An old rich decorated town hall, first mentioned in 1340 is the city hall of the Westphalian city of Brakel.
Brakel lies at the midpoint of the district of Höxter between the Eggegebirge and the Weser in the Oberwälder Land nature area in the old Saxon region of Nethegau.
Brakel had its first documentary mention in 836 as "villa brechal" in writings by the Benedictine monks. After the lords of Brakel died out in the late 13th century, Hinnenburg Castle on a hill above Brakel was inherited by the House of Asseburg, owning it to this day. The medieval castle was reconstructed around 1600 in the Weser Renaissance style. Brakel developed itself into quite an important trading town that belonged to the Hanseatic League. In the 14th century, this Hanseatic town was at the height of its boom, bearing the same rank as Paderborn and Warburg, bearing witness to which was the town's having its own court and market rights. The general situation worsened in the 15th century. In the outer regions, the Brede Monastery was founded.
The Thirty Years' War also left traces in Brakel. In 1803, Prussia took over the town and appointed Brakel a district seat. After a brief period of French rule in Napoleonic times, the district seat had to be yielded permanently to Höxter in 1832.
On 1 January 1970, the formerly independent communities of Beller, Bellersen, Bökendorf, Erkeln, Hembsen, Hinnenburg, Istrup, Rheder, Riesel and Schmechten merged with the town.
As part of the 5 November 1974 state law aimed at municipal reform, Höxter district and the old district of Warburg were amalgamated. The formerly independent communities of Auenhausen, Frohnhausen, Hampenhausen and Siddessen, along with the town of Gehrden were made parts of Brakel.
There was talk at the time of making Brakel the new district seat, its central location being seen as a point in its favour. However, any ambition that Brakel had to become the new district's capital was never realized, as Höxter kept the district seat.
Between 1966 and 1995, Brakel was a garrison town, hosting the 43rd Artillery Battalion from Belgium.
The town's development strong points today are as follows:
Bringing industrial concerns to town, especially in woodworking, metalworking, textile-working and plastics;
Being named a climatic spa, and expanding tourism;
Offering multifaceted educational opportunities, favoured by Brakel's central location.
Brakel's Hanseatic roots go back to its early history and stretch through the Middle Ages. From the first written reference to "villa brechal" in 836 (in connection with transferring Saint Vitus's bones from Saint Denis, France, to Corvey) through to the 12th century, when it was the seat of the Lords of Brakel, the town found itself centrally located by virtue of two old commercial roads that crossed here. Moreover, the topography made expansion possible in the Early Middle Ages.
Long-distance traders thereby had a decisive share in Brakel's development, being as they were part of the leading class in many Westphalian towns. The Hellweglinie, a mediaeval commercial road network that ran through Brakel, was the basis for long-distance trade.
As a principal town of the Hanseatic city of Paderborn, Brakel became a member of the Hanseatic League, putting Brakel in early contact with Hanseatic trade. Particularly in the 13th and 14th centuries, Brakel developed itself by fostering long-distance trade activities as far away as the Baltic Sea coast. Bearing witness to these Hanseatic activities are Brakel coins showing up in Baltic Sea towns at the time (15th century).
On 25 June 1983, representatives from 20 former Hanseatic towns, in an initiative arising from the towns' common history, founded the Wesphalian Hanseatic League (Westfälischer Hansebund), with Brakel as one of the founding members. The number of members has since risen to 40. The League's goals are, among others, to foster Wesphalian Hanseatic towns' self-awareness, to contribute to their self-presentation and to emphasize commonalities among these Hanseatic towns. Already, since 1984, it has become traditional to hold a yearly Westphalian Hansetag (Hanseatic assembly). The Hansetage are made attractive and informative to visitors with interesting cultural, touristic and sporting events (parades, farmers', craftsmen's and merchants market, theatre, evening events)
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