Herzogenrath

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Herzogenrath

Coat of arms
Herzogenrath
Coordinates: 50°52′N 6°06′E / 50.867°N 6.100°E / 50.867; 6.100Coordinates: 50°52′N 6°06′E / 50.867°N 6.100°E / 50.867; 6.100
Country Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region Köln
District Aachen
Subdivisions 3
Government
 • Mayor Christoph von den Driesch (CDU)
Area
 • Total 33.401 km2 (12.896 sq mi)
Elevation 140 m (460 ft)
Population (2012-12-31)[1]
 • Total 46,478
 • Density 1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 52134
Dialling codes 02406 und 02407
Vehicle registration AC
Website www.herzogenrath.de

Herzogenrath is a municipality in the district of Aachen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It borders the Dutch town of Kerkrade, the national border in one section running along the middle of a main road.

History

Herzogenrath began in the 11th century as a settlement called Rode near the river Wurm. In 1104, Augustinian monks founded an abbey, called Kloosterrade, to the west of this settlement.

It became 's-Hertogenrode or 's-Hertogenrade (Dutch: the Duke's Rode) after the Duchy of Brabant took control of the region; in French it was called Rolduc (Rode-le-Duc).

As is the case for many parts of Duchy of Brabant, Herzogenrath changed hands several times in the last few centuries. Together with the rest of the Southern Netherlands, it was under Spanish control from 1661, Austrian between 1713 and 1795 and French between 1795 and 1813. In 1815, when the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed under the terms of the Vienna Congress, the border was drawn through the town, the eastern part being Prussian Herzogenrath and the western part Dutch Kerkrade. The former abbey is now the Rolduc Congress Center in Kerkrade.

Gallery

  • Herzogenrath, Schloss: Burg Rode

  • Herzogenrath, church: Pfarrkirche Sankt Maria Himmelfahrt

  • Herzogenrath, church and a monumental building

  • Herzogenrath, shopping mall

Economy

Until the 1950s, Herzogenrath's economy was dominated by coal mines and a nearby coking plant. While some remains of the mining industry still form parts of the landscape in the form of overgrown slag heaps, today's Herzogenrath has moved into other industries. Large-scale employers include Saint-Gobain, Aixtron, Vetrotex (textile glass) and Ericsson Eurolab (electronics). The city hosts a number of electronics start-ups, profiting from the neighbouring Technical University RWTH Aachen.

References

  1. ↑ "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen". Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW (in German). 31 July 2013. 

External links

Towns and municipalities in Aachen (district)
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