Melle, Lower Saxony, Germany

🇩🇪 Melle is a city in the district of Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany. The city corresponds to what used to be the district of Melle until regional territorial reform in 1972. Since then Melle is the third largest city in Lower Saxony in terms of surface area.

History Melle was first mentioned in a document from 1169. In 1443 Heinrich von Moers, Bishop of Osnabrück, gave Melle the privilege of a Wigbold. Osnabrück looked after Melle's interests in the Westphalian Hanseatic League. Melle belonged to the Kingdom of Hanover until 1866 when it became part of Prussia. In 1885 Amt Grönenberg and the municipality Melle formed the prussian district Kreis Melle. The district Melle later on became the municipality Melle. In 1972 the former district with its 56 municipalities were united to the city Melle which since then is part of Osnabrück (district).

Geography Melle is situated in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills in the North and the Teutoburg Forest in the South. The cities of Osnabrück and Bielefeld are some 30 km (19 miles) away each. The Münster Osnabrück Airport is located about 60 km (37 miles) to the southwest.

Neighbouring towns Neighbouring towns are Preußisch Oldendorf in the North Rhine-Westphalian Minden-Lübbecke district, Rödinghausen, Bünde and Spenge in the North Rhine-Westphalian Herford district, Werther and Borgholzhausen in the North Rhine-Westphalian Gütersloh district, as well as Dissen, Hilter, Bissendorf, and Bad Essen in the Osnabrück district.

Municipalities The city consists of the eight municipalities of Melle-Mitte, Buer, Bruchmühlen, Gesmold, Neuenkirchen, Oldendorf, Riemsloh and Wellingholzhausen.

Religion • Christian confessions: ◦ Evangelical Lutheran Church: 22,579 ◦ Evangelical Reformed Church: 244 ◦ Roman Catholic Church: 15,036 ◦ Old Catholic Church ◦ Evangelical Free Church (Baptists) ◦ Russian Orthodox Church ◦ Greek Orthodox Church ◦ New Apostolic Church ◦ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon): 9 • Muslims • Jews • none: 10.061 • not known: 91

Economy A substantial economic factor for Melle is the wood processing industry. Further important branches are metal, food, and plastics processing. Tetra (company) was founded in Melle. In recent years Melle has more and more become a logistics site along the A 30 motorway.

Culture and sights There are two astronomical observatories in the surrounding of Melle providing guided tours for the public. The EXPO 2000 observatory in Melle-Oberholsten runs the largest Newtonian telescope used for public observation.