Hamm, Germany

Welcome to Hamm, a city located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 179,397 as of 2016, Hamm is a city steeped in history and culture. Founded on Ash Wednesday in March 1226 by Count Adolf I of the Mark, the city’s name derives from the description of its location in the corner of the Lippe river and the narrow Ahse affluent. Hamm has a rich history, having survived the Black Death in 1350 and becoming a member of the Hanseatic League in 1469. The city was also heavily impacted by the Thirty Years War from 1618-1648, with almost all buildings destroyed except for the main church St. Georg (today: Pauluskirche) and St. Agnes church. Today, Hamm is a thriving city with a bustling railway station that is an important hub for rail transport and renowned for its distinctive station building. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway, making it easily accessible for visitors. Hamm is also known for its coat of arms, which has been in use in its present form for about 750 years. It shows the markish chessboard (märkischen Schachbalken) in red and silver on a golden field, and is often displayed in the coats of arms of further towns founded by that family line. Similarly, the colours of the city are red and white. Hamm has a rich industrial heritage, with major branches in the coal-mining industry, steel industry, chemical industry, and car component supplier industry. The Bergwerk Ost in Herringen is the last operating coal mine with about 3,000 employees, while Mannesmann Hoesch Präzisrohr, Westfälische Draht Industrie (WDI), and Böhler Thyssen Welding are the major representatives of the steel industry. The city is also known as the City of Law (Stadt des Rechts) because of the greatest German regional appeal court (Oberlandesgericht), the local court (Amtsgericht), the industrial court (Arbeitgericht), and the industrial appeal court (Landesarbeitsgericht). Hamm is a city that has something for everyone, from its rich history and culture to its thriving industrial sector and modern amenities. Come and discover all that Hamm has to offer!