City of Neuenhaus

Member municipality of the Neuenhaus joint municipality

"Nienhuß, a fine little town on the Vechte..." as it says in an old universal encyclopaedia, is the second oldest town in the county of Bentheim. Its origins date back to 1317 AD, when Count John II of Bentheim had Dinkelrode Castle built to secure the trade route between Münster and Amsterdam.

It was also called "dat nyge hus" - the new house - from which the name Neuenhaus originated. At that time, Dinkelrode Castle in the Lower County took over Bentheim's role. Craftsmen, carters and fishermen soon settled under the protection of the castle
, so that Count Bernd I von Bentheim granted the young settlement town rights in 1369. Over the centuries, Neuenhaus grew into a market town and administrative centre.

On 1 July 1970, the town, which had just celebrated its 600th anniversary, merged with the formerly independent municipalities of Grasdorf and Hilten and the municipality of Veldhausen. The town has been the administrative centre of the Neuenhaus joint municipality since it was founded in 1974. Today, Neuenhaus is a border and garden town on the rivers Dinkel and Vechte. Designated hiking and cycling trails along moats, ramparts and river landscapes invite you to go on extended cycling and hiking tours.

There are currently 6 daycare centres with crèche and kindergarten places as well as 2 primary schools, 1 secondary school and 1 grammar school in Neuenhaus. There are also numerous clubs from various areas of sport, customs and music.