Wenden is a community 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,...
. It belongs to the
Olpe districtOlpe is a Kreis in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Märkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis.- History :...
in the
SauerlandThe Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...
. It lies roughly 7 km south of
OlpeOlpe is situated in the foothills of the Ebbegebirge in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 60 km east of Cologne and 20 km northwest of Siegen. It is part o the Regierungsbezirk of Arnsberg and is the seat of the district of Olpe.- Location :...
and 15 km northwest of
SiegenSiegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is a Große kreisangehörige Stadt . It is in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in Arnsberg region...
.
Location
Wenden lies at the southernmost tip of the
SauerlandThe Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...
, an area of low mountain ranges. The Bigge and its tributaries, which feed into Biggesee, rise near Wenden. To the southeast a ridge separates the municipality from the adjoining
SiegerlandThe Siegerland is a region of Germany covering the old district of Siegen and the upper part of the district of Altenkirchen, belonging to the Rhineland-Palatinate adjoining it to the west.Geologically, the Siegerland belongs to the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge...
. In the southwest the municipal area borders
Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 federal states of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz....
.
Neighbouring communities
Bordering on Wenden are
OlpeOlpe may refer to*a wine vessel*Olpe, Kansas, United States*Olpe, Germany*Olpe , Germany...
and
DrolshagenDrolshagen is a town belonging to the district of Olpe in the Regierungsbezirk of Arnsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, lying roughly 5 km west of Olpe.- Location :...
, which like Wenden lie in the Olpe district,
FriesenhagenFriesenhagen is a municipality in the district of Altenkirchen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
in
Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 federal states of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz....
’s
Altenkirchen districtAltenkirchen is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the North Rhine-Westphalian districts Rhein-Sieg, Oberbergischer Kreis, Olpe and Siegen-Wittgenstein, and the districts of Westerwaldkreis and Neuwied....
,
KreuztalKreuztal is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Location :Kreuztal is a town in the low mountains of the northern Siegerland and lies at the western edge of the Rothaargebirge about 10 km north of Siegen....
,
FreudenbergFreudenberg is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.The town lies on the German-Dutch holiday road called the Oranier-Route, joining towns, cities and regions associated with the House of Orange.- Location :...
and
SiegenSiegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is a Große kreisangehörige Stadt . It is in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in Arnsberg region...
(all in
Siegen-WittgensteinSiegen-Wittgenstein is a Kreis in the southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Olpe, Hochsauerlandkreis, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Lahn-Dill, Westerwaldkreis, Altenkirchen.-History:...
), and also
ReichshofReichshof is a Northrhine-Westfalian municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis in Germany, about 40 km east of Cologne. It is a health resort, known for its good climate.- General meaning :...
in the
Oberbergischer Kreiscellpadding="2" style="float: right; width: 307px; background: #e3e3e3; margin-left: 1em; border-spacing: 1px;"! Coat of arms! Map|- style="background: #ffffff; text-align: center;"| style="width: 145px;" | | style="width: 145px;" | |-...
.
Constituent communities
The community consists of the following centres: Altenhof, Altenwenden, Bebbingen,
BrünBrun may refer to the following:* the French word derived from the Germanic word for "brown" . If applied to hair, see brunette* Brun, Duke of Saxony, died 880-Surname:* Ane Brun , Norwegian singer/songwriter...
, Büchen, Döingen, Dörnscheid, Eichertshof, Elben, Gerlingen, Girkhausen, Heid, Hillmicke, Hoffnung, Hünsborn, Huppen, Löffelberg, Möllmicke, Ottfingen, Römershagen, Rothemühle, Rothenborn, Scheiderwald, Schönau, Schwarzbruch, Trömbach, Vahlberg, Wenden, Wendenerhütte and Wilhelmstal.
Climate
Wenden’s climate is very wet. West winds bring clouds that form over the
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
and they rise as they pass over the
SauerlandThe Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...
and Wenden, which in turn brings rain. The coldest month is January. July is the warmest month. During winter fog forms frequently out of the moist air.
