Bergisch Gladbach

Bergisch Gladbach (German pronunciation: [ˌbɛʁɡɪʃ ˈɡlatbax] ⓘ) is a city in the Cologne/Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district).
Bergisch Gladbach
City
Forecourt of Schloss Bensberg
Forecourt of Schloss Bensberg
Flag of Bergisch Gladbach
Flag
Coat of arms of Bergisch Gladbach
Coat of arms
Location of Bergisch Gladbach within Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district
Bergisch Gladbach is located in Germany
Bergisch Gladbach
Bergisch Gladbach
Bergisch Gladbach is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Bergisch Gladbach
Bergisch Gladbach
Coordinates: 50°59′30″N 7°07′49″E
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionKöln
DistrictRheinisch-Bergischer Kreis
Subdivisions6
Government
 • Mayor (2020–25) Frank Stein[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total83.12 km2 (32.09 sq mi)
Highest elevation
267 m (876 ft)
Lowest elevation
51 m (167 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total111,645
 • Density1,300/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
51401-51469
Dialling codes02202, 02204, 02207
Vehicle registrationGL
Websitewww.bergischgladbach.de

Geography

Bergisch Gladbach is east of the Rhine and about 10 km east of Cologne.

Neighbouring municipalities

Beginning in the north, the neighbouring municipalities and neighbouring towns are clockwise Odenthal, Kürten, Overath, Rösrath, Cologne and Leverkusen.

History

Early settlements existed in the 13th century, but the town was officially founded in 1856.

Old castle and town hall of Bensberg

The word Bergisch in the name does not originate from its location in the county of Berg, and it was not added to distinguish it from Mönchengladbach, as is believed by many people, but from the counts who gave their name to the region.

In the early 12th century, the counts of Berg settled in the area, which later became the Duchy of Berg (under Napoleon, it became a grand duchy). That is where the first part of the name (Bergisch) comes from, the town being located in the former County of Berg. The town is the administrative headquarters ('Kreisstadt') of the Rheinish-Bergisch district (or 'Kreis').

The second part of the name, Gladbach (cognate with English Ladbrooke), originates from Low Rhenish (Bergisches Platt) and means canalised stream in reference to the small river (the Strunde) that was artificially canalised (laid) in early medieval times. In Bergisch Platt, the regional dialect, laid is pronounced gelaat, which eventually evolved to glad (in this case, the 'd' is pronounced as a 't'). The second part of the word, bach, is the Standard German word for a small stream and refers in this case to the Strunde.

In 1975, the town incorporated the neighbouring Bensberg, and when it reached a population of 100,000 in 1977 it was given city status.

Largest groups of foreign residents[3]
NationalityPopulation (2014)
 Turkey2,123
 Italy882
 Poland878
 Greece679
 Romania300
 Kosovo288
 Croatia260
 Austria257
 Russia241
 Bosnia & Herzegovina208

Economy

Paper manufacturing, printing, glass wool manufacturing, chocolate and high-tech industries are a large part of Bergisch Gladbach's economy.

Politics

Mayor

The current mayor of Bergisch Gladbach is Frank Stein of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:

Candidate Party Votes  %
Frank Stein Social Democratic Party 25,321 52.3
Christian Buchen Christian Democratic Union 18,973 39.2
Iro Herrmann Citizens' Party GL 2,093 4.3
Günther Schöpf Alternative for Germany 2,014 4.2
Valid votes 48,401 99.3
Invalid votes 358 0.7
Total 48,759 100.0
Electorate/voter turnout 89,995 54.2
Source: City of Bergisch Gladbach

City council
Results of the 2020 city council election.

The Bergisch Gladbach 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:

Party Votes  % +/- Seats +/-
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 17,463 36.2 Decrease 5.7 20 Decrease 6
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) 13,858 28.7 Increase 12.8 16 Increase 6
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 9,209 19.1 Decrease 5.0 10 Decrease 5
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 2,438 5.1 Decrease 0.5 3 ±0
Alternative for Germany (AfD) 2,213 4.6 Increase 0.2 3 ±0
Citizens' Party GL (BGL) 1,398 2.9 Increase 1.2 2 Increase 1
Free Voters' Association Bergisch Gladbach (FWG) 1,645 3.4 New 2 New
Valid votes 48,224 98.8
Invalid votes 597 1.2
Total 48,821 100.0 56 Decrease 6
Electorate/voter turnout 89,995 52.3 Decrease 0.1
Source: City of Bergisch Gladbach

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Bergisch Gladbach is twinned with:[4]

Notable people

Secondary schools in Bergisch Gladbach

See also

References
  1. Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 29 June 2021.
  2. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2021" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  3. "Staatsangehörigkeit in Bergisch Gladbach". Stadt Bergisch Gladbach. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  4. "Städtepartnerschaften- und Freundschaften". bergischgladbach.de (in German). Bergisch Gladbach. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
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