Meppen

Geschichte

Meppen is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund-Ems canal (DEK). The name stems from the word Mappe, meaning "delta".GeographyThe town lying on the mouth of the Hase into the Ems in the central part of the Emsland between the cities of Lingen and Papenburg. Lying about 12 miles (20 km) from the Dutch border, the town has an area of 188.45 km² and is 15 m above sea level. The population was 34,196 as of 30 June 2005.Quarters of Meppen:Following villages are situated in Meppen: In 1974, 13 independent municipalities in the close vicinity of the town were integrated into Meppen.HistoryMeppen, formerly a fortified town, boasts 12 centuries of history.The first documented mention of Meppen is in 834, in a deed of donation by Frankish emperor Louis the Pious, transferring a missionary establishment of that name to the abbey of Corvey.945 -- Emperor Otto the Great grants the town the rights to mint coins and collect tolls, followed in 946 by market rights.