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{{Infobox German place      
|name              = Werl, Germany 
|image_caption     = Wallfahrtsbasilika
|image_photo       = Basilika Werl.jpg
|type               = Stadt
|image_coa            = Werl-coa.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|51|33|0|N|7|55|12|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan          = Werl in SO.svg
|state        = NRW
|region  = Arnsberg
|district         = Soest
|elevation              = 73-228
|area            = 76.35
|postal_code               = 59457
|area_code           = 02922
|licence               = SO
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 9 74 052
|divisions         = 10 
|website           = [https://www.werl.de/ www.werl.de]
|mayor             = Torben Höbrink<ref>[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_bm.shtml Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020], Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 30 June 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2020&ndash;25
|party             = CDU
}}
[[File:Werl, Kapelle Mutter Gottes in der Not Dm89 foto3 2015-09-12 10.46.jpg|Werl, Chapelle Mutter Gottes in der Not|thumb|280px]]
The pilgrimage town '''Werl''' ({{IPA|de|vɛʁl|-|De-Werl.ogg}}; [[Westphalian language|Westphalian]]: ''Wiärl'') is a town in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] and belongs to the [[Soest, Germany|Soest]] district in the [[Arnsberg]] administrative district. The official name of pilgrimage town has been permitted since 14 January 2015. Werl is one of the largest and most important pilgrimage sites in [[Germany]].

==Geography==
===Geographical location===
Werl lies between the [[Sauerland]], the [[Münster (region)|Münsterland]], [[Ruhr|Ruhr area]] and [[Hellweg]] in the fertile [[Börde]] landscape of the [[Werl-Unnaer Börde]]. At the end of 2018, Werl had 32,994 inhabitants on an area of 76.35 square kilometers;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wallfahrtsstadt Werl |title=Verwaltungsbericht 2018 |url=https://www.werl.de/rathaus-politik-buerger/zentrale-dienste-buergerservice/allgemeines/zahlen-daten-statistik |website=Werl}}</ref> this corresponds to a population density of 432 people/km2. The highest point in the city is at 228.4 m above sea level. NN in the city forest to the south. The deepest point is 73.1 m above sea level. NN in the northern part of the city on the Flerke farm. The city of Werl lies on the southern edge of the [[Westphalian Lowland|Westphalian Bay]]. Therefore, the terrain profile in the urban area is predominantly flat. In the southern area the terrain rises sharply towards the [[Haar (Westphalia)|Haarstrang]]. It separates the lowlands from the mountainous [[Sauerland]]. In the south, the Werl city forest stretches across the hair strand. This is the only area in the city that is densely covered with trees. The Werler part of the lowlands is, in terms of landscape and economy, more dominated by agriculture.

===Werl as a middle center===
While the surrounding area is more rural, Werl is mainly home to industrial, commercial and service industries. As a middle center in the region, Werl not only provides jobs, but also offers a wide range of schools, further education opportunities at adult education centers, a leisure pool,<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=Home |url=https://www.freizeitbad-werl.de/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Freizeitbad Werl |language=de}}</ref> a city library,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stadtbücherei |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/kultur-und-bildungseinrichtungen/stadtbuecherei |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref> a painting school, a music school, a city history museum<ref>{{Cite web |title=Museum Am Rykenberg |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/veranstaltungsorte/museen/museum-am-rykenberg |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref> and a historic old town. Werl also had the "[[Forum der Völker]]", an ethnological museum, which closed permanently in early 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-06 |title=Endgültiges Aus fürs Museum "Forum der Völker": Werl verliert Sammlung der Welt |url=https://www.soester-anzeiger.de/lokales/werl/landschaftsverband-uebernimmt-sammlung-der-franziskaner-endgueltiges-aus-fuers-museum-forum-der-voelker-werl-93285432.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.soester-anzeiger.de |language=de}}</ref>

=== Division of the town ===
Werl consists of the following sections:districts:
* Budberg (584 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Budberg |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/budberg#:~:text=Der%20Ortsteil%20Budberg%20hat%20584,ist%203,67%20Quadratkilometer%20gro%C3%9F. |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Büderich (3012 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Büderich |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/buederich |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>) 
* [[Hilbeck]] (1303 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hilbeck |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/hilbeck |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Holtum (1038 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Holtum |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/holtum |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Mawicke (499 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mawicke |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/mawicke |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Niederbergstraße (228 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Niederbergstraße |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/niederbergstrasse |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Oberbergstraße (347 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oberbergstraße |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/oberbergstrasse |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Sönnern (856 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sönnern |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/soennern |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Westönnen (2582 inhabitants<ref>{{Cite web |title=Westönnen |url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/ortsteile/westoennen |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.werl.de |language=de}}</ref>)
* Werl (22151 inhabitants)

=== Neighbouring municipalities===
{|
| valign="top" |
* [[Arnsberg]]
* [[Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia|Hamm]]
* [[Soest, Germany|Soest]]
| valign="top" |
* [[Unna]]
* [[Welver]]
* [[Wickede]]
|}
==History==
Werl was a member of the [[Hanseatic League]] in the Middle Ages and since 1661 has had a statue of the Virgin Mary, making it a place of [[Werl pilgrimage|pilgrimage]]. Today this relic is in the Wallfahrtsbasilika and is looked after by the Franciscan religious order. Werl Prison is the third largest in North Rhine-Westphalia, [[Werl Prison]].
* The [[4th United States Army Field Artillery Detachment]] was stationed in Werl until 1992.

==Notable people==
*[[Philipp Rosenthal]] (1855–1937), businessman and founder of Rosenthal AG at Schloss Erkersreuth in Selb
*[[Franz von Papen]] (1879–1969), Conservative politician, diplomat, nobleman and General Staff officer; served as [[Chancellor of Germany]] in 1932 and as Vice-Chancellor under [[Adolf Hitler]] from 1933 to 1934
*[[Ulla Wiesner]] (born 1940), singer
*[[Theodor Redder]] (born 1941), footballer
*[[Dimitri Hegemann]] (born 1954), cultural manager, musician and founder of the club "Tresor" in Berlin
*[[Andreas Englisch]] (born 1963), journalist
*[[Martin Kree]] (born 1965), footballer
*[[Uwe Grauer]] (born 1970), footballer and coach

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Werl is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaft mit der belgischen Stadt Halle|url=https://www.werl.de/freizeit-tourismus-kultur/stadtportrait/staedtepartnerschaft/|website=werl.de|publisher=Werl|language=de|access-date=2021-02-17}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Halle, Belgium|Halle]], Belgium (1973)

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.reise-photografie.de/werl/ Images from Werl] {{in lang|de}}

{{Commons|Werl}}
{{Hanseatic League}}
{{Cities and towns in Soest (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Members of the Hanseatic League]]
[[Category:Soest (district)]]


{{Soest-geo-stub}}