Brilon is a town in
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, that belongs to the
HochsauerlandHochsauerlandkreis is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest, Paderborn, Höxter, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe, Märkischer Kreis.- History :...
kreis.
Geography
Brilon is situated on the Brilon Heights at an altitude of about 450 m on the upper reaches of the river
MöhneThe Möhne is a small-size river in western Germany , right tributary of the Ruhr. The Möhne passes the towns of Brilon, Rüthen, Warstein. There is large articifical lake near the mouth of the river, the Möhne Reservoir, used for hydro power generation and leisure activities....
. The town lies between the Arnsberg Forest nature reserve to the west and the Lake Diemel nature reserve and the Hoppecke to the south-east.
Neighbouring municipalities
- Bad Wünnenberg
Bad Wünnenberg is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Aabach, approx. 20 km south of Paderborn....
- Büren
Büren is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Büren is situated on the river Alme, approx. 20 km south-west of Paderborn and approx...
- Diemelsee
Diemelsee is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany, and is part of the Upland region.- Location :Diemelsee lies in the River Diemel in the Diemelsee Nature Park just upstream from and southwest of the Diemelsee reservoir...
- Marsberg
Marsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:Although its origins are obscure, Marsberg was a prospering town by the 13th century . It was a free city until 1807, when it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia, until 1813...
|
Olsberg
RüthenRüthen is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Rüthen is situated on the river Möhne, approx. 20 km south of Lippstadt and 35 km south-west of Paderborn...
WillingenWillingen is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel.Willingen is regularly advertised as Willingen Hochsauerland and Willingen .-Location:...
|
Division of the town
After the local government reforms of 1975 Brilon consists of 17 districts:
- Alme (1.273 inhabitants)
- Altenbüren (1.453 inhabitants)
- Bontkirchen (553 inhabitants)
- Brilon Town (14.513 inhabitants)
- Brilon-Wald (595 inhabitants)
- Esshoff (80 inhabitants)
- Gudenhagen/Petersborn (1.273 inhabitants)
- Hoppecke (1.330 inhabitants)
- Madfeld (1.395 inhabitants)
- Messinghausen (898 inhabitants)
- Nehden (503 inhabitants)
- Radlinghausen (129 inhabitants)
- Rixen (143 inhabitants)
- Rösenbeck (858 inhabitants)
- Scharfenberg (1.533 inhabitants)
- Thülen (1.088 inhabitants)
- Wülfte (421 inhabitants)
(Source of population figures: www.briloner-wirtschaft.de / As at: 31 December 2004)
History
The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the
EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a Middle Ages ruler, who as German King had in addition received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope of the Holy Roman Church, and after the 16th century, the elected monarch governing the Holy Roman Empire, a Central...
Otto II dated 973, confirming to the
Cathedral of MagdeburgThe Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg , officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice , is one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in Germany. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg...
all those possessions in
WestphaliaWestphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Bochum, Detmold, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Hagen, Minden and Münster and included in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia....
given to it by his father, including the
Villa Brilon. This reference must of course apply to a considerably older settlement than the present town, presumably what is now Altenbrilon. The Brilon estate passed later by exchange to the Archbishops of
PaderbornPaderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, who endowed their steward ("
VogtA Vogt in the Holy Roman Empire was the title of a reeve, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice over a certain territory...
") with it.
In about 1220
ArchbishopThe Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Archbishop of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the empire. The...
Engelbert I of CologneCount Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
acquired the Brilon lands of the brothers Hermann and Gernand of Brilon. The Archbishop laid out a fortified town and gave it municipal rights. Bloody conflicts followed between the Archbishops of Cologne and the Bishops of Paderborn over the rights of possession of the place. These ended when the Bishop of Paderborn, after being taken prisoner, waived his rights to Brilon (1256).
Thereafter Brilon developed under the rulership of the Prince-Bishops of Cologne into a thriving town of c 3,000 inhabitants with an active trading and mining life and far-reaching business connections. As a trading town Brilon was also a member of the
Hansa-Ships and transportation:*Hansa , or Zeppelin LZ13, a German airship*Hansa , a German car brand of the Borgward group*Hansa , a Swedish passenger liner, sunk by a Soviet submarine in 1944...
