Bad Oldesloe | |
|---|---|
 House that Menno Simons is believed to have worked in | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Bad Oldesloe within Stormarn district  | |
  Bad Oldesloe  Bad Oldesloe | |
| Coordinates: 53°48′42″N 10°22′27″E / 53.81167°N 10.37417°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Schleswig-Holstein |
| District | Stormarn |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jörg Lembke |
| Area | |
| • Total | 52.6 km2 (20.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-31)[1] | |
| • Total | 24,841 |
| • Density | 470/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 23843 |
| Dialling codes | 04531 |
| Vehicle registration | OD |
| Website | www.badoldesloe.de |
Bad Oldesloe (German pronunciation: [ˌbaːt ˈʔɔldəsˌloː]) is a town located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the capital of the district of Stormarn.
The area has been inhabited since Mesolithic times. The flint tools found here from that era (6000–4500 BC) are clearly defined and known as the Oldesloer Stufe. For a number of years in the 18th century the Moravian Church had a congregation in Bad Oldesloe. It was called "Pilgerruh", i.e. "Pilgrims' Rest". It was given up because of difficulties with the Danish Church authorities. At that time, the Duchy of Holstein was ruled by the kings of Denmark within the Holy Roman Empire.
On 24 April 1945, the town was heavily bombed by Allied forces in the final days of the Second World War in Germany. Three hundred buildings were destroyed, and 706 people were killed as a result of the operation.[2]
