Diepholz – Nienburg I 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 33. It is located in central Lower Saxony, comprising the Diepholz district and parts of the Nienburg district.
Diepholz – Nienburg I was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. Since 2009, it has been represented by Axel Knoerig of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Geography Diepholz – Nienburg I is located in central Lower Saxony. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the entirety of the Diepholz district as well as the Samtgemeinden of Grafschaft Hoya and Uchte from the Nienburg district.
History Diepholz – Nienburg I was created in 1949, then known as Diepholz – Melle – Wittlage. In the 1965 through 1976 elections, it was named Nienburg. From 1980 through 1998, it was named Diepholz. It acquired its current name in the 2002 election. In the inaugural Bundestag election, it was Lower Saxony constituency 23 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1961, it was number 45. From 1965 through 1976, it was number 34. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 28. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 34. Since 2013, it has been constituency 33.
Originally, the constituency comprised the districts of Grafschaft Diepholz, Melle, and Wittlage. It also included part of the Nienburg district, specifically the territory which now comprises the Samtgemeinde of Uchte. In the 1965 election, the entirety of the Nienburg district was transferred to the constituency. In the 1980 election, the area of the abolished Melle and Wittlage districts was transferred away, as was the Nienburg district. From then until 2002, the constituency comprised only the district of Diepholz. It acquired its current borders in the 2002 election.
Election Name Borders 1949 Diepholz – Melle – Wittlage Grafschaft Diepholz district Melle district Nienburg district (only Uchte Samtgemeinde) Wittlage district 1953 45 1957 1961 1965 34 Nienburg Grafschaft Diepholz district Melle district Nienburg district Wittlage district 1969 1972 1976 1980 28 Diepholz Diepholz district 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 2002 34 Diepholz – Nienburg I Diepholz district Nienburg district (only Grafschaft Hoya and Uchte Samtgemeinden) 2005 2009 2013 33 2017 2021 2025
Members The constituency was first held by Rudolf Eickhoff of the German Party (DP), who served from 1949 until 1957. He was succeeded by Karl Gossel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who served two terms. Fellow CDU members Günter von Nordenskjöld (1965–72) and Richard Ey (1972–80) then each served two terms. In 1980, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) won the constituency, and Peter Würtz was its representative for a single term. The CDU's Walter Link regained it in 1983, and served until 1998. In 1998, the SPD's Detlev von Larcher won, and served a single term. Rolf Kramer of the SPD was representative from 2002 to 2009. Axel Knoerig of the CDU has served as representative since 2009.
Election Member Party % 1949 Rudolf Eickhoff DP 34.2 1953 26.7 1957 Karl Gossel CDU 30.5 1961 35.4 1965 Günter von Nordenskjöld CDU 45.1 1969 46.4 1972 Richard Ey CDU 45.5 1976 49.2 1980 Peter Würtz SPD 46.0 1983 Walter Link CDU 50.1 1987 44.3 1990 46.3 1994 44.3 1998 Detlev von Larcher SPD 48.4 2002 Rolf Kramer SPD 48.3 2005 45.7 2009 Axel Knoerig CDU 37.5 2013 47.5 2017 44.6 2021 33.8 2025 35.4
Election results 2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References