History
The origins of the name Wenden are not known for certain. Probably it has to do with the location because at the turn of the first millennium within its area the lands of two Germanic people, the
FranksThe Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic tribal confederation first attested in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul...
and the
SaxonsThe Saxons were a confederation of Old Germanic tribes. Their modern-day descendants in Lower Saxony and Westphalia and other German states are considered ethnic Germans ; those in the eastern Netherlands are considered to be ethnic Dutch; those in north...
met. There is no knowledge as to when the area was first settled. The names of some villages like Girkhausen, Bebbingen, Döingen, Gerlingen and Ottfingen as well as the names of lost villages and homesteads offer some clues. Most likely settlement must have taken place no later than around 900 to 1000 AD. Perhaps the area knew settlements even earlier as the names of local brooks and streams like Elbe, Albe, Wende, Bigge, Benze and Binse hint.
The first documented record of Wenden dates back to 1011. By that time a
monasteryMonastery , a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer Monastery (plural: monasteries), a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios...
had been founded in Herford and given land in
Wendenne, which is said to mean Wenden. At the beginning of the 14th century a chapel
Wendene capella is mentioned in a copy of a much older tax register of the Archdiocese of Cologne. Watersheds have been Wenden’s limits for centuries. In the southeast and east these watersheds marked the boundary with the territory of Nassau-Siegen, in the south to the land of the counts of Wildenburg and in the south and southwest to the Duchy of Berg. All of the municipal area was part of the Electorate of Cologne. Following the
ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe which is generally deemed to have begun with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 although a number of precursors such as Jan Hus predate that event...
they remained
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
while their neighbours to the southeast, south and southwest converted to
ProtestantismProtestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the major divisions within Christianity, together with the Roman...
.
By the end of the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
people in the
SiegerlandThe Siegerland is a region of Germany covering the old district of Siegen and the upper part of the district of Altenkirchen, belonging to the Rhineland-Palatinate adjoining it to the west.Geologically, the Siegerland belongs to the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge...
fenced off their territory with a combination of trenches, earthworks and dense hedgerows. That part which touches the
district of OlpeOlpe is a Kreis in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Märkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis.- History :...
is called the "Kölsches Heck" ("
Cologne hedge"). The "Kölsches Heck" also marks a boundary between two languages High German and
Low GermanLow German or Low Saxon is any of the regional language varieties of the West Germanic languages spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands.-Geographical extent:-Low German in Europe:Dialects...
. After the Reformation it came to mark the border between areas of different faiths.
In 1803 the municipal area of Wenden was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt and in 1816 it was annexed 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...
. Some years later in 1850 the municipalities of Wenden and Römershagen were joined to form the new municipality of Wenden (
Amt Wenden).
Religion
The great majority of the community dwellers adhere to the
Catholic faithCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole...
. With the exception of Möllmicke and Rothemühle, each of the community’s bigger centres has a Catholic church or
chapelA chapel is a building used as a place for fellowship and of worship for Christians. It may be attached to an institution such as a large church, a college, a hospital, a palace, a prison or a cemetery, or may be an entirely free-standing building, sometimes with its own grounds...
at its disposal. After the Second World War many
Germans driven out of the lost territories in the eastBy the end of World War II, most of the German population fled or was expelled from areas outside the territory of post-war Germany and post-war Austria, including:...
moved into what was then the
Amt of Wenden; they settled mostly in the centres of Vahlberg and Rothemühle. Thus arose the
Evangelical ChurchEvangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 regional Lutheran, Reformed and United Protestant church bodies. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding, because of the denominational differences...
of Rothemühle in the 1950s. In the 1980s there came a community centre in Wenden’s main town which quickly outdid the church in Rothemühle. In 2006, a resolution was handed down by the Evangelical parish of Olpe, to which Wenden belongs, to abandon the church in Rothemühle. The Rothemühle chapel building club thereupon took over financial responsibility for the church, guaranteeing its continued existence for the time being. In the 1960s, many
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
s and
Greek OrthodoxThe Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of the Orthodox Church, sharing a common cultural tradition and whose liturgy is traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament....
