Alfeld

Alfeld
Town
Alfeld town hall, behind St. Nicolai
Coat of arms
Location of Alfeld within Hildesheim district
Alfeld Alfeld
Coordinates: 51°59′19″N 9°49′37″E
Country	Germany
State	Lower Saxony
District	Hildesheim
Government
• Mayor (2021–26)	Bernd Beushausen (SPD)
Area
• Total	72.86 km2 (28.13 sq mi)
Elevation	145 m (476 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	18,723
• Density	260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	31061
Dialling codes	05181
Vehicle registration	HI, ALF
Website	www.alfeld.de

Alfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is near the Leine River. Sieben Berge (Seven Hills) is to the northeast. The town is in the Metropolitan region Hannover-Braunschweig-Göttingen-Wolfsburg. It is within the district of Hildesheim in the southern part of Lower Saxony. The population in 2020 was about 18,500. The main political parties are SPD and then CDU. The town is both Protestant and Catholic.

History

The town was part of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. The town was originally Catholic, but was also Protestant after the 16th century. Before the Thirty Year's War, the town was economically and culturally successful. The town was part of Prussia in the 19th century.

Tourist attractions

There is a historic part of town and several museums. The historic town includes a Latin School from 1610, a marketplace, and several churches like the St. Nicholas Church. The Fillerturm is a medieval watch tower. The Fagus Factory is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sieben Berge are famous. They are often connected with the story Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. In the story, the Seven Hills is where Snow White and dwarves lived.