Lüdenscheid

Lüdenscheid is a big town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the west of the Sauerland region.  It is 86.73 km² and about 72,000 people live there. The mayor of Lüdenscheid is Sebastian Wagemeyer.

 History 
The first people lived in the Lüdenscheid area around 900 AD. It became a city in 1268.

In the Middle Ages, Lüdenscheid became an important industrial city with many factories. People in Lüdenscheid often worked with metal. They produced buttons and wires. This was very dangerous for the city because they worked with fire. Lüdenscheid was badly damaged by fires in 1530, 1578, 1589, 1656, 1681 and 1723. Lots of buildings burned down and many people were hurt.

Later, many people also worked in the plastics industry.

 Geography and climate 
Lüdenscheid is located between the rivers Lenne and Volme. There are many mountains and water reservoirs.

The summers are usually comfortable with an average of 20° and the winters are cold with some snow. There is often a lot of rain.

 Sights and famous places 
Lüdenscheid has a beautiful historic city centre. One of the oldest buildings is the Church of the Redeemer (Erlöserkirche) in the city centre. Its tower was built around 1100. The library was opened in 1857 and is one of the oldest libraries in Germany. Today you can check out books, DVDs, BluRays, CDs, games and other things.

Lüdenscheid has many museums. The most famous museum is the Phänomenta. It is a science museum which shows many interesting inventions. People can do some of the experiments themselves.

Lüdenscheid's most famous park is the Stadtpark, which was created in 1888. There are forests and there is an outdoor stage. You can go to concerts there.

 Culture and activities 
There are many possibilities to spend you free time in Lüdenscheid.
You can watch theatre plays, musicals, operas and concerts in the Kulturhaus or watch a movie in the cinema.

The Sterncenter, Lüdenscheid's famous shopping centre, has almost 100 shops and restaurants.

 Twin towns 
Lüdenscheid is twinned with:

  Den Helder, Netherlands, since 1980
  Brighouse, England, since 1983
  Leuven, Belgium, since 1987
  Myślenice, Poland, since 1989
  Romilly-sur-Seine, France, since 1991
  Taganrog, Russia, since 1991

 References 

 Other websites 

 Official website 

Category:Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
Category:Märkischer Kreis