Remscheid () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third-largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on the south side of the

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...

area. Remscheid had around 109,000 inhabitants in 2015. At the end of 2019 it had 113,703 inhabitants.

Geography

Remscheid comprises four boroughs, ''Alt-Remscheid'', ''Remscheid-Süd'', ''Lennep'', and

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 Protestant, in 1910. Overview It was founded around the year 1189. At this time, Lüttringhausen belonged to the Coun ...

. Its highest point is the

Brodtberg The Brodtberg, at {{Höhe, 378.86, DE-NN, link=true, is the highest hill in Remscheid and the region of Düsseldorf in Germany. Despite that, it is not particularly prominent; for example the nearby quarter of Lennep Remscheid () is a city in N ...

(378 m).

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 engineering 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 Prussian

Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...

from 1822 to 1945. On 31 July 1943, during the World War II, Remscheid was almost completely destroyed during a British bombing raid which caused a firestorm. This bombing raid was the final operation of RAF's Battle of the Ruhr involving 273 aircraft. During 14 and 15 April 1945, Remscheid was captured by the 78th Infantry Division (United States). An A-10 Thunderbolt II crashed in the city on 8 December 1988. Six people died.

Demographics

As of 31 December 2019, the city's population was 113,703, of which 92,726 (81.6%) were German citizens and 20,977 (18.4%) were non-Germans (''Ausländer''); of the non-German population, the top 10 nationalities represented were as follows:

Politics

Mayor

The current Mayor of Remscheid is Burkhard Mast-Weisz of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

(SPD), elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Candidate ! Party ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Burkhard Mast-Weisz , align=left,

, 22,431 , 60.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Heidemarie Alexa Bell , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 9,710 , 26.2 , - , , align=left, Peter Keck , align=left, Pro Remscheid , 1,908 , 5.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Fritz Beinersdorf , align=left, The Left , 1,309 , 3.5 , - , , align=left, Roland Kirchner , align=left, W.i.R. Remscheid , 877 , 2.4 , - , , align=left, Bettina Stamm , align=left, Real Remscheid , 775 , 2.1 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 37,010 ! 98.5 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 548 ! 1.5 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 37,558 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 85,783 ! 43.8 , - , colspan=5, Source
State Returning Officer

City council

The Remscheid city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/− ! Seats ! +/− , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(SPD) , 12,718 , 34.5 , 0.3 , 20 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 11,036 , 29.9 , 7.3 , 17 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...

(Grüne) , 5,409 , 14.7 , 6.3 , 9 , 5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party ideologically based on liberalism. Current parties with that name include: *Free Democratic Party (Germany), a liberal political party in ...

(FDP) , 1,945 , 5.3 , 0.6 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left, Pro Remscheid (PRO) , 1,870 , 5.1 , 0.7 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 1,700 , 4.6 , 1.4 , 3 , ±0 , - , , align=left, W.i.R. Remscheid (WIR) , 1,092 , 3.0 , 1.5 , 2 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Real Remscheid (Echt) , 788 , 2.1 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...

(AfD) , 358 , 1.0 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 36,916 ! 98.4 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 592 ! 1.6 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 37,508 ! 100.0 ! ! 58 ! 6 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 85,783 ! 43.7 ! 0.7 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
State Returning Officer

Main sights

* The '' Müngstener Brücke'' is a railway bridge crossing a valley and connecting Remscheid with the neighbouring town of Solingen. It is 107 m above the ground, making it the highest railway 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 ''

Eschbachtalsperre The Eschbach Dam (german: Eschbachtalsperre) 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 wa ...

'', the first dam 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.

Twin towns – sister cities

Remscheid is twinned with: * Ashington, England, United Kingdom *

Kırşehir Kırşehir, formerly Mocissus ( grc, Μωκισσός) and Justinianopolis (Ἰουστινιανούπολις), is a city in Turkey. It is the capital district of the Kırşehir Province. According to the 2000 census, the population of the distri ...

, Turkey *

Mrągowo County __NOTOC__ Mrągowo County ( pl, powiat mrągowski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local gover ...

, Poland * Pirna, Germany *

Prešov Prešov (, hu, Eperjes, Rusyn language, Rusyn and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Пряшів) is a city in Eastern Slovakia. It is the seat of administrative Prešov Region ( sk, Prešovský kraj) and Šariš, as well as the historic Sáros Cou ...

, Slovakia * Quimper, France

Notable people

* Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt (1773–1854), scientist * Gottfried Duden (1789–1856), writer *

Oscar Schlitter Oscar Schlitter (10 January 1868 – 30 November 1939) was a German banker. Reflecting the long-standing "hands-on" approach of banks in Germany, Schlitter was involved in several major commercial and industrial mergers. He played a leading role ...

(1838–1939), banker *

Johannes Fastenrath Johannes Fastenrath (3 May 1839 – 16 March 1908) was a German writer, translator and Hispanist. Biography He was born at Remscheid, and studied at the universities of Bonn, Heidelberg, Munich, Berlin, and Paris. He travelled extensively in Spa ...

