Remscheid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Administrative region | Düsseldorf |
| District | urban district |
| Population | 115,374 source (June 2006) |
| Area | 74.6 km² |
| Population density | 1,547 /km² |
| Elevation | 365 m |
| Coordinates | 51°11′ N 7°12′ E |
| Postal code | 42801-42899 |
| Area code | 02191 |
| Licence plate code | RS |
| Mayor | Beate Wilding (SPD) |
| Website | www.remscheid.de |
Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area. Population: 117,717 (2003).
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[edit] History
Remscheid was founded in the 12th century, but remained a small village until the 19th century. Early spellings for the city included Remissgeid (1217), Rymscheyd (1351), Reymscheyd (1487) and Rembscheid (1639). The economic growth of the entire Rhine-Ruhr region led to an increase of the population of Remscheid. Mechanical engineering and toolmaking were the main industries practised within the town.
On July 31, 1943, during the second World War, Remscheid was almost completely destroyed during a British bombing raid which caused a firestorm.
A A-10 Thunderbolt II crashed in the city on December 8, 1988. Six people died.
Today, Remscheid comprises four boroughs, Alt-Remscheid, Remscheid-Süd, Lennep, and Lüttringhausen.
[edit] Main sights
- The Müngstener Brücke is a railroad bridge crossing a valley and connecting Remscheid with the neighbouring town of Solingen. It is 107 m above the ground, making it the highest railroad bridge in Germany. It was constructed in 1897 and originally named the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke after Wilhelm I (whose 100th birthday would have been in 1897).
- The Eschbachtalsperre, the first dam built in Germany for the supply of drinking water is located here. It was built in 1891.
[edit] Famous people
- Wilhelm Röntgen, the discoverer of x-rays, was born 1845 in Lennep, which is today a borough of Remscheid. There is a museum in Remscheid (Deutsches Röntgen-Museum) commemorating Röntgen's life and discoveries.
- Teo Otto, a stage designer, was born in Remscheid in 1904.
- Karl Michael Vogler, an actor, was born in Remscheid in 1928.
- Peter Brötzmann, a free jazz saxophonist, was born in Remscheid in 1941.
- Wolfgang Tillmans, a photographer, was born in Remscheid in 1968.
[edit] Twin cities
- Quimper, France, since 1971
- Wansbeck, United Kingdom, since 1978
- Prešov, Slovakia, since 1989
- Pirna, Saxony, Germany, since 1989
It has friendship status with Schmalkalden, Thuringia (Germany)
[edit] External links
- Deutsches Röntgen-Museum (German)
- official website of the city (German)
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Urban districts and Districts in the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) |
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Urban |
Aachen | Bergisch Gladbach | Bielefeld | Bochum | Bonn | Bottrop | Dortmund | Duisburg | Düsseldorf | Essen | Gelsenkirchen | Hagen | Hamm | Herne | Köln (Cologne) | Krefeld | Leverkusen | Mönchengladbach | Mülheim | Münster | Oberhausen | Remscheid | Solingen | Wuppertal |
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Districts |
Aachen | Borken | Kleve (Cleves) | Coesfeld | Düren | Ennepe-Ruhr | Euskirchen | Gütersloh | Heinsberg | Herford | Hochsauerland | Höxter | Lippe | Märkischer Kreis | Mettmann | Minden-Lübbecke | Oberbergischer Kreis | Olpe | Paderborn | Recklinghausen | Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis | Rhein-Erft-Kreis | Rhein-Kreis Neuss | Rhein-Sieg-Kreis | Siegen-Wittgenstein | Soest | Steinfurt | Unna | Viersen | Warendorf | Wesel |
