Rampenloch

Minden (German: [ˈmɪndn] ) is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (Kreis) of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. The town extends along both sides of the River Weser, and is crossed by the Mittelland Canal, which crosses the river on the Minden Aqueduct. In the 1,200 years longing time of written history, Minden had functions as diocesan town from 800 AD to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, as capital of the Prince-Bishopric of Minden as imperial territory since the 12th century, afterwards as capital of the Prussian territory of Minden-Ravensberg until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and as capital of the East-Westphalian region from the Congress of Vienna until 1947. Furthermore, Minden has been of great military importance with fortifications from the 15th to the late 19th century, and is yet place of a garrison. Minden is location of diverse industry without a dominating branch. The town has been terminus of one of the oldest German railway trunks since 1847, and is knot in a network of multimodal transport in connection with a harbour, federal roads, and a nearby highway junction.

The Herder-Gymnasium is a gymnasium in the German city of Minden. It is one of three gymnasium schools in the city. Founded in 1964 as the Städtischen neusprachlichen Gymnasiums für Jungen und Mädchen, it was renamed three years later after the theologian Johann Gottfried Herder. Its full name is the Herder-Gymnasium Minden mit Caroline−von–Humboldt–Gymnasium, reflecting its 1989 merger with the Caroline-von-Humboldt-Gymnasium, founded in 1826 and named after Caroline von Humboldt, wife of the diplomat Wilhelm.

Minden Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Gorgonius and Peter, is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From the year 803 AD, when the area was conquered by Charlemagne, it was the center of a diocese and subsequently became the center of a small sovereign state, a prince-bishopric (Hochstift) of Minden, until the time of the Peace of Westphalia (1648), when Minden was secularized as the Principality of Minden (which lasted until 1806). Today the church belongs to the diocese of Paderborn.

Stadttheater Minden is a municipal theatre in Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The theatre has no ensemble, but stages some productions of its own. It became known for a Wagner project culminating in Der Ring in Minden.

The Minden Region (German: Regierungsbezirk Minden) was a government region located in the north-easternmost part of the Prussian Province of Westphalia. It existed from the years 1816 to 1947. It had an area of 5,262 km² and 736,128 inhabitants (1910). One third were Catholics. The capital was Minden and the region was divided into eleven districts. The Minden Region ceased to exist in 1947, when it merged with the Free State of Lippe to form the Detmold Region in the new federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Bastau is a river of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It flows into the Weser in Minden.

The Minden Museum Railway (German: Museumseisenbahn Minden) or MEM was founded in 1977 as a society. Its aim was to preserve historic railway vehicles and operate them on the Minden District Railway (Mindener Kreisbahn or MKB). It was not long before the first museum train worked the line. The museum's vehicles were initially housed in the coach hall of the MKB's old locomotive depot (Bahnbetriebswerk) at Minden Stadt station. In the same year the MEM gained its first locomotives: The MEM's steam engines Mevissen 4 and the Prussian T 13, STETTIN 7906 (formerly DRG no. 92 638) were taken over from the VEB Erfurt Industrial Railway. At the same time during that first year, locomotives were inspected and repaired on behalf of other museum railways. The museum's trains run on the lines owned by the Minden District Railway and Wittlage District Railway. Later the MKB's lines were gradually taken over by the MEM. The society had to move its HQ to Oberstadt station, because its old location and depot at Minden Stadt station was closed and sold. At Minden-Oberstadt station a new shed will be built, around which a large depot can be established with workshops etc.

Minden (Westfalen) station (officially Minden (Westf) Bf) is a railway station in Minden. The station is located on the Hanover–Minden railway to Hanover, the Hamm–Minden railway to Hamm and the Verden–Rotenburg railway to Rotenburg an der Wümme. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn and WestfalenBahn. The station is also served by the Hanover S-Bahn.

The Minden Aqueduct (German: Wasserstraßenkreuz Minden) is an aqueduct near Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It actually consists of two parallel water bridges, that lead the Mittelland Canal over the Weser. The older of the two bridges is no longer used for shipping. After the Magdeburg Water Bridge, it is the second biggest aqueduct in Europe. The aqueduct is part of an intersection of waterways: the Mittelland Canal is connected with the Weser by two branch, or link, canals.

The Bundesbahn Central Offices (German: Bundesbahn-Zentralämter) or BZA in Minden and Munich was the department of the Deutsche Bundesbahn responsible for technological development and procurement of rail vehicles and infrastructure. Additionally, accounting and statistical services, as well as technical standards for the West German state railway system, were provided by the BZA. After the formation of the Deutsche Bahn AG DB Systemtechnik inherited responsibility for technological development and procurement.

The Minden Coalfield (German: Mindener Revier) is located in the northern Wiehen foothills near the German town of Minden. Here, seams of Wealden Coal (Wealdenkohle) reach the surface of the earth in the Schaumburg Basin (Schaumburger Mulde). During the Thirty Years' War Swedish soldiers first discovered this black coal near Minden whilst preparing fieldworks on the Bölhorst. By 1663 it was forbidden to dig privately for coal and severe penalties were imposed for doing so. A series of shaft systems were sunk increasingly deeper into the earth. Coal continued to be mined until 1 August 1958, for example in the Barsinghausen coalfield (Barsinghausener Revier) east of Minden in the Deister. The last mine in this coalfield was the Minden Coal Mine (Kohlenbergwerk Minden) in Meißen.

The Emperor William Monument (German: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal), near the town of Porta Westfalica in the North Rhine-Westphalian county of Minden-Lübbecke, is a colossal monument above the Weser gorge of Porta Westfalica, the "Gateway to Westphalia". It was erected to honour the first German Emperor, William I (1797–1888), by the then Prussian Province of Westphalia between 1892 and 1896 and emerged against the background of a rising German national identity. The monument, which is around 88 metres (289 ft) high, is classified as one of Germany's national monuments. The architect of this prominent monument was Bruno Schmitz and the sculptor was Kaspar von Zumbusch. Since 2008, the monument has formed part of the Road of Monuments. As a result of its dominant geographical site, it is the most important landmark of the town of Porta Westfalica and of northern East Westphalia.