Soest, Germany
Encyclopedia
Soest (ˈzoːst, as if it were 'Sohst') is a town
in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. It is the capital of the Soest district
. After Lippstadt
, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.
Soest is located along the Hellweg
road, approximately 23 kilometres south-west of Lippstadt
, roughly 50 kilometres east of Dortmund
and roughly 50 kilometres west of Paderborn
.
with some 10,000 citizens. It was also an important member of the Hanseatic League
until 1609.
A self-confident Soest from 1444 to 1449 liberated itself from the Bishop of Cologne, who controlled Westphalia
(the so-called Soester Fehde). Being no longer capital of Westphalia, the city aligned itself with the Duke of Cleves
. This was a Pyrrhic victory
, however; the city had shown itself strong enough to defy the powerful Archbishop of Cologne, but lost much of its trade: the "liberated" town was two-thirds surrounded by territories with other allegiances. When the last Duke of Cleves died in 1609 that dukedom was inherited by Brandenburg and after a short siege Soest was incorporated into it.
The painter Peter Lely
, later to win fame in England, was born in 1618 to Dutch parents in Soest, where his father was an officer serving in the armed forces of the Elector of Brandenburg.
During and after the Thirty Years' War
, Soest suffered a tremendous loss of both population and influence; at the lowest point in 1756 it had only 3,600 citizens.
With the creation of the Soest district
in 1817 its influence slowly rose. However, the industrialization of the Ruhr area
did not reach Soest, which remained a small town.
The Nazi Party placed Soest in Gau Westphalia-South.http://www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=280 During
World War II
Soest was the target of several allied bomber raids targeted at the marshalling yard, which was one of the biggest in the Reich, and the important battery factory Akku Hagen. Later Soest suffered major fighting in early April 1945, starting when Allied forces captured the town at the beginning of the month. They were soon evicted by a German counterattack. Destructive front-line combat raged in Soest and its environs through the first week of April until the Allies gained a permanent upper hand.
From approximately 1953 to 1971 there was a sizeable garrison of Canadian soldiers and their families stationed at Soest (with the Canadian camps located just east of the town in Bad Sassendorf) as well as Werl and Hemer-Iserlohn and Deilinghofen to the southwest. There were also several Belgian Kasernes located in Soest itself. There was also an American Nike Battery (66th Battalion) situated to the south, which was subsequently turned over to the German military, and still exists.
From 1971-1993 the former Canadian properties, including the Married Quarters along Hiddingser Weg, south of the B-1, were used and occupied by British military and families. Upon the closing out of Belgian and British army facilities many of these military facilities either became used for civilian purposes or were abandoned or demolished. The former Married Quarters area was converted to civilian housing. The former CLFEX (the Canadian Army's food and clothing store for NATO families) was converted to a NAAFI under the British and finally demolished in 2006.
Night Life
The place comes alive on weekends, with the youngsters pub hopping from Dim wittekar to Pesel, which is a Pub with a Dance floor. The place boasts of a discothèque and several pubs serving fresh brewed beer . The Irish Pub is another attraction in the village.
transferred St Patroclus's
relics from Troyes
and buried them in 964 at St Patroclus's Cathedral in Soest, where he is still today venerated.
The Cathedral is a beautiful example of early medieval Romanesque architecture fashioned from the local greenish sandstone. Its massive squared bell tower or steeple can be seen for many kilometers, rising up out of the town centre of the old town and a landmark of the Soester Boerde.
as it starts every year at the first Wednesday after All Saints and lasts for 5 days. It is Europe's biggest inner city fair and happened for the 673rd time in 2010.
. The Bakery Haverland at the town center, former royal Bavarian court supplier of the dark bread, has existed since 1570. A newer specialty is the “Bullenauge” (Bull's eye), a mocha liquor, sold mostly at the Allerheiligenkirmes. Another specialty of Soest is the Soester Beer, also called "Zwiebel-Bier", which literally translates as Onion beer, because it's brewed since 1993 in the Zwiebel (Onion) inn.
, the patron of Cologne. The coat was not modified even after Soest no longer fell within the jurisdiction of Cologne.
with:
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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 the capital of the Soest district
Soest (district)
Soest is a Kreis in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Warendorf, Gütersloh, Paderborn, Hochsauerland, Märkischer Kreis, Unna and the district-free city Hamm.-History:...
. After Lippstadt
Lippstadt
Lippstadt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest town within the district of Soest.-Geography:Lippstadt is situated in the Lippe valley, roughly 70 kilometres east of Dortmund and roughly 30 kilometres west of Paderborn...
, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.
Geography
Hellweg
In the Middle Ages the Hellweg was an ancient east-west route through Germany, the main corridor from the Rhine east to the mountains of the Teutoburger Wald, reaching from Duisburg, at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, to Paderborn, with the slopes of the Sauerland to its south.In the...
road, approximately 23 kilometres south-west of Lippstadt
Lippstadt
Lippstadt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest town within the district of Soest.-Geography:Lippstadt is situated in the Lippe valley, roughly 70 kilometres east of Dortmund and roughly 30 kilometres west of Paderborn...
, roughly 50 kilometres east 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 roughly 50 kilometres west of Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
.
Neighbouring places
- Bad SassendorfBad SassendorfBad Sassendorf is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:From February 15th, 1944 to April 4th or 5th 1945 inmates of the Neuengamme concentration camp used as the Eisenbahnbaubrigade 11 repaired rail tracks at the railway station Soest and between Bad...
- EnseEnseEnse is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Ense is situated on the river Möhne, approx. 12 km north-west of Arnsberg and 12 km south-west of Soest...
- LippetalLippetalLippetal is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Lippetal is located north and south of the river Lippe between the cities of Lippstadt and Hamm . Lippetal is situated at the northern boundary of the Soester Börde, south of the river Lippe and...
- MöhneseeMöhneseeMöhnesee is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:The Möhnesee municipality is situated around the Möhne Reservoir , approx...
- WerlWerlWerl is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area...
- WelverWelverWelver is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:The town was once known as Villinghausen or Vellinghausen. The Seven Year's War Battle of Villinghausen was fought nearby.-Geography:Welver is situated approx...
History
Because of the fertile soil the area around Soest was occupied long before 836 when the village is first mentioned in the Dagobertsche Schenkung, although the origin of this document is historically uncertain. But there is no doubt that Soest has been inhabited for a long time; excavations in the last two decades have uncovered signs of habitation stretching back more than 4000 years. In the 11th and 12th century Soest grew considerably, making it one of the biggest towns in WestphaliaWestphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
with some 10,000 citizens. It was also an important member of the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
until 1609.
A self-confident Soest from 1444 to 1449 liberated itself from the Bishop of Cologne, who controlled Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
(the so-called Soester Fehde). Being no longer capital of Westphalia, the city aligned itself with the Duke of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
. This was a Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
, however; the city had shown itself strong enough to defy the powerful Archbishop of Cologne, but lost much of its trade: the "liberated" town was two-thirds surrounded by territories with other allegiances. When the last Duke of Cleves died in 1609 that dukedom was inherited by Brandenburg and after a short siege Soest was incorporated into it.
The painter Peter Lely
Peter Lely
Sir Peter Lely was a painter of Dutch origin, whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court.-Life:...
, later to win fame in England, was born in 1618 to Dutch parents in Soest, where his father was an officer serving in the armed forces of the Elector of Brandenburg.
During and after the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, Soest suffered a tremendous loss of both population and influence; at the lowest point in 1756 it had only 3,600 citizens.
With the creation of the Soest district
Soest (district)
Soest is a Kreis in the middle of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Warendorf, Gütersloh, Paderborn, Hochsauerland, Märkischer Kreis, Unna and the district-free city Hamm.-History:...
in 1817 its influence slowly rose. However, the industrialization of the Ruhr area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
did not reach Soest, which remained a small town.
The Nazi Party placed Soest in Gau Westphalia-South.http://www.historisches-centrum.de/index.php?id=280 During
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Soest was the target of several allied bomber raids targeted at the marshalling yard, which was one of the biggest in the Reich, and the important battery factory Akku Hagen. Later Soest suffered major fighting in early April 1945, starting when Allied forces captured the town at the beginning of the month. They were soon evicted by a German counterattack. Destructive front-line combat raged in Soest and its environs through the first week of April until the Allies gained a permanent upper hand.
From approximately 1953 to 1971 there was a sizeable garrison of Canadian soldiers and their families stationed at Soest (with the Canadian camps located just east of the town in Bad Sassendorf) as well as Werl and Hemer-Iserlohn and Deilinghofen to the southwest. There were also several Belgian Kasernes located in Soest itself. There was also an American Nike Battery (66th Battalion) situated to the south, which was subsequently turned over to the German military, and still exists.
