The previously Hanseatic city of Herford is situated in the mountain chains south of the Wiehengebirge (Ravensberger Hügelland). The highest place is the Dornmountain (240 m) in the Schwarzenmoor district; the lowest point (56 m) is located in the Werretal in the Falkendiek district. The River Aa joins the river Werre in the center of the city. The Stuckenberg is located east of the city.
The MARTa Herford, a museum for contemporary art and design directed by Jan Hoet and designed by Frank Gehry, has been open to the public since May 2005. Its exhibits change regularly.
The Daniel-Pöppelmann-Haus in Herford explores the history of the city, and the Memorial and Meeting Place Cell Block, in the basement of the city hall, documents the persecution and the obliteration of minorities. Moreover, the municipal administration intends to construct a museum of city history next to the city hall and the Münster church.
Music and theatre
The Stadttheater (Municipal theatre) provides seats for 706 viewers and it is served by visiting groups. Several halls and rooms are available at StadtPark/Schützenhof.
Events at regular intervals
Easter Fairaround Easter (Oster-Kirmes)
Jazz FestivalMay - Performances of different jazz artists in a couple of bars
Organ Summer
Vision's FairJune
Summer StageSummer (Sommerbühne) - Concerts at the square between city hall and market hall
HoekerfestAugust - Municipal festival with plenty of events in the city centre
City FairOctober - In the city centre
Herbstzeitlos (Autumnally timeless) Autumn - Exhibition at the former depot site
Wine FestivalAutumn - At Gänsemarkt
Christmas LightsDecember - Municipal Christmas fair (Weihnachtsmarkt)
Sights
The Münsterkirche (Herford Munster) is a late Romanesque hall church, built about 1220-1250 for the Fürstabtei Herford (Herford monastery). It is one of the earliest hall churches in Germany
The Jakobikirche (Radewiger Kirche) is a late Gothic hall church
St. Johannis (Neustädter Kirche) is a late Gothic hall church
St. Marien auf dem Berge (Herforder Marienkirche) is also a late Gothic hall church It was completed about 1325/50 and part of a monastery
Town hall, built 1913-16 by Paul Kanold in Neo-Baroque forms
Neustädter Rathaus (former town hall), built 1600, later destroyed, 1988/89 reconstructed
Remensnider-Haus, Brüderstraße 26, a late Gothic timber framed building from 1521
Kantorhaus, Elisabethstraße 2, a timber framed building, about 1484/1494
Holland 21, timber framed building, 1554
Holland 39, timber framed building, 1559
Bürgermeisterhaus, Höckerstraße 4, a late Gothic stone building from 1538 with a stepped gable similar to houses in Münster and Bielefeld
Frühherrenstraße 11, a Renaissance building, 1591
Wulfert-Haus, Neuer Markt 2 with a brick-built Renaissance gable, 1560
History
The town was founded in 789 by Charlemagne in order to guard a ford crossing the narrow Werre river. A century later, Matilda, daughter of Theudebert, duke of Saxony, grew up in the abbey of Herford; she was a descendant of the Saxon leader Widukind. In Herford she met Henry the Fowler, who later became king of Germany.
Herford is the location of the 1st Armoured Division and the headquarters of the British Forces Germany. There is also a telecommunications office in the town. Currently there are 870 soldiers serving at the three camps. Including the civil staff and the families, 2200 British people live in Herford.