Christians also came to the community of Wenden. For a few years, a
mosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid, —...
has been maintained in Wenden’s main centre. A regionally important
pilgrimageIn religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of many major religions participate in pilgrimages...
centre for Catholics is the Dörnschlade, found in the middle of the woods between the centres of Hünsborn, Wenden and Altenhof. According to legend, a
MadonnaImages of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity...
statueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
stolen from the Wenden church was found there. A chapel is used by many believers for worship. Among others, the regional
Katholische Arbeitnehmer-Bewegung (“Catholic Employees’ Movement”, KAB) uses the Dörnschlade for its yearly pilgrimage.
Amalgamations
The community of Wenden came into being in 1969 in the course of municipal restructuring in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is coëxtensive with the former
Amt of Wenden, which itself consisted of the communities of Wenden and Römershagen.
Mayor
Peter Brüser, a CDU member and also formerly that party’s candidate, won in the municipal election as an independent by a great margin over CDU candidate Antonius Halbe. Before the dual leadership system was abolished, Brüser was already
Gemeindedirektor (“Community Director”), and was chosen as mayor (
Bürgermeister) first by the council and then in the original election.
Town partnerships
A partnership came about as a result of German unity with
DingelstädtDingelstädt is a Thuringian city in the district of Eichsfeld in Germany.-History:Anton Thraen the German astronomer, minister and native of Holungen died in Dingelstädt on February 18, 1902 .-Twin towns - Sister cities:Dingelstädt is twinned with:...
in the former East Germany. The partnership was at first actively pursued, for instance through administrative employees’ exchanges, and continues today at a lower, but constant, level. For example, Dingelstädt’s mayor is a regular guest at the great yearly event known as the Wendener Kirmes.
Currently, groundwork is being laid to build a partnership with the
HungarianHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
town of
LepsényLepsény is a village in Fejér county, Hungary.- External links :*...
. The packaging firm SiBO maintains branch offices in both Wenden and Lepsény. Owner Bernd Hesse blazed the trail for this budding partnership.
Theatre
The Sauerland-Theater Hillmicke is a successful
amateur theatreAmateur theatre is theatre performed by amateur actors. These actors are not typically members of Actors' Equity groups or Actors' Unions as these organizations exist to protect the professional industry and therefore discourage their members from appearing with companies which are not a signatory...
, and performs every November in the Wenden school centre’s
auditoriumAn auditorium is where the audience is located to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
.
Museums
The
Wendener HütteWendener Hütte is an old ironworks and hammer mill. As that it is a cultural monument to the beginnings of industrialization. It is located near Wenden and open to visitors.- History :...
is a technological cultural monument and one of the oldest still preserved
charcoalCharcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood, sugar, bone char, or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
furnace works in the
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
-speaking world. It can be viewed free during opening hours.
Music
The community of Wenden is well known for its great number of
concert bandA concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family...
s, music clubs,
bandsIn music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform songs. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band* Dansband* Fife and drum...
and
choirA choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus...
s. Almost every centre has a concert band and several choirs at its disposal. The
Spielmannszug Wenden (band) celebrates its centenary in 2008, holding a great festival weekend on 18-20 April.
Buildings
The Dörnschlade pilgrimage chapel was built in the mid 19th century and is found near Altenhof. It can easily be reached by the road running between Hünsborn and Wenden. On the Sundays after the Festivals of the
AssumptionThe Assumption of Mary is a belief held by Christians of the Catholic Church as well as some Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Anglicans, that the Virgin Mary, at the end of her life, was physically taken up into heaven...
(2 July) and the
Nativity of MaryThe Nativity of Mary, or Birth of the Virgin and various permutations, is celebrated as a liturgical feast in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and in most Anglican liturgical calendars on 8 September, nine months after the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December...
(8 September), a procession from Altenhof and Wenden to the Dörnschlade takes place, which is then finished with a church service there.
The St. Severinus parish church was built about 1750. The
altarAn altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religious purposes, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place. Altars are usually found at a shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
s and most holy figures already adorned the forerunner church, from which also came the bulky tower, the new church having been built over the old one, which was then only knocked down after construction on the new one was well under way. The holy objects were all transferred to the new church. The
pulpitA pulpit is a small elevated platform from which a member of the clergy delivers a sermon in a house of worship....
