Westoverledingen is a municipality in the Leer district in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Westoverledingen
Coat of arms of Westoverledingen
Location of Westoverledingen within Leer district
BorkumLütje HörnBundeWeenerWestoverledingenRhauderfehnLeerOstrhauderfehnDeternJemgumMoormerlandNortmoorBrinkumNeukamperfehnHoltlandFirrelSchwerinsdorfFilsumUplengenHeselLeer (district)Leer (Borkum)Lower SaxonyEmslandNetherlandsEmdenAurich (district)Wittmund (district)Friesland (district)AmmerlandCloppenburg (district)
Westoverledingen is located in Germany
Westoverledingen
Westoverledingen
Westoverledingen is located in Lower Saxony
Westoverledingen
Westoverledingen
Coordinates: 53°9′N 7°28′E / 53.150°N 7.467°E / 53.150; 7.467
CountryGermany
StateLower Saxony
DistrictLeer
Subdivisions12 Subdivisions
Government
 • Mayor (2021–26) Theo Douwes[1]
Area
 • Total111.9 km2 (43.2 sq mi)
Elevation
4 m (13 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total21,678
 • Density190/km2 (500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
26810
Dialling codes0 49 55
Vehicle registrationLER
Websitewww.westoverledingen.de

It contains about a dozen villages. The biggest of them are Flachsmeer, Völlen and Ihrhove, where the town hall is located. Völlen lies at the southern edge of the municipality, close to the Meyer-Werft shipyard in Papenburg. Many villagers are employed there.

Most villages have interesting old churches, including five that date from the Middle Ages.

The Bundesstraße 70 the connects the municipality to Papenburg and Leer. Westoverledingen does not have a train station. The Emsland Railway passes the municipality between stations Leer and Papenburg. The Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway splits off from it towards Weener station. The Ihrhove railway station is to be reopened in 2024 or 2025.

A touristic bicycle trail, following the Ems, goes through Westoverledingen.

Westoverledingen's economy is dominated by agriculture. Many of its inhabitants, however, have a job in nearby towns like Leer or Papenburg.

Villages edit

Westoverledingen is divided into 12 Ortsteile for administrative purposes. The larger ones have their own elected local councils (Ortsrat) while the smaller ones have a local representative (Ortsvorsteher) appointed by the municipal council.[3]

Village Population[4]
31 December 2020
Local government
Breinermoor 325 Ortsvorsteher
Driever 108 Ortsvorsteher
Esklum 187 Ortsvorsteher
Flachsmeer 4737 Ortsrat
Folmhusen 584 Ortsrat
Grotegaste 116 Ortsvorsteher
Großwolde 1670 Ortsrat
Ihren 1968 Ortsrat
Ihrhove 3626 Ortsrat
Mitling-Mark 168 Ortsvorsteher
Steenfelde 2254 Ortsrat
Völlen 5771 Ortsrat

References edit

  1. ^ "Direktwahlen in Niedersachsen vom 12. September 2021" (PDF). Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen. 13 October 2021.
  2. ^ "LSN-Online Regionaldatenbank, Tabelle A100001G: Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes, Stand 31. Dezember 2022" (in German). Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen.
  3. ^ Gemeinde Westoverledingen: Ortsbürgermeister und Ortsvorsteher, last visited on 16 March 2022.
  4. ^ Gemeinde Westoverledingen: Bevölkerung, last visited on 16 March 2022.