Bielefeld – Gütersloh II explained

131 Bielefeld – Gütersloh II
Constituency Type:electoral district
Constituency Link:Bielefeld – Gütersloh II
Parl Name:Bundestag
Region Label:State
Region:North Rhine-Westphalia
Population:345,300 (2019)
Electorate:243,059 (2017)
Towns:Bielefeld
Area:294.3 km2
Year:1949
Party:SPD
Local Council Label:Member
Local Council:Wiebke Esdar
Blank1 Name:Elected
Blank1 Info:2017, 2021

Bielefeld – Gütersloh II is an electoral constituency (German: Wahlkreis) represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 131. It is located in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, comprising the city of Bielefeld and a small part of the district of Gütersloh.[1]

Bielefeld – Gütersloh II was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2017, it has been represented by Wiebke Esdar of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).[2]

Geography

Bielefeld – Gütersloh II is located in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the independent city of Bielefeld and the municipality of Werther from the Gütersloh district.[1]

History

Gütersloh I was created in 1949, then known as Bielefeld-Stadt. In the 1976 election, it was named Bielefeld II. From 1980 through 2009, it was named Bielefeld. It acquired its current name in the 2013 election. In the 1949 election, it was North Rhine-Westphalia constituency 47 in the numbering system. From 1949 through 1961, it was number 106. From 1965 through 1976, it was number 104. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 102. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 133. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 132. From the 2025 election, it has been number 131.

Originally, the constituency was coterminous with the independent city of Bielefeld. In the 1976 election, it was coterminous with Bielefeld excluding the former municipalities of Brackwede, Sennestadt, Senne, Gadderbaum, and Schröttinghausen. In the 1980 through 1994 elections, it was again coterminous with Bielefeld. In the 1998 election, it acquired the municipality of Werther.

Electionwidth=125pxNamewidth=300pxBorders
1949Bielefeld-Stadt
1953106
1957
1961
1965104
1969
1972
1976Bielefeld II
  • Bielefeld city (excluding the former Brackwede, Sennestadt, Senne, Gadderbaum, and Schröttinghausen municipalities)
1980102Bielefeld
1983
1987
1990
1994
1998
2002133
2005
2009
2013132Bielefeld – Gütersloh II
2017
2021
2025131

Members

The constituency has been held by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) during all but two Bundestag terms since 1949. It was first represented by Friederike Nadig of the SPD from 1949 to 1953, followed by Artur Ladebeck and Otto Walpert for a single term each. Gerhard Koch served three terms from 1961 to 1972, followed by Elfriede Eilers until 1980. Kurt Vogelsang then served a single term before Reinhard Meyer zu Bentrup of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected. Günter Rixe regained the constituency for the SPD in 1987 and served until 1998. Rainer Wend served from then to 2009, when Christina Kampmann of the CDU won the constituency. Lena Strothmann regained it for the SPD in 2013. Wiebke Esdar was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021.

ElectionMemberParty%
bgcolor=1949Friederike NadigSPD44.8
bgcolor=1953Artur LadebeckSPD41.8
bgcolor=1957Otto WalpertSPD42.5
1961Gerhard KochSPD45.7
196549.2
196952.2
1972Elfriede EilersSPD53.4
197647.5
bgcolor=1980Kurt VogelsangSPD48.7
bgcolor=1983Reinhard Meyer zu BentrupCDU46.6
1987Günter RixeSPD43.0
199042.8
199446.8
1998Rainer WendSPD50.2
200249.8
200547.2
bgcolor=2009Lena StrothmannCDU36.3
bgcolor=2013Christina KampmannSPD38.1
2017Wiebke EsdarSPD33.2
201730.0

Election results

2009 election

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Constituency Bielefeld – Gütersloh II. Federal Returning Officer.
  2. Web site: Results for Bielefeld – Gütersloh II. Federal Returning Officer.