Gifhorn is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the south and clockwise) the district of Helmstedt, the cities of Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, the districts of Peine, Hanover, Celle and Uelzen, and by the state of Saxony-Anhalt (districts of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel and Ohrekreis).

History

The district was established in 1885 by the Prussian government. In 1932, the former district of Isenhagen became the northern part of the Gifhorn district. The city of Wolfsburg originally was a part of the district, but became a district-free city in 1951. In 1974 the district again lost parts of its territory, when the city of Fallersleben was incorporated into Wolfsburg.

Geography

The district is located at the border of Saxony-Anhalt and extends from the southern edge of the Lüneburg Heath (Lüneburger Heide) in the north to the suburbs of Braunschweig and Wolfsburg in the south. The Aller river enters the district in the southeast, runs through the town of Gifhorn, is joined by the Oker river and leaves the district in the west.

Coat of arms

The lion as well as the hearts are heraldic symbols of Lüneburg - Gifhorn was a part of the duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg for many centuries. The horn symbolises the syllable "horn" in the word Gifhorn.

Towns and municipalities

External links

• Official website (German)