Olpe () is a town situated in the foothills of the Ebbegebirge in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 60 km east of Cologne and 20 km northwest of Siegen. It is part of the Regierungsbezirk of Arnsberg and is the seat of the district of Olpe.
Geography
Location Olpe lies in the Sauerland on the southern edge of the Ebbegebirge Nature Park. In the town's north lies South Westphalia's biggest reservoir, the Biggesee.
Rivers and mountains The highest mountains are: Engelsberg (589 m) Rother Stein (583 m) Feld-Berg (556 m) Hohe Rhonard (526 m)
The inner town is ringed by the following hills: Imberg Hatzenberg Gallenberg Lindenhardt Eichhardt Kimicker Berg Bratzkopf Kreuzberg
The municipal area also has a few rivers or brooks that all empty into the Biggesee: Bigge, fed by: Olpe, itself fed by: Günse Felmicke (underground), Kortemicke (underground), Ahe
Other rivers in the municipal area: Brachtpe Neger
The Veischedebach does not empty into the Biggesee, but rather into the Lenne near Grevenbrück.
Geology Olpe is found in a broad stretch of hilly country. In the town's north, the slopes are steeper and the dales narrower (for instance near the centres of Rhode and Neger); in the south, the hills have soft knolls and the dales are more spacious. There are also no plateaux there.
The area around the Biggesee and the main town of Olpe, as the Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning) sees them, are included in the Mittelbiggebergland (Middle Bigge Mountain Land), while the eastern and southern portions of the municipal area are designated Südsauerländer Rothaarvorhöhen (South Sauerland Rothaar Foothills).
The municipal area is an integral part of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge (Rhenish Slate Mountains).
The underlying minerals around the middle and upper Bigge are made up to a considerable degree of schistose, partly chalky clays and coarse clay. Furthermore, there are sandstones with quartzitelike characteristics.
Municipal area’s extent Olpe's municipal area has a total area of 86 km2. Its greatest extent is in both the north–south and east–west directions, reaching 11 km. Olpe's lowest point is the Biggesee lying at 307.5 m above sea level, and its highest point is the Engelsberg near Neuenkleusheim at 589 m above sea level.
Neighbouring municipalities Town of Attendorn Town of Drolshagen Town of Lennestadt municipality of Kirchhundem Town of Kreuztal (in Siegen-Wittgenstein district) municipality of Wenden
Constituent municipalities The municipal area is divided into the following centres:
Altenkleusheim, Apollmicke, Bruch, Dahl, Eichhagen, Fahlenscheid, Friedrichsthal, Griesemert, Grube Rhonard, Günsen, Hardt, Hanemicke, Hitzendumicke, Hof Siele, Hohl, Howald, Hüppcherhammer, Kessenhammer, Lütringhausen, Möllendick, Neger (divided into Unter-, Mittel- and Oberneger), Neuenkleusheim, Neuenwald, Oberveischede, Rehringhausen, Rhode, Rhonard, Ronnewinkel, Rosenthal, Rüblinghausen, Saßmicke, Siedenstein, Sondern, Stachelau, Stade, Tecklinghausen Thieringhausen and Waukemicke.
Climate Owing to the location of the hills and the west wind, it rains often in Olpe. The clouds gather water vapour over the Atlantic Ocean, and when they run into the slopes in the hilly country around Olpe, they rise and the water vapour condenses into bigger droplets because of the cooler temperatures. These then fall as rain.
The coldest month is January, and the warmest July. The high humidity in the winter months often leads to fog.
History Olpe supposedly got its name from an older name for the land at the forks of the Olpe and Bigge ("Ol-apa" = brook in moist meadowland)
The first archaeological finds in the Olpe area date to about AD 900: potsherds and slag (from iron mining and working) in the abandoned centre of Kimickerberg, coins in Dahl (from after 1005).
Olpe had its first documentary mention in 1220. In 1311 it was granted town rights on the Soest model by the archbishop-elector of Cologne, Count Heinrich II of Virneburg. In 1500, the Kreuzkapelle (Cross Chapel) was first mentioned. The first evidence of a shooting society followed in 1525.
