Melle, Germany

**Melle** is a ceety in the destrict o Osnabrück, Lawer Saxony, Germany. The ceety corresponds tae wha uised tae be the destrict o Melle till regional territorial reform in 1972. Syne then Melle is the third lairgest ceety in Lawer Saxony in terms o surface aurie.

## History
Melle wis first mentioned in a document frae 1169. In 1443 Heinrich von Moers, Bishop o Osnabrück, gave Melle the privilege o a *Wigbold*. Osnabrück leukit efter Melle's interests in the Westphalian Hanseatic League. Melle belanged tae the Kinrick o Hanover till 1866 when it became pairt o Proushie. In 1885 Amt Grönenberg an the municipality Melle formed the prussian destrict Kreis Melle. The destrict Melle later on became the municipality Melle. In 1972 the umwhile destrict wi its 56 municipalities wur unitit tae the ceety Melle which syne then is pairt o Osnabrück (destrict).

## Geography
### Geographical Position
Melle is situatit in a valley penned atween the Wiehen Hills in the North an the Teutoburg Forest in the Sooth. The ceeties o Osnabrück an Bielefeld are some 30&nbsp;km away each. The Münster Osnabrück Initernational Airport is locatit aboot 60&nbsp;km tae the soothwast.

### Neighbourin Touns
Neighbouring touns are Preußisch Oldendorf in the North Rhine-Westphalie Minden-Lübbecke destrict, Rödinghausen, Bünde an Spenge in the North Rhine-Westphaliean Herford destrict, Werther an Borgholzhausen in the North Rhine-Westphalie Gütersloh destrict, as well as Dissen, Hilter, Bissendorf, an Bad Essen in the Osnabrück destrict. 

### Municipalities
The ceety consists o the aicht municipalities o Melle-Mitte, Buer, Bruchmühlen, Gesmold, Neuenkirchen, Oldendorf, Riemsloh an Wellingholzhausen.

## Releegion
* Christian confessions:
** Evangelical Lutheran Kirk: 22.579
** Evangelical Reformed Kirk: 244
** Roman Catholic Kirk: 15.036
** Auld Catholic Kirk
** Evangelical Free Kirk (Baptists)
** Roushie Orthodox Kirk
** Greek Orthodox Kirk
** New Apostolic Kirk
** The Kirk o Jesus Christ o Latter-day Saunts (Mormon): 9
* Muslims
* Jews
* nane: 10.061
* no kent: 91

Last updatit: 31 December 2007

## Politics
### Major
André Berghegger (CDU) is mayor o Melle.

### Ceety cooncil
The CDU, in a coalition wi the FDP, haes a majority in the ceety cooncil, which is composed o 41 ceety cooncil members.

(As o: Local elections on 10 September 2006)

### Twin touns
Melle is maintainin toun twinnins wi Bad Dürrenberg in Saxony-Anhalt an wi Reinickendorf in Berlin. Its French twin toun is Melle in the region of Poitou-Charentes. Further twin touns in Europe are Jēkabpils in Latvie, Resko in Poland, an Sint-Denijs-Westrem in Belgium. Ootside Europe there are the twin touns o New Melle in the USA an Niğde in Turkey.

## Economy
A substantial economic factor for Melle is the wood processin industry. Further important branches are metal, fuid, an plastics processin. Tetra (company) wis foondit in Melle. In recent years Melle haes mair an mair become a logistics steid alang the A 30 motorway.

## Cultur an Sichts
### Observatories
There are twa astronomical observatories in the surroondin o Melle providin guidit tours for the public. The EXPO 2000 observatory in Melle-Oberholsten runs the lairgest Newtonian telescope uised for public observation.

## References

## Freemit airtins
*http://www.stadt-melle.de Offeecial wabsteid