Kempen () is a town in the
district of Viersen, in
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately northwest of
Düsseldorf, and east of
Venlo.
History
* 1186: First mention in official documentation of Kempen as a place – the sovereign until 1794 is the Archbishop (electoral prince) of Cologne
* around 1290: Kempen is rebuilt as a
fortified town
*11 March 1294: First confirmation of Kempen as a town in official documentation
*15th century: town blooms economically and culturally (population of approx. 4,200)
*1542–1543: Kempen is the centre of the
Reformation for the Lower Rhine
*1579: The plague costs the town almost half of its inhabitants
*1642: Kempen is conquered and destroyed by the allied French, Hessian and Weimar troops during the "Hessen War" (
Thirty Years' War)
*1794–1814: Kempen is under French rule. In the ''
département'' of
Roer established in 1797, Kempen becomes a canton seat in 1798 and a French town in 1801.
*1815: After the
Congress of Vienna, Kempen becomes Prussian and is the county seat
*1929: Due to local reforms, Kempen becomes the administrative seat of the county of Kempen-Krefeld
*1966 onward: Restoration of the old town
*1970: Communal restructuring: The communities of
Hüls, St. Hubert, Tönisberg and Schmalbroich join Kempen along with the localities of St. Peter and Unterweiden to form a single town
*1975: In further local reforms, Hüls is assigned to the city of Krefeld. The county of Viersen is formed and Kempen becomes part of "Kreis Viersen"
*1984: The county seat is transferred from Kempen to Viersen.
*1987: A cultural forum is opened in the Franciscan monastery after comprehensive restoration and renovation work.
*11 March 1994: Date of the 700-year jubilee of the confirmation of Kempen as a town
Twin towns – sister cities
Kempen is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Wambrechies, France (1972)
*
Orsay, France (1973)
*
East Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom (1978)
*
Werdau, Germany (1990)
Notable people
*
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
*
John Brugman (?–1473),
Franciscan friar and preacher in
Flanders
*
Wilhelm Hünermann
Wilhelm Hünermann (28 July 1900 – 28 November 1975) was a German priest and writer, best known for his novelized biographies of Roman Catholic saints.
Life and Works
In 1923, Hünermann was ordained to the priesthood and started serving in ...
(1900–1975), priest and writer
*
Adolph Moses Radin
Adolph Moses Radin (August 5, 1848 – February 5, 1909) was a Polish-born Jewish-American rabbi. Life
Radin was born on August 5, 1848 in Neustadt-Schirwindt, Congress Poland, the son of Marcus Radin and Hinde Ritow.
Radin received his Talmudi ...
(1848–1909), rabbi
*
Isabel Varell
Isabel Varell ( Wehrmann; born 31 July 1961) is a German singer, actress and television presenter.
Life
Born in Kempen, Varell participated in various talent shows as a singer before she was discovered and supported by German producer Jack W ...
(born 1961), actress and singer
*
Bernhard van Treeck
Bernhard van Treeck (born 5 February 1964, Kempen, Niederrhein) is a German psychiatrist and has led a clinic specialised in addictions and drug-dependency. As an author he has written several books on graffiti, street-art, drugs and addiction. ...
(born 1964), psychiatrist and author
*
Tobias Koch
Tobias Koch (born September 11, 1968) is a German pianist.
Biography
Tobias Koch was born in Kempen. He attended the Robert Schumann Music College in Düsseldorf, and conservatories Vienna, Graz and Brussels.
His chamber music partners ...
(born 1968), pianist
Gallery
Kempen, straatzicht2 2009-08-16 13.33.JPG, View in a street
Kempen, kerk foto1 2009-08-16 13.35.JPG, Church
Kempen, Kuhtor foto1 2009-08-16 13.44.JPG, Towngate (''Das Kuhtor'')
Kempen, kerk3 2009-08-16 14.01.JPG, Lutheran church (Thomas Church)
Kempen Denkmal-Nr. 3c, Hessenwall 1 (2067).jpg, Hessenmühle
Burg_Kempen_Suedansicht_01.jpg, Kempen Castle
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
Viersen (district)