History also records evidence of witch trials being held in the Olpe judicial area between 1587 and 1697.
In 1615, Olpe had its first schoolteacher, and in 1634 it had a great fire. The first vow to Saint Agatha of Catania for protection against conflagrations, however, was not recorded until 1665. Eight years later came the first vow to Saint Roch of Montpellier against the Plague and other pestilences. In 1696, the last witch was sentenced.
In 1711, the post first came to Olpe. In 1795, the Great Fire of Olpe destroyed 83% of the town. When the town was built once again, the old mediaeval appearance was cast aside in favour of a master plan that saw three broad, parallel streets built, connected by sidestreets running at right angles to them.
In 1819 Olpe became a district seat. At that time, it was the seat of the Bilsteiner Kreis; today it fills that place in the district of Olpe.
In 1828, the shooting club was refounded. Its name is St.-Sebastianus-Schützenverein. The Evangelical municipality was founded between 1842 and 1844. In 1863, the Arme Franziskanerinnen von der ewigen Anbetung (Poor Franciscans of the Everlasting Worship), a Catholic women's order whose main work is in taking care of children and nursing, was founded. It is nowadays known as the Franziskanerinnen von der ewigen Anbetung zu Olpe (Franciscans of the Everlasting Worship at Olpe).
In 1864, there was a telegraph station in Olpe. In 1875, the railway reached Olpe, running at first to Attendorn and Finnentrop. Then came an Olpe-Rothemühle line in 1880, and in 1903, another to Bergneustadt. In 1888, the town had its first electric light.
In 1908, the St.-Martinus-Kirche (church) burnt down almost utterly owing to, it is believed, arson. It was built anew in 1909, but this time in the Gothic Revival style.
On 28 March 1945, in the Second World War’s dying days, Olpe was heavily bombed. In 1965, the Bigge Reservoir (Biggetalsperre) was created through damming.
The Bundesautobahn 45 and the Bundesautobahn 4 were opened in 1971 and 1976 respectively.
Religion Olpe’s population is overwhelmingly Catholic. The town’s patron is Saint Martin of Tours. Religion Adherents % Catholic: 17,834 67.99 Evangelical: 3,732 14.26 Other/None: 4,644 17.75
Catholic
Olpe belongs to the Archbishopric of Paderborn. At the middle level, Olpe is ecclesiastically administered by the Deanery of the South Sauerland, which was formed out of the former deaneries of Attendorn, Elspe and Olpe on 1 July 2006, and is coëxtensive with the district of Olpe.
At the lowest level, there are two parish clusters (Pastoralverbünde) in Olpe: Olpebach-Täler, consisting of the Pfarrei St. Mariae Himmelfahrt Olpe (Parish of St. Mary’s Assumption, Olpe) with the chapel parishes of Günsen, Lütringhausen, Rhonard, Stachelau, Thieringhausen along with the Kirchspiel Kleusheim (parish) with the centres of Altenkleusheim, Neuenkleusheim and Rehringhausen. * Pastoralverbund Olpe-Biggesee, consisting of the Pfarrei St. Martinus Olpe (Parish of St. Martin, Olpe) with the branch parishes of Dahl-Friedrichsthal and Saßmicke, the parish vicary of Heilig Geist (“Holy Ghost”, west area of Olpe and Rüblinghausen) and the parish region of Hatzenberg along with the Pfarrei St. Cyriakus (parish) in Rhode with the branch parish of Sondern and the parish vicaries of Oberveischede and Neger.
Once a year, in early July, at the Festival of the Assumption, hundreds take part in the town pilgrimage from Olpe to Werl.