, the Resplendent Madonna and the
organThe organ is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet...
, however, were acquired new in 1755. The new church’s namesake may have been St. Severin’s Church in
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 last thorough renovation was done between 1986 and 1988, with the church being made over as far as possible to look as it did when it was built in the 18th century.
Natural monuments
The source of the river Bigge lies near Römershagen. The stream, which where it rises is still only very small, runs for 16 km, then filling one of Germany’s biggest reservoirs, the Biggesee.
Sport
- The Vereinigte Sport-Vereine Wenden 1930 e. V. in Wenden-Schönau (football) played in the Verbandsliga
The Verbandsliga is the 6th tier of football in Germany, played on a regional basis by Bundesland. In Sachsen, Thüringen, Hamburg, Bremen and Bavaria the 6th tier is called Landesliga, which is the 7th tier in some of the other Bundesländer...
until 2003, but are now in the LandesligaThe Landesliga is the 7th tier of football in most of Germany, one division below the Verbandsliga. In Bavaria, Sachsen, Thüringen, Bremen and Hamburg the Landesligas are set right below the Oberliga and therefore are the 6th tier...
. They have an artificial-turfArtificial turf, or Astroturf, is a man-made surface manufactured from synthetic made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
pitch at their disposal.
- The DAC 01, Wenden plays skittles
Skittles is an old European lawn game, a variety of bowling, from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, and candlepin bowling in the United States, and five-pin bowling in Canada are descended. In the United Kingdom, the game remains a popular pub sport in England and Wales, though it tends to...
in a Landesliga at the Bundeskegelbahn Gasthof Wurm (“Bützers”) in Schönau.
- The SG Wenden already boasts various successes in athletics
Track and field athletics is a collection of sports events that involve running, throwing, jumping and walking. Organised athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC, and most modern events are conducted by the member clubs of the International Association of Athletics...
, among them Simon Huckestein, sixth in the 2005 German Championship over 800 m. The club was built up significantly by squad trainer Egon Bröcher’s work, and by Kunibert Rademacher (currently the chairman for district athletics). The club organizes the traditional Südsauerlandlauf (“South Sauerland Walk”) which draws up to 800 participants. It is held every year on the first weekend in November. Training is done on the Tartan trackTartan track is the trademarked all-weather synthetic track surfacing for athletics made of polyurethane. It lets athletes compete in bad weather without serious performance loss and improves their results over other surfaces. It also provides a more consistent surface for competition even under...
at the Gerlingen sporting grounds and at the gymnasium at the Wenden school centre.
Regular events
- The Wendsche Kärmetze (kermis) is held on the third Tuesday in August as well as on the Saturday and Sunday before that. On Tuesday there is an animal show with prizes awarded to animals in various classes. Another thing that sets the Wendsche Kärmetze apart is that throughout the time when it is being held, there is a market at which the most varied things are for sale. Besides the many market dealers, many carnival ride
An amusement ride is any number of devices found at carnivals, fairs/funfairs, or amusement parks meant to appeal to various senses of the rider.-Amusement Park rides:Larger rides, normally only found in amusement/theme parks...
operators bring their carouselA carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
s and other attractions. The Wenden kermis is the biggest event of its kind in the South Westphalia area.
- The Schönauer Karneval is a high point at Carnival
Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February...
time in South Westphalia celebrated with, besides the Prinzenproklamation (about 11 November), Altweiber (“Old Women’s Day”), Prunksitzung (a sitting of the “Elves’ Council” – actually a revue) and Rosenmontagszug (“Shrove Monday Parade”) also with three further events under marquees. Elaborate floatA float is a decorated platform, either built on a vehicle or towed behind one, which is a component of many festive parades, such as the Maltese Carnival, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Key West Fantasy Fest parade, and the Tournament of Roses Parade...
