Since the 1970’s the independent communities of Alhausen, Erpentrup, Herste, Langeland, Pömbsen, Dringenberg, Kühlsen, and Neuenheerse came together and became the modern day Bad Driburg in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The area of Bad Driburg as we know it, technically dates back to the Middle Ages, but archeological finds have been found from as far back as the Stone and Bronze Ages. Those Ancient Roman rascals were even here, having left evidence of trade within the spa town.
The Romans weren’t the only visitors, though… Charlemagne came here in the 8th century during his campaign against the Saxons. While in Bad Driburg, you’ll see the Iburg Castle, that he managed to leave in ruins in 775.
Almost as old as the Iburg Ruins, is the convent of Neuenheerse, built in 868. The Convent Church of St. Saturnina was added there some 300 years later. For close to almost a millennia, the pious nuns of the convent lived and prayed here, finally having been disbanded in 1810. For the last few years, it had been opened to needy noblewomen, no matter their religious affiliation.
Not too many of the half-timbered homes, that were so popular of their time, remain in Bad Driburg as two fires in 1680 and 1683 leveled most of the town. But, some still remain in the center core of the town.
At the least, however, the town was spared from too much damage during the Second World War, when American troops took the town over.
Although there were healing springs founded as far back as the 8th century, it wasn’t until the 1782 when the Driburg Spa opened that the town became became a popular summer resort up until the war. When the British Occupation ended in 1951, Bad Driburg returned to their summer spa season, even opening another thermal bath in 1994.