Moreover, there are two monastic establishments: a convent run by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration at Olpe; the Pallottine monastery at the Pallotti-Haus. The Pallottines’ provincial head has stated that his congregation will, at least in the medium term, stay in Olpe. For economic reasons, however, the order has sold the building to an investor who wants to set up 40 dwellings for the aged and 100 fully equipped nursing care places. The Brethren and the Father are staying in rented accommodations in town while the conversion is being done. They are to return to the Pallotti-haus afterwards as renters. Spiritual work is to continue unchanged.
Protestant There has been a Protestant parish since 1844. To it belongs Olpe's oldest church, which was built of red brick in 1898.
Other religious municipalities An Evangelical Free Church municipality, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the New Apostolic Church, an Islamic municipality and the Greek Orthodox Church are all represented in town.
Amalgamations As a result of municipal restructuring on 1 July 1969, the “old town” (the older town of Olpe and the outlying former Amt) has now been joined by the formerly autonomous municipalities of Kleusheim, Olpe-Land and Rhode as well as by parts of the old municipalities of Helden (Oberveischede, Tecklinghausen, Neuenwald), Rahrbach (Fahlenscheid) and Kirchveischede (Apollmicke) to form a new, expanded municipal area swelling from a former 12.78 km2 to 85.65 km2 in area, and from 14,184 to 21,705 in population
Population development
Politics
Town council + 2020 municipal election results Party/Voter municipality Votes Seats CDU 52.2% 20 UCW e. V. 13.4% 5 SPD 9.6% 4 Greens 14.8% 6 FDP 5.8% 2 OLO (open list) 3.7% 1
Youth parliament The Jugendparlament has existed since late 2005. It represents youth's interests with the goal of developing proposals for improving the situation for children in Olpe and of suggesting measures to be taken, so that the town's council and administration can be more strongly responsive to children's and youths’ wishes.
The youth parliament currently consists of 25 members, each elected for a two-year mandate by secondary schools. For every 150 students, one representative is elected, although each school gets at least two representatives. All students, even those from neighbouring municipalities, in Years 5 to 10 may vote at the schools in Olpe. Only students who live in Olpe, however, may stand as candidates.
The youth parliament sits, usually publicly, at least four times each year. If it is so wished, working groups can be formed at sittings for various projects in which even unelected member children and youths may work.
Mayors and Directors From 1946 until 1997, the chief administrative office in Olpe was known as the Stadtdirektor (“Town Director”). The Bürgermeister (“Mayors”) were honorary and had mostly ceremonial duties.
Mayors (since 1800) Time in office Remarks Johannes Möllendik 1802, 1804, 1806 First Mayor Dr Johann Edmund Funcke 1802 Second Mayor Dr Johann Edmund Funcke 1803 First Mayor Franz Josef Zeppenfeld 1804, 1806, 1811 Second Mayor Jodocus Edmund Weber 1811–1823 Stadtschultheiß Schute 1824 Gottfried Anton Gerlach 1825 Johann Adam Halbfas 1825–1850 Amtmann 1851–1861 Mayor Ernst Hermann Halbfas 1861–1879 Louis Wilhelm Liese 1880–1891 Ewald Röper 1891–1896 F. Josef Caspar Hundt 1896 acting (deputy) Franz Karl Dütz-Josun 1897–1901 Heinrich Sommerhoff 1901–1933 Theodor Schulte 1933–1943 Josef Wurm 1943–1945 Dr Heinrich Otto Spies April 1945 Josef Schrage (CDU) 1945–1946 full-time Dr Adolf Bieker 1946 Franz Adam 1946–1947 Franz Stork (CDU) 1948–1952 Ignatz Müller (CDU) 1952–1964 Alfred Enders (CDU) 1964–1979 Wilma Ohly (CDU) 1979–1997 Horst Müller (CDU) 1997-2015 full-time Peter Weber (CDU) 2015-2025 full-time Tobias Schulte (CDU) since 2025 full-time
Stadt- and Amtsdirektoren (1946–1996) Time in office Josef Klein 1946–1949 Paul Habbel 1949–1968 Dr Ernst Elbers 1968–1988 Karl-Josef Leyendecker 1989–1996
Coat of arms