It is known for the 'Stoppelmarkt' fair, which takes place every summer and has a history dating back to 1298. With an attendance of 800,000 visitors it is one of the biggest annual fairs in north-western Germany.[3]
In the recent past, the town was known as a centre of far-northern German Catholicism.
Vechta water mill
Town subdivisions
Vechta consists of the following 15 boroughs.
Vechta Stadt
Bergstrup
Calveslage
Deindrup
Hagen I
Hagen II
Holtrup
Holzhausen
Langförden
Oythe
Spreda
Stoppelmarkt
Stukenborg
Telbrake
Vardel
Transport and infrastructure
The A1, also known as the Hansalinie, passes by Vechta. There are three interchanges: Vechta-West/Bakum, Vechta-Langförden/Emstek, Vechta-Nord/Ahlhorn . Also, the B69 runs through the city of Vechta.
Vechta has become a very rich city with a high quality of living, so Vechta is one of the rare German towns that still has a growing population.
1890: 2,188 inhabitants
1905: 3,895 inhabitants
1910: 4,373 inhabitants
1933: 7,280 inhabitants
1939: 8,095 inhabitants
1950: 13,097 inhabitants
1977: 22,133 inhabitants
1980: 23,000 inhabitants
1990: 23,200 inhabitants
1995: 25,616 inhabitants
2000: 27,832 inhabitants
2005: 30,061 inhabitants
2008: 30,903 inhabitants
2009: 31,250 inhabitants
2021: 32,900 inhabitants
Theatre
Vechta is a fixed venue for the Landesbühne Niedersachsen Nord, founded in 1952. The headquarter is located in Wilhelmshaven, which stages annually up to ten performances at the Metropoltheater. The theatre offers 272 seats.
Stoppelmarkt
Stoppelmarkt was first mentioned as a market in 1298. In earlier times, it was held in the streets of the city within the fortress walls. Even then, merchants from many European countries came to Vechta. In 1577 the city of Vechta was hit by the plague. Therefore, the market had to be moved to an open field outside the city walls. Since the stubble remains of the last harvest were still standing on the field, the market was henceforth called Stoppelmarkt.[4] In 2020 and 2021 the market was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Climate
The climate in Vechta is a moderate sea climate, influenced by wet northwest winds from the North Sea. The long term average air temperature reaches 8.5 to 9.0 °C and about 700 millimeters of rainfall per year. Between May and August, an average of 20–25 summer days (climatological term for days with the maximum temperature exceeds 25 °C) are calculated.
