Frechen (;
Ripuarian: ''Frechem'') is a town in the
Rhein-Erft District
The Rhein-Erft-Kreis ( ksh, Rhing-Ärff-Kries) is a district in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Neuss, district-free Cologne, Rhein-Sieg, Euskirchen, Düren.
History
The district in its current borders was ...
,
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Frechen was first mentioned in 877. It is situated at the western
Cologne city border.
It is the site of the 1257 Battle of Frechen between
Conrad von Hochstaden, Archbishop of Cologne and the people of the town. In the 16th century it acquired a name for its
terra cotta artifacts, especially the "
Bartmannskrug" (beardman jug). In the late 18th century
lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...
was industrially mined. Digging for lignite dominated the city's economy until the end of the 20th century. In 1891 the first briquette factory was opened. On 2 September 1951 Frechen received its city-rights including the villages of Bachem, Hücheln and Buschbell. On 1 January 1975 the nearby villages of Grefrath, Habbelrath, Königsdorf and Neufreimersdorf were also incorporated. From the 1980s onwards an increasing number of industrial, commercial and service enterprises choose Frechen as their location, so that the town changed its features considerably.
Population
As of December 31, 2015 there were 51,999 inhabitants registered.
Local council
Elections were held in September 2020.
* CDU: 19 seats
* SPD: 11 seats
* Alliance 90/The Greens: 9 seats
* Perspektive für Frechen: 4 seats
* FDP: 3 seats
* The Left: 2 seats
* Alternative für Deutschland: 2 seats
Notable people
*
Kirsten Bolm
Kirsten Bolm (born 4 March 1975 in Frechen, West Germany) is a retired German hurdler.
Bolm's personal best is 12.59 seconds, achieved in July 2005 in the Crystal Palace Grand Prix at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
She graduated in p ...
(born 1975), athlete
*
Wayne Carpendale
The sixth edition of '' Dancing Stars'' was broadcast from March 11 to May 27, 2011 on ORF1 and was presented by Mirjam Weichselbraun and Klaus Eberhartinger.
Couples
Scoring chart
: indicate the lowest score for each week.
: indicate the ...
(born 1977), actor and presenter
*
Pierre Vogel
Pierre Vogel (born July 20, 1978), also known as Abu Hamza ( ar, أبو حمزة) is a German Islamist preacher and a former professional boxer.
Early life and boxing career
Vogel was born in Frechen. He turned professional at the age of 22, fi ...
(born 1978),
Islamist preacher
*
Ayọ
Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin (born 14 September 1980), known professionally as Ayọ, is a German singer, songwriter and actress. She uses the Yoruba translation Ayọ or Ayo. of her first name ''Joy''.
Her debut album '' Joyful'', released in 2006, ...
(born 1980), soul singer
*
Sonja Bertram
Sonja Bertram (born 14 September 1984) is a German actress.
Life and career
She spent most of her childhood in Dießen, Bavaria, the second of four children born to Josef and Gabi Bertram. She grew up with two brothers and a sister.
Her father ...
(born 1984), actress
*
Marcel Heller
Marcel Heller (born 12 February 1986) is a German footballer who plays as a winger for SV Straelen.
Career
Early career
In 2006, Heller signed with Regionalliga Süd club Sportfreunde Siegen for its 2006–07 campaign, joining from the Alema ...
(born 1986), footballer
*
Lennart Thy
Lennart Thy (born 25 February 1992) is a German professional footballer who plays as a striker for Eerste Divisie club PEC Zwolle.
Club career
On 18 January 2016, Werder Bremen announced Thy would be returning to the club for the 2016–17 seas ...
(born 1992), footballer
Twin towns – sister cities
Frechen is
twinned with:
*
Kapfenberg
Kapfenberg , with around 22,609 inhabitants, is the third largest city in Styria, Austria, near Bruck an der Mur. The town's landmark is Burg Oberkapfenberg. Its main employer is the steel manufacturer Böhler.
The town has a swimming complex, ...
, Austria
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhein-Erft-Kreis