. In 1350 Brilon had between 500 and 600 houses. At this time Brilon held the position of the second city of Westphalia behind
SoestSoest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...
. After the secession of Soest in 1444 Brilon was elevated to being the capital of Westphalia.
In 1655, after three years of negotiations between the town magistrate and the Minorites resident in Brilon, the
Gymnasium Petrinumhttp://www.petrinum-brilon.de was founded as a monastery school. It is thus one of the oldest
GymnasienA gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools...
("grammar schools") in Westphalia.
But already in the 15th century conflicts and military actions were leading to an economic decline; and the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries brought unspeakable misery to this once flourishing little town.
During the
Napoleonic periodThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played...
Brilon passed to
Hesse-DarmstadtThe Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
, in 1802. After the
Congress of ViennaThe Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from November, 1814 to June, 1815. Its objective was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...
of 1816 it was transferred to
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
, which made it the centre of the Prussian
KreisKreis is the German word for circle, and also refers to a type of country subdivision.*In Germany, a Kreis is a district or county*In Prussia, a Kreis was a district or county...
or district. In this way, as the seat of government offices and schools, Brilon regained significance. The construction of traffic connections and various municipal measures brought about a strong development of crafts and trade.
In
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the town was initially spared from Allied
air raidsAn air strike is a military strike by air forces or other military aviation assets against either a suspected or a confirmed enemy ground position. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as bombers, ground attack aircraft, strike fighters, and Attack helicopters. Weapons used in an...
. But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bombers which destroyed whole streets, particularly
Hoppecker Strasse and
Derkere Mauer. A bomb broke through the roof of the Provost's Church but did not explode. In this bombing raid 37 people were killed, including 13 children.
After the war Brilon became part of the newly created state of
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
. In the course of the local government reorganisation of 1975 the following communities were added to the town: formerly administered by the
Amt Thülen: Alme, Bontkirchen, Hoppecke, Madfeld, Messinghausen, Nehden (belonging to Thülen parish), Radlinghausen, Rixen, Rösenbeck, Scharfenberg, Thülen and Wülfte; and formerly belonging to the
Amt Bigge: Altenbüren and Esshoff.
Population Growth
The following numbers only show the population of the town of Brilon, not of the municipality.
- 2,592 inhabitants (1784), including 63 Jews 1)
- 3,584 inhabitants (1844), including 111 Evangelicals, 84 Jews
- 4,471 inhabitants (1890), including 231 Evangelicals, 95 Jews
- 5,849 inhabitants (1925)
- 6,480 inhabitants (1933)
- 6,959 inhabitants (1939)
- 14,305 inhabitants (1966)
1) Source:
Vergangene Zeiten (
Past times), volume 1 incl. the dependent communities (
Filialgemeinden) Wülfte and Rixen
Arms
The arms of Brilon are: Party per fess, in chief, argent, a cross sable, and in base, sable, a key in bend argent, wards to the dexter. They were granted on 28 January 1911, but in this form first appear in a seal of 1548. The cross in the upper part is from the arms of the state of
CologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants...
. The key, a motif which appears already in medieval seals, is one of the keys of
Saint PeterSimon Peter , Pétros “Rock”, Kephas in Hellenized Aramaic) was a leader of the early Christian Church, who features prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was the son of John, and was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee...
,
patron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. Patron saints, because they have already transcended to the metaphysical, are able to intercede effectively for the needs of their special charges...
of
CologneThe Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Archbishop of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the empire. The...
.
Twin Towns
-
HesdinHesdin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The N39, from Arras to Montreuil, used to be the main thoroughfare of the town. In the 1950s, a circular route was created to help traffic flow...
(FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
)
-
Heusden-ZolderHeusden-Zolder is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 km² which gives a population density of 578 inhabitants per km²....
(BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
)
-
ThursoThurso is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland...
(ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
)
-
BuckowBuckow is a town in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated at the Schermützelsee lake, northwest of Müncheberg and east of the Berlin centre...
(BrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
)
Culture and Sights
Brilon is a town in
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, that belongs to the
HochsauerlandHochsauerlandkreis is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest, Paderborn, Höxter, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe, Märkischer Kreis.- History :...
kreis.
Geography
Brilon is situated on the Brilon Heights at an altitude of about 450 m on the upper reaches of the river
MöhneThe Möhne is a small-size river in western Germany , right tributary of the Ruhr. The Möhne passes the towns of Brilon, Rüthen, Warstein. There is large articifical lake near the mouth of the river, the Möhne Reservoir, used for hydro power generation and leisure activities....
. The town lies between the Arnsberg Forest nature reserve to the west and the Lake Diemel nature reserve and the Hoppecke to the south-east.
Neighbouring municipalities
- Bad Wünnenberg
Bad Wünnenberg is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Aabach, approx. 20 km south of Paderborn....
- Büren
Büren is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Büren is situated on the river Alme, approx. 20 km south-west of Paderborn and approx...
- Diemelsee
Diemelsee is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany, and is part of the Upland region.- Location :Diemelsee lies in the River Diemel in the Diemelsee Nature Park just upstream from and southwest of the Diemelsee reservoir...
- Marsberg
Marsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:Although its origins are obscure, Marsberg was a prospering town by the 13th century . It was a free city until 1807, when it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia, until 1813...
|
Olsberg
RüthenRüthen is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Rüthen is situated on the river Möhne, approx. 20 km south of Lippstadt and 35 km south-west of Paderborn...
WillingenWillingen is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel.Willingen is regularly advertised as Willingen Hochsauerland and Willingen .-Location:...
|
Division of the town
After the local government reforms of 1975 Brilon consists of 17 districts:
- Alme (1.273 inhabitants)
- Altenbüren (1.453 inhabitants)
- Bontkirchen (553 inhabitants)
- Brilon Town (14.513 inhabitants)
- Brilon-Wald (595 inhabitants)
- Esshoff (80 inhabitants)
- Gudenhagen/Petersborn (1.273 inhabitants)
- Hoppecke (1.330 inhabitants)
- Madfeld (1.395 inhabitants)
- Messinghausen (898 inhabitants)
- Nehden (503 inhabitants)
- Radlinghausen (129 inhabitants)
- Rixen (143 inhabitants)
- Rösenbeck (858 inhabitants)
- Scharfenberg (1.533 inhabitants)
- Thülen (1.088 inhabitants)
- Wülfte (421 inhabitants)
(Source of population figures: www.briloner-wirtschaft.de / As at: 31 December 2004)
History
The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the
EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a Middle Ages ruler, who as German King had in addition received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope of the Holy Roman Church, and after the 16th century, the elected monarch governing the Holy Roman Empire, a Central...
Otto II dated 973, confirming to the
Cathedral of MagdeburgThe Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg , officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice , is one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in Germany. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg...
all those possessions in
WestphaliaWestphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Bochum, Detmold, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Hagen, Minden and Münster and included in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia....
given to it by his father, including the
Villa Brilon. This reference must of course apply to a considerably older settlement than the present town, presumably what is now Altenbrilon. The Brilon estate passed later by exchange to the Archbishops of
PaderbornPaderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, who endowed their steward ("
VogtA Vogt in the Holy Roman Empire was the title of a reeve, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice over a certain territory...
") with it.
In about 1220
ArchbishopThe Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Archbishop of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the empire. The...
Engelbert I of CologneCount Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
acquired the Brilon lands of the brothers Hermann and Gernand of Brilon. The Archbishop laid out a fortified town and gave it municipal rights. Bloody conflicts followed between the Archbishops of Cologne and the Bishops of Paderborn over the rights of possession of the place. These ended when the Bishop of Paderborn, after being taken prisoner, waived his rights to Brilon (1256).
