Lügde
Lügde | |
|---|---|
Location of Lügde within Lippe district | |
| Coordinates: 51°57′00″N 09°15′00″E / 51.95000°N 9.25000°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Detmold |
| District | Lippe |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Torben Blome (SPD) |
| Area | |
• Total | 88.64 km2 (34.22 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 105 m (344 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31) | |
• Total | 9,294 |
| • Density | 100/km2 (270/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 32668–32676 |
| Dialling codes | 05281, 05283 |
| Vehicle registration | LIP |
| Website | luegde.de |
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Lügde [ˈlʏçtʰə] ⓘ is a town in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with c. 9,800 inhabitants (2013).
The first written mention of Lügde appears in 784, in the annals of the Frankish Empire, when Charlemagne visited the village during the Saxon Wars. During these wars Charlemagne celebrated his first Christmas in Saxony in Lügde, and the site then became the location of the first church to be built in Saxony. The gothic church, dedicated to Saint Kilian, was rebuilt in the 12th century and still stands today. The church is known as the Kilians-Kirche.
In 2019 Lügde made national news as the site of a series of child rapes on a campground; investigators estimate 1,000 child rapes were committed over the course of 10 years.