s and many groups on foot on Shrove Monday combine to form a miles-long lindwormLindworm in British heraldry, is a technical term for a wingless bipedal dragon often with a poisonous bite....
that wends its way through Schönau’s streets watched by 15,000 onlookers in this centre of only 1,400 souls. The Schönau carneys’ battle call goes “Schönau Helau”. The club song begins mith the lines “Von Schönau bis Bockenbach – da wird geschunkelt und gelacht” (roughly “From Schönau to Bockenbach – there will be swaying to and fro and laughing”), Bockenbach being a neighbouring place in the Siegerland. Over more than 40 years, the Schönau-Altenwenden Carnival Club has established itself very firmly in South Westphalian Carnival life. Its two dancing guards, the Rote and Blaue Funken (Red and Blue Sparks), represent the club at many regional and national events.
- The Ottfinger Schützenfest (“Ottfingen Shooting Festival”) is traditionally held on the third weekend in June and is the biggest of its kind in the community of Wenden. The festival begins with a parade through the village, with the new King and Queen being determined thereafter in a bird-shooting contest. The high point is the joint celebrating in the marksmen’s tent on Saturday evening.
- The Südsauerlandlauf, a traditional walking event that held its 30th edition in 2005 is usually held on the first weekend in November by the Sportgemeinschaft Wenden (“Wenden Sport Association”). In past years, the event has even welcomed successful walking aces such as Sabrina Mockenhaupt
Sabrina Mockenhaupt is a German long-distance runner.In 2002 she finished eighth in 3000 metres at the 2002 European Indoor Championships, tenth in 10,000 metres at the 2002 European Championships and seventh in 5000 metres at the 2002 World Cup.In 2004 she finished seventh in 3000 m at the 2004...
in 2005. There are the Bambinilauf (500 m), Schülerläufe (2 km for schoolchildren), Volkslauf (5 km for the general public), Hauptlauf (the “main” walk of 10 km) and Nordic WalkingNordic walking, originally known as ski walking is a form of exercise consisting of walking with poles similar to ski poles.-Origin:Nordic walking is defined as fitness walking with specially designed poles. It evolved from an off-season ski-training activity known as ski walking, hill bounding or...
(9 km) which draw up to 800 participants, making it the biggest walking event in South Westphalia. It has been integrated as a walking event into the Ausdauer-Cup.
Economy and infrastructure
The economic development of the area depended mostly on
iron oreIron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, deep purple, to rusty red. The iron itself is usually found in the form of magnetite , hematite , goethite, limonite or...
and heavy spar deposits as well as an abundance of wood and water. In 1855 there were 7 smelting works in the
district of OlpeOlpe is a Kreis in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Märkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis.- History :...
, 5 of which lay in the Wenden municipal area. While most smelting works produced
pig ironPig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.5–4.5%, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications.The traditional shape of the molds...
, the
Wendener Hütte, a mill founded by Johannes Elmert in 1728, made crude
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. Like others which fired their blast furnaces with locally produced
charcoalCharcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood, sugar, bone char, or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, the
Wendener Hütte lost out to the developing
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
-based steel industry in the
Ruhr AreaThe Ruhr is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.3 million, it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
. The
Wendener Hütte closed down in 1866. In the years after
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 majority of the local population was working in
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
. But when farming changed to more
intensive farmingIntensive farming or intensive agriculture is an agricultural production system characterized by the high inputs of capital, labour, or heavy usage of technologies such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers relative to land area....
with larger farms specialising in
cattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and
dairy farmingDairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
, most small farmers gave up. People shifted out of farming and sought employment in
manufacturingManufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
in neighbouring
OlpeOlpe is situated in the foothills of the Ebbegebirge in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 60 km east of Cologne and 20 km northwest of Siegen. It is part o the Regierungsbezirk of Arnsberg and is the seat of the district of Olpe.- Location :...
and the
SiegerlandThe Siegerland is a region of Germany covering the old district of Siegen and the upper part of the district of Altenkirchen, belonging to the Rhineland-Palatinate adjoining it to the west.Geologically, the Siegerland belongs to the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge...
.