Thereafter Brilon developed under the rulership of the Prince-Bishops of Cologne into a thriving town of c 3,000 inhabitants with an active trading and mining life and far-reaching business connections. As a trading town Brilon was also a member of the
Hansa-Ships and transportation:*Hansa , or Zeppelin LZ13, a German airship*Hansa , a German car brand of the Borgward group*Hansa , a Swedish passenger liner, sunk by a Soviet submarine in 1944...
. In 1350 Brilon had between 500 and 600 houses. At this time Brilon held the position of the second city of Westphalia behind
SoestSoest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...
. After the secession of Soest in 1444 Brilon was elevated to being the capital of Westphalia.
In 1655, after three years of negotiations between the town magistrate and the Minorites resident in Brilon, the
Gymnasium Petrinumhttp://www.petrinum-brilon.de was founded as a monastery school. It is thus one of the oldest
GymnasienA gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools...
("grammar schools") in Westphalia.
But already in the 15th century conflicts and military actions were leading to an economic decline; and the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries brought unspeakable misery to this once flourishing little town.
During the
Napoleonic periodThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played...
Brilon passed to
Hesse-DarmstadtThe Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
, in 1802. After the
Congress of ViennaThe Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from November, 1814 to June, 1815. Its objective was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...
of 1816 it was transferred to
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
, which made it the centre of the Prussian
KreisKreis is the German word for circle, and also refers to a type of country subdivision.*In Germany, a Kreis is a district or county*In Prussia, a Kreis was a district or county...
or district. In this way, as the seat of government offices and schools, Brilon regained significance. The construction of traffic connections and various municipal measures brought about a strong development of crafts and trade.
In
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the town was initially spared from Allied
air raidsAn air strike is a military strike by air forces or other military aviation assets against either a suspected or a confirmed enemy ground position. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as bombers, ground attack aircraft, strike fighters, and Attack helicopters. Weapons used in an...
. But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bombers which destroyed whole streets, particularly
Hoppecker Strasse and
Derkere Mauer. A bomb broke through the roof of the Provost's Church but did not explode. In this bombing raid 37 people were killed, including 13 children.
After the war Brilon became part of the newly created state of
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
. In the course of the local government reorganisation of 1975 the following communities were added to the town: formerly administered by the
Amt Thülen: Alme, Bontkirchen, Hoppecke, Madfeld, Messinghausen, Nehden (belonging to Thülen parish), Radlinghausen, Rixen, Rösenbeck, Scharfenberg, Thülen and Wülfte; and formerly belonging to the
Amt Bigge: Altenbüren and Esshoff.
Population Growth
The following numbers only show the population of the town of Brilon, not of the municipality.
- 2,592 inhabitants (1784), including 63 Jews 1)
- 3,584 inhabitants (1844), including 111 Evangelicals, 84 Jews
- 4,471 inhabitants (1890), including 231 Evangelicals, 95 Jews
- 5,849 inhabitants (1925)
- 6,480 inhabitants (1933)
- 6,959 inhabitants (1939)
- 14,305 inhabitants (1966)
1) Source:
Vergangene Zeiten (
Past times), volume 1 incl. the dependent communities (
Filialgemeinden) Wülfte and Rixen
Arms
The arms of Brilon are: Party per fess, in chief, argent, a cross sable, and in base, sable, a key in bend argent, wards to the dexter. They were granted on 28 January 1911, but in this form first appear in a seal of 1548. The cross in the upper part is from the arms of the state of
CologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants...
. The key, a motif which appears already in medieval seals, is one of the keys of
Saint PeterSimon Peter , Pétros “Rock”, Kephas in Hellenized Aramaic) was a leader of the early Christian Church, who features prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was the son of John, and was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee...
,
patron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. Patron saints, because they have already transcended to the metaphysical, are able to intercede effectively for the needs of their special charges...
of
CologneThe Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Archbishop of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the empire. The...
.
Twin Towns
- Hesdin
Hesdin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The N39, from Arras to Montreuil, used to be the main thoroughfare of the town. In the 1950s, a circular route was created to help traffic flow...
(FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
)
- Heusden-Zolder
Heusden-Zolder is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 km² which gives a population density of 578 inhabitants per km²....
(BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
)
- Thurso
Thurso is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland...
(ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
)
- Buckow
Buckow is a town in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated at the Schermützelsee lake, northwest of Müncheberg and east of the Berlin centre...
(BrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
)
Culture and Sights
Brilon is a town in
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, that belongs to the
HochsauerlandHochsauerlandkreis is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest, Paderborn, Höxter, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe, Märkischer Kreis.- History :...
kreis.
Geography
Brilon is situated on the Brilon Heights at an altitude of about 450 m on the upper reaches of the river
MöhneThe Möhne is a small-size river in western Germany , right tributary of the Ruhr. The Möhne passes the towns of Brilon, Rüthen, Warstein. There is large articifical lake near the mouth of the river, the Möhne Reservoir, used for hydro power generation and leisure activities....
. The town lies between the Arnsberg Forest nature reserve to the west and the Lake Diemel nature reserve and the Hoppecke to the south-east.
Neighbouring municipalities
- Bad Wünnenberg
Bad Wünnenberg is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Aabach, approx. 20 km south of Paderborn....
- Büren
Büren is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Büren is situated on the river Alme, approx. 20 km south-west of Paderborn and approx...
- Diemelsee
Diemelsee is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany, and is part of the Upland region.- Location :Diemelsee lies in the River Diemel in the Diemelsee Nature Park just upstream from and southwest of the Diemelsee reservoir...
- Marsberg
Marsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:Although its origins are obscure, Marsberg was a prospering town by the 13th century . It was a free city until 1807, when it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia, until 1813...
|
Olsberg
RüthenRüthen is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Rüthen is situated on the river Möhne, approx. 20 km south of Lippstadt and 35 km south-west of Paderborn...
WillingenWillingen is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel.Willingen is regularly advertised as Willingen Hochsauerland and Willingen .-Location:...
|
Division of the town
After the local government reforms of 1975 Brilon consists of 17 districts:
- Alme (1.273 inhabitants)
- Altenbüren (1.453 inhabitants)
- Bontkirchen (553 inhabitants)
- Brilon Town (14.513 inhabitants)
- Brilon-Wald (595 inhabitants)
- Esshoff (80 inhabitants)
- Gudenhagen/Petersborn (1.273 inhabitants)
- Hoppecke (1.330 inhabitants)
- Madfeld (1.395 inhabitants)
- Messinghausen (898 inhabitants)
- Nehden (503 inhabitants)
- Radlinghausen (129 inhabitants)
- Rixen (143 inhabitants)
- Rösenbeck (858 inhabitants)
- Scharfenberg (1.533 inhabitants)
- Thülen (1.088 inhabitants)
- Wülfte (421 inhabitants)
(Source of population figures: www.briloner-wirtschaft.de / As at: 31 December 2004)
History
The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the
EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a Middle Ages ruler, who as German King had in addition received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope of the Holy Roman Church, and after the 16th century, the elected monarch governing the Holy Roman Empire, a Central...
Otto II dated 973, confirming to the
Cathedral of MagdeburgThe Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg , officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice , is one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in Germany. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg...
all those possessions in
WestphaliaWestphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Bochum, Detmold, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Hagen, Minden and Münster and included in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia....
given to it by his father, including the
Villa Brilon. This reference must of course apply to a considerably older settlement than the present town, presumably what is now Altenbrilon. The Brilon estate passed later by exchange to the Archbishops of
PaderbornPaderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, who endowed their steward ("
VogtA Vogt in the Holy Roman Empire was the title of a reeve, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice over a certain territory...
") with it.
In about 1220
ArchbishopThe Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Archbishop of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the empire. The...
Engelbert I of CologneCount Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
acquired the Brilon lands of the brothers Hermann and Gernand of Brilon. The Archbishop laid out a fortified town and gave it municipal rights. Bloody conflicts followed between the Archbishops of Cologne and the Bishops of Paderborn over the rights of possession of the place. These ended when the Bishop of Paderborn, after being taken prisoner, waived his rights to Brilon (1256).
