Westerwaldkreis

Westerwaldkreis
—  District  —
Country  Germany
State Rhineland-Palatinate
Capital Montabaur
Area
 • Total 988.75 km2 (381.8 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)[1]
 • Total 198,580
 • Density 200.8/km2 (520.2/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration WW
Website westerwaldkreis.de

The Westerwaldkreis (direct 1:1 translation: Western Forest District) is a district (Kreis) in the east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Altenkirchen, Lahn-Dill, Limburg-Weilburg, Rhein-Lahn, the district-free city Koblenz, Mayen-Koblenz and Neuwied.

Contents

History

When the area became part of Prussia in 1866 two districts covering the area were created. The northern part was covered by the Oberwesterwaldkreis with capital in Marienberg, the Unterwesterwaldkreis with capital in Montabaur covering the southern part. 1886 a third district was added with the Westerburg district with area from both of the other two districts. In 1932 the districts structure was reformed again, the Oberwesterwaldkreis and the Westerburg district were merged to a new Oberwesterwaldkreis with capital in Westerburg. In 1974 in another reform the districts Oberwesterwaldkreis and Unterwesterwaldkreis were merged to form the Westerwaldkreis.

Together with the neighboring Rhein-Lahn district a partnership with the English county Northamptonshire was started in 1981. As part of the partnership of Rhineland-Palatinate with Rwanda the district had a partnership with the municipality Mugesera since 1983. As in 2001 this municipality was included in the district Mirenge the partner changed.

Geography

The district is located in the Westerwald mountains. The highest elevation is the Fuchskaute with 657 m, the lowest is near Diez in the valley of the Gelbach with 150 m.

Coat of arms

The bottom part of the coat of arms show basalt pillars, as the Westerwald is of vulcanic origin. There are seven pillars representing the seven Verbandsgemeinden of the district which have basalt or quartzite in their area. The green band in the middle represents the forests, the jug in the upper part the traditional pottery industry in the district.

Towns and municipalities

Verbandsgemeinden
  1. Bad Marienberg1, 2
  2. Bölsberg
  3. Dreisbach
  4. Fehl-Ritzhausen
  5. Großseifen
  6. Hahn bei Marienberg
  7. Hardt
  8. Hof
  9. Kirburg
  10. Langenbach bei Kirburg
  11. Lautzenbrücken
  12. Mörlen
  13. Neunkhausen
  14. Nisterau
  15. Nistertal
  16. Norken
  17. Stockhausen-Illfurth
  18. Unnau
  1. Alpenrod
  2. Astert
  3. Atzelgift
  4. Borod
  5. Dreifelden
  6. Gehlert
  7. Giesenhausen
  8. Hachenburg1, 2
  9. Hattert
  10. Heimborn
  11. Heuzert
  12. Höchstenbach
  13. Kroppach
  14. Kundert
  15. Limbach
  16. Linden
  17. Lochum
  18. Luckenbach
  19. Marzhausen
  20. Merkelbach
  21. Mörsbach
  22. Mudenbach
  23. Mündersbach
  24. Müschenbach
  25. Nister
  26. Roßbach
  27. Steinebach an der Wied
  28. Stein-Wingert
  29. Streithausen
  30. Wahlrod
  31. Welkenbach
  32. Wied
  33. Winkelbach
  1. Hilgert
  2. Hillscheid
  3. Höhr-Grenzhausen1, 2
  4. Kammerforst
  1. Boden
  2. Daubach
  3. Eitelborn
  4. Gackenbach
  5. Girod
  6. Görgeshausen
  7. Großholbach
  8. Heilberscheid
  9. Heiligenroth
  10. Holler
  11. Horbach
  12. Hübingen
  13. Kadenbach
  14. Montabaur1, 2
  15. Nentershausen
  16. Neuhäusel
  17. Niederelbert
  18. Niedererbach
  19. Nomborn
  20. Oberelbert
  21. Ruppach-Goldhausen
  22. Simmern
  23. Stahlhofen
  24. Untershausen
  25. Welschneudorf
  1. Alsbach
  2. Breitenau
  3. Caan
  4. Deesen
  5. Hundsdorf
  6. Nauort
  7. Oberhaid
  8. Ransbach-Baumbach1, 2
  9. Sessenbach
  10. Wirscheid
  11. Wittgert
  1. Bretthausen
  2. Elsoff
  3. Hellenhahn-Schellenberg
  4. Homberg
  5. Hüblingen
  6. Irmtraut
  7. Liebenscheid
  8. Neunkirchen
  9. Neustadt
  10. Niederroßbach
  11. Nister-Möhrendorf
  12. Oberrod
  13. Oberroßbach
  14. Rehe
  15. Rennerod1, 2
  16. Salzburg
  17. Seck
  18. Stein-Neukirch
  19. Waigandshain
  20. Waldmühlen
  21. Westernohe
  22. Willingen
  23. Zehnhausen bei Rennerod
  1. Ellenhausen
  2. Ewighausen
  3. Freilingen
  4. Freirachdorf
  5. Goddert
  6. Hartenfels
  7. Herschbach, Selters
  8. Krümmel
  9. Marienrachdorf
  10. Maroth
  11. Maxsain
  12. Nordhofen
  13. Quirnbach
  14. Rückeroth
  15. Schenkelberg
  16. Selters1, 2
  17. Sessenhausen
  18. Steinen
  19. Vielbach
  20. Weidenhahn
  21. Wölferlingen
  1. Arnshöfen
  2. Berod bei Wallmerod
  3. Bilkheim
  4. Dreikirchen
  5. Elbingen
  6. Ettinghausen
  7. Hahn am See
  8. Herschbach, Wallmerod
  9. Hundsangen
  10. Kuhnhöfen
  11. Mähren
  12. Meudt
  13. Molsberg
  14. Niederahr
  15. Oberahr
  16. Obererbach
  17. Salz
  18. Steinefrenz
  19. Wallmerod1
  20. Weroth
  21. Zehnhausen bei Wallmerod
  1. Ailertchen
  2. Bellingen
  3. Berzhahn
  4. Brandscheid
  5. Enspel
  6. Gemünden
  7. Girkenroth
  8. Guckheim
  9. Halbs
  10. Härtlingen
  11. Hergenroth
  12. Höhn
  13. Kaden
  14. Kölbingen
  15. Langenhahn
  16. Pottum
  17. Rotenhain
  18. Rothenbach
  19. Stahlhofen am Wiesensee
  20. Stockum-Püschen
  21. Weltersburg
  22. Westerburg1, 2
  23. Willmenrod
  24. Winnen
  1. Bannberscheid
  2. Dernbach
  3. Ebernhahn
  4. Helferskirchen
  5. Leuterod
  6. Mogendorf
  7. Moschheim
  8. Niedersayn
  9. Ötzingen
  10. Siershahn
  11. Staudt
  12. Wirges1, 2
1seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; 2town

References

  1. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden am 31.12.2010" (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 2011. http://www.statistik.rlp.de/fileadmin/dokumente/berichte/A1033_201022_hj_G.pdf. 

External links

   Urban and rural districts in the State of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany   
Urban districts
Rural districts