(1839–1908), lawyer, writer and translator * August Gissler (1857–1935), adventurer and treasure hunter *

Wilhelm Röntgen Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (; ; 27 March 184510 February 1923) was a German mechanical engineer and physicist, who, on 8 November 1895, produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an achiev ...

(1845–1923), discoverer of x-rays *

Otto Jungtow Otto Jungtow (29 December 1892 – 19 August 1959) was a German international footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football ...

(1892–1959), footballer * Otto Kuhler (1894–1977), American designer of locomotives *

Hans Stammreich Hans Stammreich (July 16, 1902 in Remscheid, Prussia, Germany - March 6, 1969 in São Paulo, Brazil), was a Brazilian chemist of German origin and an important pioneer of Raman spectroscopy and molecular spectroscopy. Life After obtaining his ...

(1902–1969), German-Brasilian chemist *

Teo Otto Teo Otto (1904–1968) was a Swiss stage designer.Banham (1998, 830). He trained in Kassel and Paris and in 1926 taught at the Bauhaus in Weimar.Baugh (1994, 252). In 1928 he became an assistant at the Berlin Staatsoper. Following the Nazis' se ...

(1904–1968), stage designer *

Wolfgang von der Nahmer Wolfgang von der Nahmer (14 April 1906 in Remscheid – 12 October 1988 in Wuppertal) was a German conductor and university lecturer. In 1933 he was Kapellmeister at the Mecklenburg State Theatre. Then, in 1953 he was professor of conducting at t ...

(1906–1988), conductor *

Gustav Adolf Theill Gustav Adolf Theill (7 February 1924 – 29 November 1997) was a German composer and musicologist. Life Theill was born in Remscheid as son of the factory owner and his wife Auguste. In his pietist parents' house, which was very much influ ...

(1924–1997), composer and musicologist *

Karl Michael Vogler Karl Michael Vogler (28 August 1928 – 9 June 2009) was a German actor, probably best known for his appearances in several big-budget English language films. In ''The Blue Max'' (1966), he co-starred with George Peppard and Ursula Andress as the ...

(1928–2009), actor *

Wolfgang Seiler Wolfgang Seiler (born 22 January 1940 in Remscheid) is a German biogeochemist and climatologist. Seiler was Director of the Institute of Meteorology and Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and is ...

(born 1940), biogeochemist and climatologist *

Peter Brötzmann Peter Brötzmann (born 6 March 1941) is a German saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Early life Brötzmann was born in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He studied painting in Wuppertal and was involved with the Fluxus movement ...

(born 1941), free jazz saxophonist *

Christel Frese Christel Frese (born 3 August 1944, in Lennep) is a German former athlete who was successful as a 400-meter runner in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She competed for the Federal Republic of Germany in the 1972 Olympics. She won one silver and one ...

(born 1944), athlete *

Michael Bacht Michael Bacht (born 4 June 1947) is a German artist.Cf. Hans Gercke, catalog of the exhibitions "Remembrance of Makimono" (Galerie Friebe Mannheim 1990) and "Im Kreis" (Kunstverein Rastatt 1990) Biography Bacht was born in Remscheid and att ...

(born 1947), artist *

Frank Plasberg Frank Plasberg (born 18 May 1957) is a German journalist and television presenter. Biography Born in Remscheid, Plasberg has an education in theatre, politics and pedagogy and works as television presenter on German broadcaster WDR. From 1987 ...

(born 1957), journalist *

Wolfgang Tillmans Wolfgang Tillmans (born 16 August 1968) is a German photographer. His diverse body of work is distinguished by observation of his surroundings and an ongoing investigation of the photographic medium’s foundations. Tillmans was the first photog ...

(born 1968), photographer *

Georg Wurth Georg Wurth (born 1972 in Remscheid) is a German lobbyist and activist. He is CEO and owner of the (DHV), the largest organisation of the hemp rights movement in Germany. See also * 2022 German cannabis legalization framework * Cannabis in ...

(born 1972), lobbyist and activist *

Christiane Soeder Christiane Soeder (born 15 January 1975 in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German-born Austrian road racing cyclist and former duathlete who now lives in Vienna. She won the Austrian National Road Race Championships in 2004, 2006 and 200 ...

(born 1975), German-Austrian cyclist * Robert A. Küfner (born 1988), entrepreneur, raised here * The Rotation (born 1996), professional wrestler

Gallery

Muengsten.jpg,

Müngsten Bridge Müngsten Bridge is the highest railway bridge in Germany. Müngste ...

RS-Theo-Otto-Theater.jpg,

Teo Otto Theater Teo Otto Theater is a theatre in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and ...

Lennep_Kraspuett_3.jpg, Kraspütt 3 in Lennep Stadt Remscheid 1922.JPG, bond of the town Remscheid, issued 25 August 1922

References

External links

*
German Roentgen-Museum

Official website
{{Authority control Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia Populated places established in the 12th century Districts of the Rhine Province