Höxter () is a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the left bank of the river Weser, 52 km (32 miles) north of Kassel. It lies the heart of the Weser Uplands, and is the seat of the Höxter district. The district of Höxter has a population of 30,000, with the city itself making up around half of the population. Historical place names of Höxter are Hoxer and Huxaria.
Subdivisions
As part of North Rhine-Westphalia's municipal reforms, the collective municipality of Höxter came into being on 1 January 1970, formed out of the eleven communities of the former Amt of Höxter-Land, the main town, and the community of Bruchhausen from the former Amt of Beverungen. The communities voluntarily merged to pool their resources and establish a unified administration. The constituent communities are:
- Albaxen
- Bosseborn
- Bödexen
- Brenkhausen
- Bruchhausen
- Fürstenau
- Godelheim
- Lüchtringen
- Lütmarsen
- Ottbergen
- Ovenhausen
- Stahle
History
Höxter (Latin: Huxaria) in the time of Charlemagne was a villa regia, and was the scene of a battle between his forces and the Saxons.
Höxter was located on the long distance trade-route known as Hellweg. Rivalry with Corvey Abbey and the nearby town known as Corvey increased, and in 1265, the burghers of Höxter allied themselves with the Bishop of Paderborn. Their troops destroyed the town of Corvey and damaged the abbey.
Höxter was severely affected by the Thirty Years' War.
Lüchtringen is North Rhine-Westphalia's easternmost community.
Economy
The town's main manufactured products are linen, cotton, cement and gutta-percha latex, and shipping trade is a major source of income.
Attractions
thumb|250px|right|Half-timbering at the Haus Litto, Marktstraße 13
Höxter has a medieval town hall and historic houses with high gables and carved façades from the 15th and 16th centuries.
- CDU: 17 seats
- SPD: 8 seats
- Greens: 4 seats
- BfH: 4 seats
- UWG (citizen's coalition): 3 seats
- DIE LINKE: 1 seat
- AfD: 1 seat
Mayor
The mayor is Daniel Hartmann, independent candidate (since 2020).
Twin towns – sister cities
Höxter is twinned with:
- Corbie, France (1963/1964)
- Sudbury, England, United Kingdom (1979/1980)
Infrastructure
Höxter is served by four railway stations: Höxter Rathaus, Höxter-Ottbergen, Höxter-Lüchtringen and Höxter-Godelheim, all on the Altenbeken–Kreiensen line. The line is run by NordWestBahn who run the Egge-Bahn towards Paderborn and Holzminden. The Sollingbahn also terminates at Ottbergen, and links to Northeim in Lower Saxony.
All public transport in Höxter can be used on the integrated fare system within the Paderborn-Höxter Local Transport Association (Nahverkehrsverbund Paderborn-Höxter).
Notable people
- (1864–1959), Lord mayor of Gelsenkirchen in 1919–1928
- Jacob Pins (1917–2005), Israeli artist who was born in Höxter, attended high school there, and emigrated in 1936
- Klaus Töpfer (born 1938), politician (CDU) and federal minister, came to Höxter as a child and was later named an Honorary Citizen of the city in 2011.
- Hans Christoph Becker-Foss (born 1949), conductor and organist
- Anja Niedringhaus (1965–2014), Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist
- Thomas von Heesen (born 1961), football player and manager
- Koray Günter (born 1994), footballer