Olfen

For the anti-inflammatory drug, see Diclofenac.

Olfen
Olfen
Location of the town of Olfen within Coesfeld district
Coordinates	51°42′30″N 7°22′40″E / 51.70833°N 7.37778°E / 51.70833; 7.37778Coordinates: 51°42′30″N 7°22′40″E / 51.70833°N 7.37778°E / 51.70833; 7.37778
Administration
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Münster
District	Coesfeld
Mayor	Josef Himmelmann (CDU)
Basic statistics
Area	52.43 km2 (20.24 sq mi)
Elevation	45 - 80 m
Population	12,215 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	233 /km2 (603 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	COE
Postal code	59399
Area codes	02595 02592 (part of Vinnums)
Website	www.olfen.de

Olfen is a municipality in the district of Coesfeld, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is sometimes called the "Gate to the Ruhr Area". It is also considered the "horse-friendliest town in North Rhine-Westphalia." Interesting sights include a castle and historic sawmill.

History

Bishop Wolfhelm, who originated from the Ulfloa Oberhof, gave the small town its name. It was in the year 889. Wolfhelm was the fourth Bishop of "Mimingardeford", today called Münster.

The fire disaster of 1857, in which 142 houses were destroyed, has gone down as the "Great Fire of Olfen" in Olfen's history books.

References

1. ^ "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. 31 December 2010. http://www.it.nrw.de/statistik/a/daten/amtlichebevoelkerungszahlen/index.html.