Diepholz, Lower Saxony, Germany

🇩🇪 Diepholz is a town and capital of the district of Diepholz in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the rivers Hunte and Lohne, approximately 45 km north-east of Osnabrück, and 60 km south-west of Bremen. It was the capital of the sovereign County of Diepholz and the principal seat of the Noble Lords, later Counts, of Diepholz.

Administrative division Diepholz consists of the core city of Diepholz (44.59 km²), which comprises several boroughs, as well as the incorporated villages of Aschen (32.01 km²), Sankt Hülfe (15.75 km²) and Heede (12.12 km²).

Religion According to the census conducted in 2011, 59,1% of the city's inhabitants were Evangelical Christians, 13,3% were Roman Catholic, and 27,6 % were irreligious, belonged to a different religious community or preferred not to say. On December 31, 2019, of 17.577 inhabitants, 47,3 % were Evangelical Christians, 18,9 % Roman Catholic and 33,8 % of other confessions, or irreligious.

History From the 12th century to 1585 Diepholz was a sovereign Noble Lordship, later County, within the Holy Roman Empire that was ruled over by the Noble Lords, later Counts, of Diepholz. At the beginning of the 16th century there was great pressure from the powerful duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, which tried to annex the smaller states. By forming an alliance with the neighbouring County of Hoya and asking for help from the emperor himself the state of Diepholz managed to survive some more decades. In 1585 the ruling family became extinct, and Diepholz was eventually annexed by Brunswick-Lüneburg.

In 1932, the district of Grafschaft Diepholz (County of Diepholz) was established by merging the former districts of Diepholz and Sulingen. The former district of Diepholz was roughly identical to the medieval state, while the Sulingen district had been a part of the County of Hoya.

The present district of Diepholz was formed in 1977 by merging the former district of Grafschaft Diepholz (County of Diepholz) with parts of the former district of Grafschaft Hoya (County of Hoya), while the town Hoya itself became part of the district Nienburg.

Geography The district extends from the southern outskirts of Bremen to the border of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the south there is the Dümmer, a lake with an area of 16 km2, which is surrounded by fens. Many rare bird species breed in the reeds around the lake. The northern portions of the district are occupied by forests and agricultural lands.

Cities and municipalities Towns 1 Bassum; 2 Diepholz; 3 Sulingen; 4 Syke; 5 Twistringen; Free municipalities 1 Stuhr; 2 Wagenfeld; 3 Weyhe; Samtgemeinden • 1. Altes Amt Lemförde; 1 Brockum; 2 Hüde; 3 Lembruch; 4 Lemförde; 5 Marl; 6 Quernheim; 7 Stemshorn; 2. Barnstorf 1 Barnstorf; 2 Drebber; 3 Drentwede; 4 Eydelstedt; 3. Bruchhausen-Vilsen 1 Asendorf; 2 Bruchhausen-Vilsen; 3 Martfeld; 4 Schwarme; 5 Süstedt; 4. Kirchdorf 1 Bahrenborstel; 2 Barenburg; 3 Freistatt; 4 Kirchdorf; 5 Varrel; 6 Wehrbleck; 5. Rehden 1 Barver; 2 Dickel; 3 Hemsloh; 4 Rehden; 5 Wetschen; 6. Schwaförden 1 Affinghausen; 2 Ehrenburg; 3 Neuenkirchen; 4 Scholen; 5 Schwaförden; 6 Sudwalde; 7. Siedenburg 1 Borstel; 2 Maasen; 3 Mellinghausen; 4 Siedenburg; 5 Staffhorst.