city, North Rhine-Westphalia (North Rhine–Westphalia) Land (state), northwestern Germany, on the Aa, a stream near the Dutch border, just north of Wesel. Chartered in 1222 by the bishop of Münster, Bocholt derives its name from Buchenholz, the “beech wood” of its surroundings. Historic buildings include the Gothic Church of St. George (1415–86), the Dutch Renaissance town hall (1618–21, restored 1928–34), and the nearby castles of Anholt and Gemen. A centre of the textile industry, it also has iron foundries and machine works. Annexations during the 1970s enlarged the city by more than a third. Pop. (2005) 73,790.