Hochsauerlandkreis (meaning “High Sauerland District” in German) is a Kreis (district) in the east of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

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 the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Neighboring districts are Soest,

Paderborn Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...

Höxter Höxter () is a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the left bank of the river Weser, 52 km north of Kassel in the centre of the Weser Uplands. The main town's population is around 15,000, and with outlying centres, about 30,0 ...

Waldeck-Frankenberg Waldeck-Frankenberg is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the north of Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Höxter, Kassel, Schwalm-Eder, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Hochsauerland. History The district was created in 1972 by merging t ...

, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe,

Märkischer Kreis The Märkischer Kreis is a district ('' Kreis'') in central North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Unna, Soest, Hochsauerland, Olpe, Oberbergischer Kreis, Ennepe-Ruhr, and the city of Hagen. History The district was create ...

. The district is named “High Sauerland” because two of the highest mountains of the Sauerland mountainous landscape, Langenberg and

Kahler Asten Kahler may refer to: Places *Kahler, Luxembourg, a small town in the commune of Garnich *Kahler Asten, a German mountain range Other uses *Kahler (surname) *Kahler's disease, a cancer otherwise known as ''multiple myeloma'' *Kahler Tremolo System, ...

are in its territory. With 2,766 ft / 843 m (Langenberg) and 2,762 ft / 842 m (Kahler Asten) these are also the highest mountains of

History

The district was established in 1975 in the reorganization of the districts in

by merging the previous districts Arnsberg, Brilon and Meschede.

Geography

Geographically the district covers a big part of the

Sauerland The 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. The Sauerland is the largest tourist region in ...

mountains, including the highest and third highest elevation – the Langenberg near Olsberg with 2,766 ft / 843 m, and the better known

with 2,762 ft / 842 m near

Winterberg Winterberg ( Westphalian: ''Winnenmerg'') is a town in the Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia, central Germany and a major winter sport resort of the Wintersport Arena Sauerland. Geography Winterberg is located in the middle of ...

. These are also the two highest mountains of

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was inherited from the former district

Arnsberg Arnsberg (; wep, Arensperg) is a town in the Hochsauerland county, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hochs ...

. It shows the eagle as the symbol of the Earls of Arnsberg. When their county lost independence in 1368 it fell to the bishops of

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

, thus the sign on the breast of the eagle shows the Cologne cross.

Towns and municipalities

Town twinnings

Hochsauerland is twinned with the following cities: * West Lothian, Scotland

Notable persons

Franz Hoffmeister Franz Hoffmeister (22 March 1898 – 27 March 1943) was a German Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Sauerländer Heimatbund and Festspiele Balver Höhle. Life Hoffmeister was born in Ramsbeck. He was consecrated to a Roman Catholic p ...

(died 1943), Roman Catholic priest

Notable places

Abbey Bergkloster An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nuns ...

, Bestwig * Abbey Grafschaft, Schmallenberg * Abbey Königsmünster, Meschede

References

External links

*
Touristic website
{{Coord, 51.25, 8.33, display=title, format=dms Districts of North Rhine-Westphalia Sauerland 1975 establishments in West Germany