Bad Sassendorf

Bad Sassendorf
Karl-Volke-Platz
Location of within Soest district
Location of
Coordinates: 51°34′59″N 08°10′00″E / 51.58306°N 8.16667°E / 51.58306; 8.16667
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionArnsberg
DistrictSoest
Subdivisions12
Government
 • Mayor (2025–30) Malte Dahlhoff (CDU)
Area
 • Total
63.46 km2 (24.50 sq mi)
Elevation
107 m (351 ft)
Population
 (2024-12-31)[1]
 • Total
12,194
 • Density192.2/km2 (497.7/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
59505
Dialling codes02921
Vehicle registrationSO
Websitewww.bad-sassendorf.de

Bad Sassendorf (German pronunciation: [baːt ˈzasn̩ˌdɔʁf]; Low German: Saßtrop) is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

History

From the 8th century, the area around the Soester plain was under the Merovingian dynasty. The name “Sassendorf” indicates that it was a Saxon settlement. Mention was made of salt springs in the area appear in the 10th century, and were noted by the ambassador of the Caliphate of Cordoba to the court of Emperor Otto the Great in 973. Along with the surrounding area, the village was under the control of the Archbishopric of Cologne from at least the 12th century; however exploitation of the salt springs was the right of free peasant families in the area. From the 19th century, the brine produced in the area was used for bathing and medicinal purposes, and the first therapy center or spa was opened in 1852. Commercial salt production faced declining yields, and was largely discontinued in 1934, and completely discontinued by 1952. The village was renamed from “Sassendorf” to Bad Sassendorf officially in 1906.

From February 15, 1944, to April 4–5, 1945, inmates of the Neuengamme concentration camp used as the Eisenbahnbaubrigade 11 repaired rail tracks at the railway station Soest and between Bad Sassendorf and Soest. They slept in freight train waggons on the track between Bad Sassendorf and Soest. After an air raid end-February 1945 the inmates slept in a nearby farm. At the cemetery Bad Sassendorf a memorial plaque is installed on the burying place of the dead.[2]

Geography

It is situated approximately 4 km northeast of Soest.

Neighbouring municipalities

Division of the town

Bad Sassendorf consists of 12 districts:

  • Bad Sassendorf
  • Bettinghausen
  • Beusingsen
  • Elfsen
  • Gabrechten
  • Heppen
  • Herringsen
  • Lohne
  • Neuengeseke
  • Opmünden
  • Ostinghausen
  • Weslarn

Politics

The current mayor of Bad Sassendorf is Malte Dahlhoff of the CDU who has been serving since 2014. In the 2025 election he was reelected with 83 % of the vote, being the only candidate.[3]

City council

After the 2025 local elections, the Bad Sassendorf city council is composed as follows:

Party Votes % +/- Seats +/-
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 2,616 41.4 4.6 15 1
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 1,268 20.1 1 7 1
Alternative for Germany (AfD) 794 12.6 New 5 New
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 577 9.1 1.6 3 ±0
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) 543 8.6 4.7 3 1
Citizens Alliance Bad Sassendorf (BG) 524 8.3 New 3 New
Valid votes 6,322 99.0
Invalid votes 67 1.0
Total 6,389 100.0 36 6
Electorate/voter turnout 10,350 61.7
Source: State returning officer of North Rhine-Westphalia

Twin towns

Notes

  1. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2024 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus 2022" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW.
  2. ^ Camp memorial Neuengamme website in German
  3. ^ "Malte Dahlhoff als Bürgermeister bestätigt". www.soester-anzeiger.de (in German). 2025-09-15. Retrieved 2026-03-17.