Bielefeld

Bielefeld (bē`ləfĕlt), city (1994 pop. 324,670), North Rhine–Westphalia, N central Germany. It has been noted since the 13th cent. for its handmade linens. Other manufactures include silks, clothing, sewing machines, bicycles, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and, most recently, electronic equipment. Chartered in 1214, Bielefeld became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1270. In 1647 it passed to Brandenburg. It is the seat of a university founded in 1966. Annexation of several neighboring cities in 1973 doubled the size of the city.

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Bielefeld

City (pop., 2002 est: city, 323,400; metro. area, 579,000), northwestern Germany. Founded in 1214, the town arose from a religious settlement around St. Mary's Church in the late 13th century. It joined the Hanseatic League in the 14th century and passed to Brandenburg in 1647. The first mechanized textile mills in Germany were established there in 1851. Heavily damaged in World War II, the city has since been rebuilt. It is the centre of a linen industry; it also has silk and plush weaving mills.