Summary
Wermelskirchen (German pronunciation: [ˈvɛʁml̩sˌkɪʁçn̩] ⓘ; Ripuarian: Wärmelßkirrshe) is a town in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, southeast of Remscheid. It is home to one of Europe's biggest live Christmas trees (measuring 26m).
Wermelskirchen | |
|---|---|
 Church of Saint Michael | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Wermelskirchen within Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district  | |
  Wermelskirchen  Wermelskirchen | |
| Coordinates: 51°09′N 7°13′E / 51.150°N 7.217°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Köln |
| District | Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Marion Lück[1] (Ind.) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 74.66 km2 (28.83 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 345 m (1,132 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
| • Total | 34,739 |
| • Density | 470/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 42929 |
| Dialling codes | 02196 02193 (Dabringhausen) 02174 (Bechhausen) |
| Vehicle registration | GL |
| Website | www.wermelskirchen.de |
Geography edit
The distance to Cologne is about 35 kilometers, to Düsseldorf about 45 kilometers. The neighboring municipalities are Remscheid, Hückeswagen, Wipperfürth, Kürten, Odenthal, Burscheid and Solingen. The townscape is characterized by Altberg slate and half-timbered houses.
Coat of arms edit
The coat-of-arms of the city of Wermelskirchen looks like a silver shield split into thirds. In the left field is an oak tree. In the right field there is a Swan and pictured in the middle field there is a church.
History edit
From 1822 to 1945, Wermelskirchen was part of the Prussian Rhine Province.
Education edit
Wermelskirchen has an Evangelical, a Roman Catholic church and a Latin school.
Economy edit
The city has the head office of OBI[3] and the origin of the caster manufacturer TENTE.
Twin towns – sister cities edit
Notable people edit
- Carl Leverkus (1804–1889), founder of a German chemical and pharmaceutical company and the namesake of the city of Leverkusen
- Uwe Boll (born 1965), film director and writer, restaurateur and founder of Bauhaus Restaurant chains in Canada
- Thomas Kleine (born 1977), footballer
- Christian Lindner (born 1979), politician and Federal Minister of Finance (2021–present)
Honorary citizens edit
- 1876: Ludwig von Bohlen
- 1884: Carl Leverkus
- 1895: Otto von Bismarck
- 1933: Paul von Hindenburg
References edit
- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2022 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "Impressum." OBI. Retrieved on 2 February 2011. "Komplementär OBI Heimwerkermarkt Systemzentrale GmbH, Albert-Einstein-Straße 7-9, 42929 Wermelskirchen, Amtsgericht Köln HR B 36389."
- ^ "Städtepartnerschaften & Patenschaften". wermelskirchen.de (in German). Wermelskirchen. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 523.
External links edit
- Official website (in German)
- Website of the borough Dabringhausen (in German)