Achim
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Coordinates: 53°03′55″N 09°02′03″E / 53.06528°N 9.03417°E
| Achim | |
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  Achim
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| Administration | |
| Country | Germany |
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| State | Lower Saxony |
| District | Verden |
| Municipal subdivisions | 9 districts |
| Mayor | Uwe Kellner |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 65.1 km2 (25.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Population | 30,059 (31 December 2006) |
| - Density | 462 /km2 (1,196 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | VER |
| Postal code | 28832 |
| Area code | 04202 |
Achim (German pronunciation: [ˈaxim]) is a municipality and the largest town (population 30.059 (December 2006)) in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 17 km northwest of Verden, and 16 km southeast of Bremen. The mayor is Uwe Kellner.
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[edit] Geography
Achim lies in a valley of the Weser. The area surrounding Achim is primarily moorland in its natural state. It has an elevation of 15 meters above sea level, and an area of 65.1 km2.
[edit] Badener Mountains
The Badener Mountains are located in the town of Baden, Lower Saxony, which is a locality within Achim. The location is shaped by the Weser-Marsh to the west, and the collection of sand dunes of up to 40m high and the Badener-Moorland to the east. Until the 19th Century the area was only sparsely settled; the people lived by cultivating potatoes, breeding sheep, and working at the outlying factories in Bremen. Hans Höppner observed about 200 of the 250 types of bees in Germany in Badener Mountains from 1898 until 1900. Possibly, only 130 types live there today.
[edit] Oil Camp
The Badener Oil Camp is a part of a bunker from the first World War. It was erected in 1917 by Jürgen Daybridge. It served as a shipping station for raw oil, heating oil, and fuel. It was put into 14 subterranean containers; the last containers have been scrapped, however. During the Weimar Republic, the oil camp was rented to an oil company. As part of the re-militarization of Germany in preparation for the second World War, the oil camp was built up and extended (to 36 containers). Although the camp got through the war intact, it was blown up by English occupying troops in 1956. The Area remained in military use, and was made into a military practice ground for the German Federal Armed Forces. The numerous combat practices and tank drives have had a grave impact on the vegetation. Other similar military practice grounds were developed in typically sandy, heath landscapes, for example on the Lüneburger Heide.
[edit] History
The first recorded mention of Achim came in 1091 as Arahem. The controlling heights of the Linden Mountains, south of Bremen, on which the old Arahem leaned, was a cult- and court-location. Achim was a meeting place of old Saxon courts. The court met three times annually.
The Christian missionaries erected a baptismal church in Achim in the 12th Century; it was the predecessor of St. Laurentius Church in Achim, built in 1257. Then it belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen.
In the course of the War on Lunenburgian Succession (1370-1388) Achim was set on fire in 1381 because of the fights between Duke Albrecht of Saxe-Wittenberg, Duke-designate of Brunswick and Lunenburg, and the Prince-Archbishop of Bremen, Albert II, titular Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg.
From 1626 it was alternatingly controlled by Danes and Swedes. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish and - interrupted by a Danish occupation (1712-1715) - from 1715 on by the Hanoverian Crown. During the Third Silesian or Seven Years War (precipitated by the Anglo-French and Indian War) it was controlled by France. In 1807 the ephemeric Kingdom of Westphalia annexed the Duchy of Bremen, including Achim, before France annexed it in 1810. Achim became the capital of a homonymous canton within the Département des Bouches-du-Weser. In 1813 the Duchy was restored to the Electorate of Hanover. In 1814 the Electorate was upgraded to the Kingdom of Hanover at the Congress of Vienna. In 1823 Hanover incorporated the Duchy in a real union and the ducal territory, including Achim, became part of the Stade Region, established in 1823.
A train station has existed in Achim since 1847. Achim lies on the track between Bremen and Hannover.
[edit] Twin towns
Cēsis, Latvia
[edit] External links
- Official site (German)
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