This all changed when
Bundesautobahn 45is an autobahn in Germany, connecting Dortmund in the west with Hanau in the southwest. It is colloquially known by its byname Sauerlandlinie, which derives from the Sauerland, the landscape which said autobahn is running through between the cities of Hagen and Siegen. Many people think of it as...
was completed in 1971 and
Bundesautobahn 4is an Autobahn that crosses Germany in a west-east direction. The western segment has a length of 134 km , the part in the east is 381 km long. Works to continue the A 4 are in progress, but currently no plans exist to fill the gap completely.The A 4 starts north-west of...
opened to traffic in 1976. With quick access to other areas of Germany, Wenden was able to attract larger operations and build a solid economic infrastructure.
Established enterprises
- CAMCO (professional audio power amplifiers)
- Dia-therm (heater factory)
- Berker
- Elexis-Gruppe with the firms EMG and Drehmo
Roads
The community of Wenden is connected to two
AutobahnAutobahn is the German word for a major high-speed road restricted to motor vehicles capable of driving at least 60 km/h and having full control of access, similar to a motorway or freeway in English-speaking countries.In most countries, it usually refers to the German autobahn specifically...
en, the
A4is an Autobahn that crosses Germany in a west-east direction. The western segment has a length of 134 km , the part in the east is 381 km long. Works to continue the A 4 are in progress, but currently no plans exist to fill the gap completely.The A 4 starts north-west of...
(Aachen–Görlitz, links the area to
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...
in the west) and the
A45is an autobahn in Germany, connecting Dortmund in the west with Hanau in the southwest. It is colloquially known by its byname Sauerlandlinie, which derives from the Sauerland, the landscape which said autobahn is running through between the cities of Hagen and Siegen. Many people think of it as...
(connects Wenden northwards to
DortmundDortmund is a city in Germany, located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 587,830 makes it the 7th-largest city in Germany, and 34th-largest in the European Union....
and the
Ruhr AreaThe Ruhr is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.3 million, it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
and southwards to Giessen and
FrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2008 population of 670,000. The urban area had an estimated population of 2.26 million in 2001...
), both with an
interchangeIn the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
at Wenden at the Olpe-Süd Autobahn cross. There are, however, no Federal highways (
BundesstraßeBundesstraßen are German and Austrian federal highways. One distinguishing characteristic between German Bundesstraßen and the world-famous Autobahnen is that there is a general 100 km/h speed limit on federal highways, as opposed to the "recommended" limit of 130 km/h in unmarked sections of...
n) running through the community. The main thoroughfares are the highways (
Landstraßen) L342, L512, L564, L714 and L905.
The eastward extension of the A4 in 2006 connects it to the Hüttentalstrasse linking Wenden to
KreuztalKreuztal is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Location :Kreuztal is a town in the low mountains of the northern Siegerland and lies at the western edge of the Rothaargebirge about 10 km north of Siegen....
and
SiegenSiegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is a Große kreisangehörige Stadt . It is in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in Arnsberg region...
.
Bus and rail transport
For local public road transport there are many
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
lines that also join Wenden with neighbouring communities. Operators are the
Verkehrsbetriebe Westfalen-Süd (VWS, “Westphalia-South Transport Services”), whose seat is in Siegen and which is a daughter company of the
Stadtwerke Bonn, and the railway daughter company
Busverkehr Ruhr-Sieg (BRS, “Ruhr-Sieg Bus Transport”). Lines R50 and R51 are the most important buslines, running from
SiegenSiegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is a Große kreisangehörige Stadt . It is in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in Arnsberg region...
and
OlpeOlpe may refer to*a wine vessel*Olpe, Kansas, United States*Olpe, Germany*Olpe , Germany...
to Wenden.
Nowadays there is no longer any rail transport in the municipal area. There was formerly a rail connection to the
Biggetalbahn (railway). The stretch running between
Freudenberg-Companies:*Freudenberg-NOK*Freudenberg Politex*Freudenberg & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft-Geography:*Municipalities in Germany:**Freudenberg, Westphalia, in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, North Rhine-Westphalia...
and Rothemühle, however, was abandoned by 1987, while the Rothemühle-Olpe stretch had its service withdrawn in 2000, and in 2005 it was dismantled.
