Remscheid
Encyclopedia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is, after Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
and Solingen
Solingen
Solingen 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, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land
Bergisches Land
The Bergisches Land is a low mountain range region within the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 artificial lakes...
, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
.
The registered population was 113,935 in 2007.
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 engineeringMechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
and toolmaking were the main industries practised within the town. This is carried on today with the Hazet tool company which has two factories in Remscheid. Remscheid was part of the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Rhine Province
Rhine Province
The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
from 1822-1945.
On 31 July 1943, during the second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Remscheid was almost completely destroyed during a British bombing raid which caused a firestorm
Firestorm
A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires, forest fires, and wildfires...
.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
crashed in the city on 8 December 1988. Six people died.
Today, Remscheid comprises four boroughs, Alt-Remscheid, Remscheid-Süd, Lennep, and Lüttringhausen
Lüttringhausen
Lüttringhausen is a district of the German town of Remscheid with a population of 17,857 in 2005; 11,829 in 1905; 13,560, mostly Evangelical, in 1910.-Overview:It was founded around the year 1189. At this time, Lüttringhausen belonged to the County of Berg...
.
Main sights
- The Müngstener BrückeMüngsten BridgeMüngsten Bridge is the highest steel railroad bridge in Germany. The bridge is high and spans the valley of the river Wupper, connecting the cities of Remscheid and Solingen. This stretch is part of the Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Solingen railway...
is a railroad bridge crossing a valley and connecting Remscheid with the neighbouring town of SolingenSolingenSolingen 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, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
. 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 EschbachtalsperreEschbachtalsperreThe Eschbach Dam was the first dam to be built in Germany for drinking water supply. It is located in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With its opening in 1891, this pioneer work of hydraulic engineering was a milestone in the economic development of the city of Remscheid.- History...
, the first damDamA dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
built in Germany for the supply of drinking water is located here. It was built in 1891. - The old city of the borough Lennep consists of 116 houses from 1756.
Famous people
- Wilhelm Röntgen, the discoverer of x-rayX-rayX-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s, 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. - Johann Vaillant, founded the famous heating company VaillantVaillantVaillant may refer to:*Vaillant *Vaillant, Haute-Marne, a commune of the Haute-Marne department, France*Vaillant and Vaillant, le journal de Pif, children's magazines*Michel Vaillant, a comic book character...
in Remscheid in the late 19 century. - Gottfried DudenGottfried DudenGottfried Duden was a German emigration writer of the early 19th century. His famous book Bericht über eine Reise nach den westlichen Staaten Nordamerika's gave romantic and glowing descriptions of the Missouri River valley between St. Louis and Hermann, Missouri...
, German writer, Traveled the United States mostly in Missouri and wrote Bericht über eine Reise nach den westlichen Staaten Nordamerikas ("Report of a journey to the western states of North America") - Teo OttoTeo OttoTeo Otto was a Swiss stage designer. He trained in Kassel and Paris and in 1926 taught at the Bauhaus in Weimar. In 1928 he became an assistant at the Berlin Staatsoper...
, a stage designerScenic designScenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A...
, was born in Remscheid in 1904. - Karl Michael VoglerKarl Michael VoglerKarl Michael Vogler was a German actor probably best known for his appearances in several big-budget English-language films of the 1960s and 1970s, including The Blue Max where he co-starred with George Peppard and Ursula Andress followed a few years later by Patton, in which he portrayed Erwin...
, an actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, was born in Remscheid in 1928. - Peter BrötzmannPeter BrötzmannPeter Brötzmann is a German artist and free jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.Brötzmann is among the most important European free jazz musicians. His rough, lyrical timbre is easily recognized on his many recordings.-Early life:...
, a free jazzFree jazzFree jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
saxophonist, was born in Remscheid in 1941. - Armin Mersmann, artist, born in Remscheid 1955
- Frank PlasbergFrank PlasbergFrank Plasberg is a German journalist and television presenter.- Life :Plasberg has an education in theater, politics and pedagogy and works as television presenter on German broadcaster WDR. From 1987 to 2002 he was television host of programme Aktuelle Stunde...
, German journalist, was born in Remscheid in 1957. - Wolfgang TillmansWolfgang TillmansWolfgang Tillmans is a German Fine-art photographer and artist. His comprehensive and diverse body of work is distinguished by observation of his surroundings and an ongoing investigation of the photographic medium’s foundations. In 2000, Tillmans was the first photographer and also the first...
, a photographer, was born in Remscheid in 1968.