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.
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).
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.
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.
Election Name Borders 1949 Bielefeld-Stadt Bielefeld city 1953 106 1957 1961 1965 104 1969 1972 1976 Bielefeld II Bielefeld city (excluding the former Brackwede, Sennestadt, Senne, Gadderbaum, and Schröttinghausen municipalities) 1980 102 Bielefeld Bielefeld city 1983 1987 1990 1994 1998 Bielefeld city Gütersloh district (only Werther municipality) 2002 133 2005 2009 2013 132 Bielefeld – Gütersloh II 2017 2021 2025 131
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 Lena Strothmann of the CDU won the constituency. Christina Kampmann regained it for the SPD in 2013. Wiebke Esdar was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021 and 2025.
Election Member Party % 1949 Friederike Nadig SPD 44.8 1953 Artur Ladebeck SPD 41.8 1957 Otto Walpert SPD 42.5 1961 Gerhard Koch SPD 45.7 1965 49.2 1969 52.2 1972 Elfriede Eilers SPD 53.4 1976 47.5 1980 Kurt Vogelsang SPD 48.7 1983 Reinhard Meyer zu Bentrup CDU 46.6 1987 Günter Rixe SPD 43.0 1990 42.8 1994 46.8 1998 Rainer Wend SPD 50.2 2002 49.8 2005 47.2 2009 Lena Strothmann CDU 36.3 2013 Christina Kampmann SPD 38.1 2017 Wiebke Esdar SPD 33.2 2021 30.0 2025 27.2
Election results 2025 election
2021 election
2017 election
2013 election
2009 election
2005 election
References