From 1971-1993 the former Canadian properties, including the Married Quarters along Hiddingser Weg, south of the B-1, were used and occupied by British military and families. Upon the closing out of Belgian and British army facilities many of these military facilities either became used for civilian purposes or were abandoned or demolished. The former Married Quarters area was converted to civilian housing. The former CLFEX (the Canadian Army's food and clothing store for NATO families) was converted to a NAAFI under the British and finally demolished in 2006.
Notable residents
- Johann Gropper (24 February 1503, Soest – 13 March 1559, Rome), Catholic church politician of the Reformation period
- Sigfrid HenriciSigfrid HenriciGeneral Sigfrid Henrici was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II.He joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in the 11th Artillery Regiment in 1907 and was commissioned as a Leutnant in an artillery regiment in 1909...
(10 May 1889, Soest – 8 November 1964, Bad Neuheim), panzer general - Hartwig BleidickHartwig BleidickHartwig Bleidick is a former football defender.-External links:...
(26 December 1944, Soest – ), footballer - Ralf KönigRalf KönigRalf König is one of the best known and most commercially successful German comic book creators. His books have been translated into many languages...
(8 August 1960, Soest – ), comic book creator - Sascha SchmitzSascha SchmitzSascha Schmitz , better known under his stage name Sasha, is a German singer-songwriter, musician and occasional actor. From 2003 until 2005 he performed under his alter ego Dick Brave.- Early life :...
(5 January 1972, Soest – ), singer-songwriter, musician and actor - Oliver KirchOliver KirchOliver Kirch is a German footballer.-External links:...
(21 August 1982, Soest – ), footballer - Michael LejanMichael LejanMichael Lejan is a Belgian football midfielder. He currently plays for VfL Osnabrück.-External links: *...
(2 May 1983, Soest – ), footballer - Rebecca HandkeRebecca HandkeRebecca Handke is a German pair skater. She previously competed with Daniel Wende. They were the 2005-2006 German national silver medalists.-Biography:...
(2 Oktober 1986, Soest – ), pair skater
Tourism
Soest has a multitude of historical buildings and attractions. The many medieval churches are build from a greenish sandstone unique to this area.Night Life
The place comes alive on weekends, with the youngsters pub hopping from Dim wittekar to Pesel, which is a Pub with a Dance floor. The place boasts of a discothèque and several pubs serving fresh brewed beer . The Irish Pub is another attraction in the village.
St Patroclus's Cathedral
In 960, Bruno I, Archbishop of CologneBruno I, Archbishop of Cologne
Bruno the Great was Archbishop of Cologne, Germany, from 953 until his death, and Duke of Lotharingia from 954. He was the brother of Otto I, king of Germany and later Holy Roman Emperor....
transferred St Patroclus's
Patroclus of Troyes
Saint Patroclus of Troyes was a Christian martyr who died around 259 AD. A wealthy native of Troyes, he was noted for his charity....
relics from Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
and buried them in 964 at St Patroclus's Cathedral in Soest, where he is still today venerated.
Universities and Education
The Swiss German university at the Soest University has an influx of Interns and Exhange students from across India, Africa and Indonesia. The Indian Students come from Sastra University in Tamil Nadu.The Cathedral is a beautiful example of early medieval Romanesque architecture fashioned from the local greenish sandstone. Its massive squared bell tower or steeple can be seen for many kilometers, rising up out of the town centre of the old town and a landmark of the Soester Boerde.
Allerheiligenkirmes
The Allerheiligenkirmes is named for All SaintsAll Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
as it starts every year at the first Wednesday after All Saints and lasts for 5 days. It is Europe's biggest inner city fair and happened for the 673rd time in 2010.
Specialties of Soest
Among the old specialties of Soest are the Möppkenbread and the PumpernickelPumpernickel
Pumpernickel is a type of very heavy, slightly sweet rye bread traditionally made with coarsely ground rye. It is often made with a combination of rye flour and whole rye berries. It has been long associated with the Westphalia region of Germany. The first written mention of the black bread of...
. The Bakery Haverland at the town center, former royal Bavarian court supplier of the dark bread, has existed since 1570. A newer specialty is the “Bullenauge” (Bull's eye), a mocha liquor, sold mostly at the Allerheiligenkirmes. Another specialty of Soest is the Soester Beer, also called "Zwiebel-Bier", which literally translates as Onion beer, because it's brewed since 1993 in the Zwiebel (Onion) inn.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms shows a key, which is the symbol for Saint PeterSaint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, the patron of Cologne. The coat was not modified even after Soest no longer fell within the jurisdiction of Cologne.
International relations
Soest is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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