Editing Bothel, Lower Saxony

{{more citations needed|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox German location 
|name = Bothel
|name_local =  
|image_coa =  
|image_plan = Bothel in ROW.svg
|state = Lower Saxony
|regbzk = 
|district = [[Rotenburg (district)|Rotenburg]]
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 03357006
|area = 16.75
|elevation = 30
|coordinates = {{coord|53|4|N|9|30|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code = 27386
|area_code = 04266
|licence = ROW
|mayor = Erika Schmidt
|party = SPD
|website = [http://www.bothel.de/ bothel.de]
}}
'''Bothel''' is a municipality in the [[Rotenburg (district)|district of Rotenburg]], [[Germany]] in the [[Stade Geest]] region of central [[Lower Saxony]]. It has 2,500 inhabitants. Bothel was founded by workers of the nearby ''Trochel Forest''. The name developed from ''Borstel'' which is [[Old Saxon]] and means "little woods".

Bothel belonged to the [[Prince-Bishopric of Verden]], established in 1180. In 1648 the Prince-Bishopric was transformed into the [[Principality of Verden]], which was first ruled in [[personal union]] by the Swedish Crown – interrupted by a Danish occupation (1712–1715) – and from 1715 on by the [[House of Hanover|Hanoverian]] Crown. In 1807 the ephemeric [[Kingdom of Westphalia]] annexed the Principality, before [[First French Empire|France]] annexed it in 1810. In 1813 the Principality was restored to the [[Electorate of Hanover]], which – after its upgrade to the [[Kingdom of Hanover]] in 1814 – incorporated the Principality in a [[real union]] and the Princely territory, including Bothel, became part of the new [[Stade (region)|Stade Region]], established in 1823.

Today the community has an old town part with typical Low Saxon farm houses and a modern center with town hall, schools and shopping facilities. So Bothel is important for the surrounding villages.

Bothel is also the seat of the ''[[Samtgemeinde]]'' ("collective municipality") [[Bothel (Samtgemeinde)|Bothel]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Cities and towns in Rotenburg (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rotenburg (district)]]


{{Rotenburg-geo-stub}}