Willich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Willich | |
|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
|
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Administrative region | Düsseldorf |
| District | Viersen |
| Population | 52,712 (2005) |
| Area | 67.76 km² |
| Population density | 778 /km² |
| Elevation | 35-41 m |
| Coordinates | 51°15′ N 6°32′ E |
| Postal code | 47877 |
| Area code | 02154, 02156 |
| Licence plate code | VIE |
| Mayor | Josef Heyes (CDU) |
| Website | stadt-willich.de |
Willich is a city in western North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Kreis Viersen near the cities Düsseldorf, Mönchengladbach and Krefeld, about 30 kilometres from the border to the Netherlands. The population is about 52,000 (in 2004).
The city was founded in 1970 out of the formerly independent villages Willich, Anrath, Schiefbahn and Neersen. But the villages are much older. Willich was mentioned for the first time in the 12th century.
The most famous building is "Schloss Neersen". The castle is known since the 13th century and was heavily rebuilt in the 17th century. It is know home of the city's administration. During summer an open air theatre is taken place there. A well known place for pilgrims is the chapel "Klein-Jerusalem" from the 17th century.
A lot of international companies, especially from the Far East, have their European or German headquarter in Willich.
In Willich there are junctions of the Bundesautobahn 44 and Bundesautobahn 52.
