BIELEFELD  , a

town of Germany, in the Prussian province of Westphalia, 68 m . S.W. from Hanover on the main line to Cologne . Pop . (1885) 34,931; (1905) 71,797• It is situated at the foot of the Teutoburger Wald, and consists of two portions, separated by the river Lutter, which were first united into one town in 1520 . Among its public buildings and institutions are the old town church, with a curious carved altar-piece, the town hall, the gymnasium and the provincial industrial school . On the height above the town is the old castle of Sparenburg, built in the 12th century by Bernhard, count of Lippe . It was for a long time employed as a prison, but was restored after its destruction by fire in 1877 and now contains a historical museum . Bielefeld is the centre of the Westphalian linen industry . It has also important plush, silk and hosiery manufactures, as well as extensive bleaching works, and does a very large export trade to all parts of the world in these branches . Engines, automobiles, biscuits, glass, pianos, furniture and paper are also manufactured . Bielefeld is mentioned as early as the 9th century, as Belanvelde, but its first recorded mention as a town is in 1233 . It belonged at this time to the counts of Ravensberg, who often resided in the Sparenburg .

It joined the Hanseatic

league in 1270, and about the same time began to engage in the linen manufacture, which was greatly extended during the 16th and 17th centuries by a number of refugees from the Netherlands . In 1347 the town passed with the countship of Ravensberg to the duchy of Jiilich, and in 1666 to that of Brandenburg .