title: Vechta
text: # Vechta
  
  Vechta (German pronunciation:; Northern Low Saxon: Vechte) is the capital and largest city of the Vechta district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is home to the University of Vechta.
  
  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.
  
  In the recent past, the town was known as a centre of far-northern German Catholicism.
  
  ## 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.
  
  ### Transport
  
  Vechta lies on the Delmenhorst-Hesepe railway and offers connections to Osnabrück and Bremen.
  
  ## Population development
  
  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. In 2020 and 2021 the market was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  ## 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.
  
  ## Twin towns – sister cities
  
  Vechta is twinned with:
  
  * Le Cellier, France
  * Jászberény, Hungary
  * Saint-Pol-de-Léon, France
  
  ## Sport
  
  Vechta is the home of the Rasta Vechta basketball club, which plays in the German Basketball Bundesliga.
  
  ## Notable people
  
  * Andreas Romberg (1767–1821), composer and violin player
  * Rolf Dieter Brinkmann (1940–1975), lyrician
  * Ansgar Brinkmann (born 1969), footballer
  * Martin Welzel (born 1972), musician, associate organist at Munich Cathedral 2021–2022
  * Katja Suding (born 1975), politician
  * Alexander Bartz (born 1984), politician
  * Alparslan Erdem (born 1988), footballer
  