Lüdenscheid is a city in the Markischer Kreis district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the mountainous Sauerland region, nicknamed Bergstadt for its hilly terrain, with a population of about 70,810 as of December 2025. First settled by the 9th century and recorded as a village in 1067 and a city in 1268, it was a member of the Hanseatic League in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its industrial economy grew from metal ore mining into button and buckle manufacturing and today includes aluminum casting, auto parts and lighting production; the aluminum framework of the first Zeppelin airship was built in a Lüdenscheid factory in 1898.
Facts
Area (sq km) Founding Year Founding Year Population Estimate Year Elevation (m) FAQs
Why is Lüdenscheid nicknamed Bergstadt?
It is called Bergstadt (meaning mountain town) because of its mountainous terrain.
The nickname comes from the city's terrain. Lüdenscheid sits on a saddle of the watershed between the Lenne and Volme rivers, with higher ground around it, and the mountainous nature of its territory gave rise to the name Bergstadt, which means mountain town.
Sources
1. Lüdenscheid (Wikidata)
P1082 (population)
population 70,810 (2025)
P625 (coordinate location)
latitude 51.21977, longitude 7.6273
P2044 (elevation above sea level)
elevation 423 m
P2046 (area)
area 86.73 sq km
P1082 (population), P585 (point in time)
population 70810 (2025)
View the Source2. Wikipedia (German): Lüdenscheid
Wikipedia (German)Source text, founding-year-range-start: 1072
Eine erste urkundliche Erwähnung erfolgt 1072.
Source text, founding-year-range-end: 1072
Eine erste urkundliche Erwähnung erfolgt 1072.
Source text, founding-year: 1072
Eine erste urkundliche Erwähnung erfolgt 1072.
View the Source Lüdenscheid (Wikipedia)
- In Group: Cities of Western Europe (World), Wikipedia; part-of country and UN M49 subregion
On Continent: Europe, Lead paragraph names Germany; continent follows from the atlas record for Germany
is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
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