Lünen
{{Infobox German location
|image_photo=Luenen lippebruecke.jpg
|image_caption=View with the bridge on the River Lippe
|type = Stadt
|image_coa = DEU Luenen COA.svg
|coordinates = {{coord|51|37|N|7|31|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan = Lünen in UN.svg
|state = Nordrhein-Westfalen
|region = Arnsberg
|district = Unna
|elevation = 58
|area = 59.39
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 05978024
|postal_code = 44532, 44534, 44536
|area_code = 02306, 0231
|licence = UN, LÜN
|divisions = 14 Stadtteile
|website = [https://www.luenen.de/ www.luenen.de]
|mayor = Jürgen Kleine-Frauns[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_bm.shtml Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020], Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 30 June 2021.
|leader_term = 2020–25
|party =
}}
Lünen ({{IPA|de|ˈlyːnən|-|De-Lünen.ogg}}) is a town with around 86,000 inhabitants in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located north of Dortmund, on both banks of the River Lippe. It is the largest town of the Unna district and part of the Ruhr Area.
In 2009 a biogas plant was built to provide electric power to the city. Lünen is the first city in the world to receive electricity via public utility companies that is generated on the base of animal waste.{{cite news |last1=Pidd |first1=Helen |title=Poo power to the people |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/may/28/lunen-germany-biogas-power |access-date=20 May 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=28 May 2009}} The plant produces up to 6.6 MW, supplying 26,000 homes with heat and electricity.{{cite news |title=German city uses waste to generate green energy |url=https://www.building.co.uk/german-city-uses-waste-to-generate-green-energy/3141605.article |access-date=20 May 2021 |work=Building |publisher=Building Sustainable Design |date=28 May 2009}}
Culture and main sights
{{stack|File:St.Georg.jpg's Church]]}}
Structure
- Saint George's Church
- Saint Mary's Church
- Chateau of Schwansbell
- Colani-UFO
- Freiherr-vom-Stein School
- Town hall of Lünen
- Geschwister-Scholl School
- Industrial Monument "Moor Crane"
Museum
- Museum of the town Lünen
- Mining Museum in Lünen South
- Mining residential Museum in Lünen Brambauer
Theatre
- Heinz-Hilpert theater
Politics
The current mayor of Lünen is independent politician Jürgen Kleine-Frauns since 2015; he was originally elected as a member of Together for Lünen (German: Gemeinsam für Lünen = GFL), but later left the party. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows:
{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate
! rowspan=2| Party
! colspan=2| First round
! colspan=2| Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| Rainer Schmeltzer
| align=left| Social Democratic Party
| 10,864
| 40.9
| 9,824
| 48.9
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}|
| align=left| Jürgen Kleine-Frauns
| align=left| Independent
| 9,767
| 36.7
| 10,282
| 51.1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left| Christoph Tölle
| align=left| Christian Democratic Union
| 4,341
| 16.3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Voters}}|
| align=left| Sascha Gottwald
| align=left| Free Voters Lünen
| 1,624
| 6.1
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 26,596
! 97.7
! 20,106
! 98.9
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 641
! 2.3
! 215
! 1.1
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 27,237
! 100.0
! 20,321
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 66,291
! 41.1
! 66,247
! 30.7
|-
| colspan=7| Source: City of Lünen ([https://wahlen.kreis-unna.de/Kommunalwahl2020/05978024/html5/Buergermeisterwahl_NRW_15_Gemeinde_Stadt_Luenen.html 1st round], [https://wahlen.kreis-unna.de/Kommunalwahl2020/05978024/html5/Buergermeisterstichwahl_NRW_28_Gemeinde_Stadt_Luenen.html 2nd round])
|}
=City council=
File:2020 Lünen City Council election.svg
The Lünen city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| Social Democratic Party (SPD)
| 9,066
| 33.9
| {{decrease}} 7.0
| 19
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left| Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
| 5,895
| 22.1
| {{decrease}} 2.5
| 12
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
|
| align=left| Together for Lünen (GFL)
| 3,835
| 14.4
| {{decrease}} 1.1
| 8
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|
| align=left| Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne)
| 3,690
| 13.8
| {{increase}} 6.4
| 8
| {{increase}} 4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|
| align=left| Alternative for Germany (AfD)
| 1,816
| 6.8
| New
| 4
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|
| align=left| Free Democratic Party (FDP)
| 922
| 3.5
| {{increase}} 0.7
| 2
| ±0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}|
| align=left| The Left (Die Linke)
| 846
| 3.2
| {{decrease}} 0.9
| 2
| ±0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Voters}}|
| align=left| Free Voters Lünen (FW Lünen)
| 501
| 1.9
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey|
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}|
| align=left| Independent Fohrmeister
| 85
| 0.3
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}|
| align=left| Independent Rosenkranz
| 85
| 0.2
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}|
| align=left| Independent God
| 19
| 0.1
| New
| 0
| New
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 26,730
! 98.2
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 480
! 1.8
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 27,210
! 100.0
!
! 56
! {{increase}} 2
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 66,291
! 41.1
! {{decrease}} 3.4
!
!
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://wahlen.kreis-unna.de/Kommunalwahl2020/05978024/html5/Ratswahl_NRW_16_Gemeinde_Stadt_Luenen.html City of Lünen]
|}
Twin towns – sister cities
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Lünen is twinned with:{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaften |url=https://www.luenen.de/rathaus/rat-politik/europa/staedtepartnerschaften/ |website=luenen.de |publisher=Lünen |language=de |access-date=2021-02-19}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
- {{flagicon|TUR}} Bartın, Turkey
- {{flagicon|GER}} Demmin, Germany
- {{flagicon|POL}} Kamień Pomorski, Poland
- {{flagicon|LTU}} Panevėžys, Lithuania
- {{flagicon|ENG}} Salford, England, United Kingdom
- {{flagicon|NED}} Zwolle, Netherlands
{{div col end}}
Notable people
- Jens Beutel (1946–2019), SPD politician, mayor of Mainz 1997–2011
- Markus Brzenska (born 1984), footballer
- Karl-Heinz Granitza (born 1951), footballer
- Björn Höcke (born 1972), AfD politician, Member of Landtag in Thuringia
- Hubert Hüppe (born 1956), CDU politician
- Theodor Kleine (1924–2014), sprint canoer, Olympic medalist
- Friedhelm Konietzka (1938–2012), football player and coach
- Wilhelm Kuhne (born 1926), priest (Monsignore) and former rector of the Hardehausen Abbey
- Michael Mendl (born 1944), actor
- Max Raabe (born 1962), singer and conductor of the Palast Orchester in Berlin
- Berndt Röder (born 1948), CDU politician, former president of the Hamburgische Bürgerschaft
- Rollergirl (born 1975), singer
- Rüdiger Sagel (born 1955), politician Alliance 90/The Greens, later The Left, Member of Landtag North Rhine-Westphalia 1998–2012
- Max Simon (1899–1961), SS officer and war criminal
- Andreas Thiel (born 1960), handball player
- Eckhart Tolle (born 1948), spiritual teacher and author
- Clara Vogedes (1892–1983), artist
- Ernst Waldschmidt (1897–1985), orientalist and indologist
- Wolfgang Wendland (born 1962), singer, politician of the Pogo party
- Dieter Zorc (1939–2007), footballer
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Cities and towns in Unna (district)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunen}}