Education
Wenden has got two secondary schools and several primary schools but no
GymnasiumA 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...
.
Schools and educational institutions in Wenden
| Elementary school An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America...
s |
Secondary school Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. It follows on from elementary or primary education....
s |
| Katholische Grundschule Gerlingen |
Hauptschule A "Hauptschule" is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling. Any student who went to a German elementary school can go to a Hauptschule afterwards, whereas students who want to attend a Realschule or Gymnasium need to have good marks in order to do so...
: Konrad-Adenauer-Schule Gemeinschaftshauptschule |
| Katholische Grundschule Hünsborn |
Realschule The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and Russian Empire .-Germany:In the German secondary school system, the Realschule is ranked between Hauptschule and Gymnasium...
: Realschule Wenden |
| Katholische Grundschule Ottfingen |
Special school A special school is a school catering to students who have special educational needs due to severe learning difficulties or physical disabilities. An alternative is a special classroom, also called a self-contained classroom, which is a separate room dedicated solely to the education of students...
s |
| Biggetal-Grundschule Rothemühle |
Geschwister-Scholl-Schule, Förderschule mit dem Förderschwerpunkt emotionale und soziale Entwicklung |
| Westerberg-Schule Katholische Grundschule Wenden |
|
Sons and daughters of the community
- Johannes Dornseiffer (born 2 February 1837 in Wenden-Gerlingen; died 11 December 1914 in Eslohe
Eslohe is a municipality in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Neighbouring municipalities:* Finnentrop* Lennestadt* Meschede* Schmallenberg* Sundern- Division of the town :...
), vicar in Fretter and pastor in Eslohe, founder of the (agricultural) Winterschule (“Winter School”) in Fretter, stands as cofounder of many savings and loan companies in the Finnentrop-Eslohe area in personal contact with Friedrich Wilhelm RaiffeisenFriedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen was a German cooperative leader....
.
- P. Maurus Kaufmann OSB (born in Elben; died 1948 in Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
), first abbotThe word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the Abbey of the DormitionHagia Maria Sion Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Jerusalem on Mt. Zion just outside the walls of the Old City near the Zion Gate.It was formerly known as the Abbey of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, but the name was changed in 1998 in reference to the church of Hagia Sion that formerly stood on...
in Jerusalem.
- Dr. Kaspar Klein (born 28 August 1865 in Elben; died 26 January 1941 in Paderborn), 1930 - 1941 Archbishop of Paderborn
Paderborn 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:...
- Wilhelm Schneider, (born 4 September 1847 in Gerlingen; died 31 August 1909 in Paderborn) Bishop in the Archbishopric of Paderborn.
Further reading
- Fritz Wiemers: Heimatbuch des Amtes Wenden. published by the Wenden i. Westf. Amt administration. Olpe o.J. ( 1951). – expanded new printing published in collaboration with the community of Wenden, with an introduction by Dr. Raimund Quiter, Kreuztal 2004. ISBN 3-925498-80-X
- Karl Heinz Kaufmann: Wenden. Wo die Wendschen wohnen. Ein heimatgeschichtliches und volkskundliches Lesebuch published on commission from the community of Wenden. Kreuztal 2001. ISBN 3-925498-69-9
- Heinrich Solbach: Ottfingen. published by local history working group. Schmallenberg-Fredeburg o.J. (1992)
- Tonis Brüser et al.: Dörnscheid – ein Dorf in dem wir leben. published by the Dörnscheid. o.J. village association (ca. 1990)
- Margret Kirschey et al.: Römershagen 1144 – 1994. published by “850 Jahre Römershagen” working group. Elben/ Ww. O. J. (1994)
- Wolf-Dieter Grün (ed.): Die Heider Schulchronik. Was der Lehrer aufschrieb über Heid, Rothemühle, Trömbach, die Binz und Vahlberg, ergänzt um einige Zeitdokumente. published by Heid Development Association and the Heimatverein Rothemühle e.V., Wenden 2007
External links