Warburg - Altes Rathaus

Warburg was first mentioned in a document around 1010. There was a castle from which one had a good view of the Diemel valley and could thus monitor the ford that merchants had to pass through to Warburg and Paderborn. The castle owned by Count Dodiko passed to the Bishop of Paderborn in 1020. People settled under the protection of the castle and around 1180 the old town of Warburg was granted town charter.

The new town of Warburg was founded in 1228-29 by Bernhard IV zur Lippe, Bishop of Paderborn, in order to strengthen his political position in the area against attacks by the Bishop of Cologne. By 1239, the new town had developed into an independent town. In 1260, the new town was granted the right to build a city wall, not only against armies from afar, but even - explicitly - against the old town.

In 1364, both the Old Town and the New Town became members of the Hanseatic League. By 1436 they had settled their differences and in the same year they merged into one city.

The townscape is characterised by historic buildings, stone and half-timbered houses.

On 31 July 1760, 24,000 Prussian, Hanoverian, Hessian and British troops under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick and the Crown Prince of Hesse-Kassel fought against a French army of 21,500 soldiers under the command of Lieutenant General Le Chevalier du Muy and the Duke of Broglie. The Prussians and their allies won, killing 8,000 French soldiers while losing only 1,500 themselves, leaving them free to sack the town. This is known as the "Battle of Warburg".


Seen here is the Old Town Hall (lft) and the tower of the St John the Baptist