Thereafter Brilon developed under the rulership of the Prince-Bishops of Cologne into a thriving town of c 3,000 inhabitants with an active trading and mining life and far-reaching business connections. As a trading town Brilon was also a member of the
Hansa-Ships and transportation:*Hansa , or Zeppelin LZ13, a German airship*Hansa , a German car brand of the Borgward group*Hansa , a Swedish passenger liner, sunk by a Soviet submarine in 1944...
. In 1350 Brilon had between 500 and 600 houses. At this time Brilon held the position of the second city of Westphalia behind
SoestSoest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...
. After the secession of Soest in 1444 Brilon was elevated to being the capital of Westphalia.
In 1655, after three years of negotiations between the town magistrate and the Minorites resident in Brilon, the
Gymnasium Petrinumhttp://www.petrinum-brilon.de was founded as a monastery school. It is thus one of the oldest
GymnasienA gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools...
("grammar schools") in Westphalia.
But already in the 15th century conflicts and military actions were leading to an economic decline; and the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries brought unspeakable misery to this once flourishing little town.
During the
Napoleonic periodThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played...
Brilon passed to
Hesse-DarmstadtThe Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
, in 1802. After the
Congress of ViennaThe Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from November, 1814 to June, 1815. Its objective was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...
of 1816 it was transferred to
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
, which made it the centre of the Prussian
KreisKreis is the German word for circle, and also refers to a type of country subdivision.*In Germany, a Kreis is a district or county*In Prussia, a Kreis was a district or county...
or district. In this way, as the seat of government offices and schools, Brilon regained significance. The construction of traffic connections and various municipal measures brought about a strong development of crafts and trade.
In
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the town was initially spared from Allied
air raidsAn air strike is a military strike by air forces or other military aviation assets against either a suspected or a confirmed enemy ground position. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as bombers, ground attack aircraft, strike fighters, and Attack helicopters. Weapons used in an...
. But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bombers which destroyed whole streets, particularly
Hoppecker Strasse and
Derkere Mauer. A bomb broke through the roof of the Provost's Church but did not explode. In this bombing raid 37 people were killed, including 13 children.
After the war Brilon became part of the newly created state of
North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the westernmost and—in terms of population and economic output—the largest Federal State of Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km²...
. In the course of the local government reorganisation of 1975 the following communities were added to the town: formerly administered by the
Amt Thülen: Alme, Bontkirchen, Hoppecke, Madfeld, Messinghausen, Nehden (belonging to Thülen parish), Radlinghausen, Rixen, Rösenbeck, Scharfenberg, Thülen and Wülfte; and formerly belonging to the
Amt Bigge: Altenbüren and Esshoff.
Population Growth
The following numbers only show the population of the town of Brilon, not of the municipality.
- 2,592 inhabitants (1784), including 63 Jews 1)
- 3,584 inhabitants (1844), including 111 Evangelicals, 84 Jews
- 4,471 inhabitants (1890), including 231 Evangelicals, 95 Jews
- 5,849 inhabitants (1925)
- 6,480 inhabitants (1933)
- 6,959 inhabitants (1939)
- 14,305 inhabitants (1966)
1) Source:
Vergangene Zeiten (
Past times), volume 1 incl. the dependent communities (
Filialgemeinden) Wülfte and Rixen
Arms
The arms of Brilon are: Party per fess, in chief, argent, a cross sable, and in base, sable, a key in bend argent, wards to the dexter. They were granted on 28 January 1911, but in this form first appear in a seal of 1548. The cross in the upper part is from the arms of the state of
CologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants...
. The key, a motif which appears already in medieval seals, is one of the keys of
Saint PeterSimon Peter , Pétros “Rock”, Kephas in Hellenized Aramaic) was a leader of the early Christian Church, who features prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Peter was the son of John, and was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee...
,
patron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. Patron saints, because they have already transcended to the metaphysical, are able to intercede effectively for the needs of their special charges...
of
CologneThe Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Archbishop of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of the empire. The...
.
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, GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
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