-Westphalia." Interesting sights include a castle and historic sawmill.-History:Bishop...
, Lüdinghausen
Lüdinghausen
Lüdinghausen is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, approx. 25 km south-west of Münster...
, Nordkirchen
Nordkirchen
Nordkirchen is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Nordkirchen's most famous site is Schloss Nordkirchen, built in the 18th century for a local bishop and known as the Versailles of Westphalia, as it is the largest residence in that part of Germany...
(all in the district of Coesfeld), Werne
Werne
Werne is a town in the Federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the Unna district in Germany. It is located on the southern edge of the Münsterland region near the Ruhrgebiet...
, Lünen
Lünen
Lünen or Luenen is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located north of Dortmund along the Lippe River. It is the largest town of the Unna district, and part of the green Münster area....
(both in the district of Unna), Waltrop
Waltrop
Waltrop is a town in the district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the Datteln-Hamm Canal, approx. 15 km east of Recklinghausen and 15 km north-west of Dortmund.-Division of the town:...
, and Datteln
Datteln
Datteln is a town in the district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on a crossroads of four canals , which makes it the biggest canal junction in Europe, approx...
(both belonging to the district of Recklinghausen).
History
The first traces of living people in the area date from the younger half of the Stone ageStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
.
In 858 it was mentioned as Seliheim in the Dreingau
Dreingau
Dreingau is the medieval name of one of five Saxon pagi in what today is the Münsterland in Westphalia. During the Middle Ages documents referred to it as Dreine, Dreni, Drieni, Dragini, Dragieni, Drachina or Treine. The name came into use around the year 800, and is hardly used anymore today...
.
In the early Middle Ages Selm was ruled by the county of Cappenberg, then by the bishop of Münster. In the beginning of the 19th century it was transferred to Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, to which it remained, as part of the province of Westphalia, until 1946.
In 1906 the coal mine Zeche Hermann was established, transferring coal from 1,200 m under underground. The coal miners and their families lived in the Beifang quarter, which had in the origin a very rural landscape. The number of inhabitants increased from 2,000 to 10,000 in only one year, with c. 3,500 coal miners working at the plant. In 1926 the coal mine was closed.
After World War II numerous inhabitants from Beifang found work in Lünen, in a coal mine called Zeche Minister Achenbach. They were brought to that coal mine by buses. After 1965 when the houses in Beifang were sold a lot of people from the south came to Selm to live there.
In 1975 Bork, a village in the southern neighbourhood, was annexed to a part of Selm, which obtained city status in 1977.
Selm is twinned with Workington
Workington
Workington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Historical population
The number of inhabitants shown here are from the 31st of December in the given year.{|
| valign="top" |
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#efefef;" | Year
! style="background:#efefef;" | Inhabitants
|-----
| 1998 || align="right" | 26,842
|-----
| 1999 || align="right" | 26,967
|-----
| 2000 || align="right" | 27,240
|-----
| 2001 || align="right" | 27,389
|-----
| 2002 || align="right" | 27,448
|-----
| 2003 || align="right" | 27,490
|-----
| 2004 || align="right" | 27,496
|-----
| 2005 || align="right" | 27,472
|}
External links
- Official City of Selm page
- Städtisches Gymnasium Selm - the local grammar/high school