Minden is a middle-sized town in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district of Minden-Lubbecke, sits within the cultural region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe, and extends along both sides of the River Weser, crossed there by the Mittelland Canal on the Minden Aqueduct.
Facts
Area (sq km) Founding Year Founding Year Population Estimate Year Elevation (m) Latitude52.288333 degrees north 1 FAQs
How did Minden get its name according to local legend?
Legend says Widukind handed his Weser fortress to Charlemagne.
The city of Minden tells a legend in which the Saxon leader Widukind handed his fortress on the bank of the Weser to the Frank and later Emperor Charlemagne. The city says this legendary meeting marks the beginnings of Minden and offers an explanation of the name.
Sources
1. Minden (Wikidata)
P1082 (population)
population 83,598 (2025)
P625 (coordinate location)
latitude 52.288333, longitude 8.916667
P2044 (elevation above sea level)
elevation 42 m
P2046 (area)
area 101.12 sq km
P1082 (population), P585 (point in time)
population 83598 (2025)
View the Source2. Wikipedia (German): Minden
Wikipedia (German)Article text: founding statementQuote, Article text: founding statement
Minden wurde um das Jahr 800 gegründet.
Wikidata: Minden
Wikidata Q3846, class allow-list match verified against P17/real-world identity (w-geo-qidcite-0926).View the Source Minden (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
a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
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