The Oberbergischer Kreis ( ksh, Boverbärjische Kreiß) is a ''Kreis'' (

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

) in the state 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 state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

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 betwee ...

. Neighboring districts are

Ennepe-Ruhr The Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis is a district in the center of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the southern Ruhr urban area and has ca. 324,000 inhabitants (2012). The district's seat (capital city) is Schwelm; the largest of its nine tow ...

, Märkischer Kreis, Olpe, Altenkirchen, Rhein-Sieg, Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, and the urban districts Remscheid and

Wuppertal Wuppertal (; "''Wupper Dale''") is, with a population of approximately 355,000, the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the 17th-largest city of Germany. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of the cities and tow ...

Name

The district was named after the region known as ''Bergisches Land'', which belonged to the

County of Berg Berg was a state—originally a county, later a duchy—in the Rhineland of Germany. Its capital was Düsseldorf. It existed as a distinct political entity from the early 12th to the 19th centuries. The name of the county lives on in the moder ...

for most of the medieval era. What is called "Oberbergisch" ("upper Bergian") lies in the southeast of that earldom. By 1740, descriptions of the area distinguished between "Niederbergisch", which was north of the river

Wupper The Wupper is a right tributary of the Rhine in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Rising near Marienheide in western Sauerland it runs through the mountainous region of the Bergisches Land in Berg County and enters the Rhine at ...

, and "Oberbergisch" to its south. In 1816, after the entire Rhineland was annexed to

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

, the districts of Waldbröl, Homburg, Gimborn, Wipperfürth, and Lennep were created within the area now covered by the district. In 1825 the districts Gimborn and Homburg were merged into the district Gummersbach. In 1932 it was merged with the district of Waldbröl, and the region became known as ''Oberbergischer Kreis''. The restructuring of 1969/75 created the current boundaries of the district.

Geography

The Oberbergischer Kreis covers the hills west 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 ...

and north of the Westerwald. It constitutes the eastern part of the Bergisches Land nature reserve. Situated at an altitude of 100–520 meters above sea level, it is rich in wood and water (numbering ten artificial lakes) and thus a recreational area for citizens from

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

, the

Ruhr area 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 ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The prevailing rock is greywacke, which was and in places still is mined in large stone quarries.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms is a combination of the heraldic signs of the territories the district belonged to. The red-white bar in the top symbolizes the County of Mark and the lion that of Berg.

Homburg Castle Homburg Castle is an old hill castle in Nümbrecht, Oberbergischer Kreis in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. History and construction The ''Homburg'' is first mentioned in records of 1276. Gottfried I of Sayn from the House of Sponhei ...

(near

Nümbrecht Nümbrecht is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is a health resort, known for its good climate. Geography Nümbrecht is located about 40 km east of Cologne. Neighbouring places Division o ...

) was the seat of the Princes of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

Politics

Nazi Era

Robert Ley, a Nazi politician who helped organize the recruitment of slave labor during World War II, and published an anti-Semitic newspaper, the Westdeutscher Beobachter, was born in Niederbreidenbach, a town in Oberbergischer Kreis.

District Administrator

*1945-1951: Dr. August Dresbach, CDU *1951-1952: Fritz Eschmann, SPD *1952-1956: Wilhelm Henn, CDU *1956-1961: Fritz Eschmann, SPD *1961-1964: Reinhard Kaufmann, CDU *1964-1969: Dr. Heinrich Schild, CDU *1969-1989: Hans Wichelhaus, CDU *1989-1994: Hans-Leo Kausemann, CDU *1994-1999: Herbert Heidtman, SPD Since the October 1st, 1999 there is only one (directly elected)

District Administrator A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

who at the same time is head of management: *1999-2004: Hans-Leo Kausemann, CDU *2004-2015: Hagen Jobi, CDU *2015-today: Jochen Hagt, CDU

District Administrator for the management

*1946-1979: Dr. Friedrich-Wilhelm Goldenbogen, CDU *1979-1987: Dr. Dieter Fuchs, CDU *1987-1994: Dr. Gert Ammermann, CDU *1995-1999: Heribert Rohr, SPD

Economy

The district's economy is marked by small and middle-sized industry, particularly in the areas of plastic and metal processing.

Places of interest

* The so-called "colored churches" (with medieval wall and cover paintings) are known nationally * Stalactite cave in

Wiehl Wiehl () is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 41 km east of Cologne. The neighbouring municipalities Reichshof, Waldbröl, Nümbrecht, Much, Germany, Much, Engelskirche ...

* Rhenish industry museum in

Engelskirchen Engelskirchen (literally "angel’s churches") is a municipality in Oberbergischer Kreis, Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia, about east of Cologne. The neighbouring municipalities are (clockwise from the west) Overath, Lindlar, Gummersbach, Wie ...

* House Dahl * Open-air museum in Lindlar * Gimborn Castle *

Hückeswagen Castle Hückeswagen Castle is the castle of the town of Hückeswagen in the Oberbergische Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wä ...

and the historical part of

Hückeswagen Hückeswagen ) is a town in the north of Oberbergischen Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the governmental district of Cologne. Geography Hückeswagen is situated on the river Wupper. Two dams, Bevertal dam and Wupperta ...

Ehreshoven Castle Ehreshoven Castle (german: Schloss Ehreshoven) is a moated castle in Engelskirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the village of Ehreshoven, about by road east of Cologne. Several kilometres to the n ...

* Denklingen Castle

Towns and municipalities

References

External links

Official website

tourist website

{{Authority control Districts of North Rhine-Westphalia Bergisches Land