Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia

Bergheim (German pronunciation: [ˈbɛʁkˌhaɪ̯m] ⓘ; Ripuarian: Berchem) is a German town, 22 km west of Cologne and the capital of the Rhein-Erft-Kreis (district). The town's Niederaußem district is one of the most important suppliers for energy from lignites in Europe.

Bergheim
Town
Aachen Gate
Aachen Gate
Flag of Bergheim
Flag
Coat of arms of Bergheim
Coat of arms
Location of Bergheim within Rhein-Erft-Kreis district
Bergheim is located in Germany
Bergheim
Bergheim
Bergheim is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Bergheim
Bergheim
Coordinates: 50°58′N 6°39′E
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionKöln
DistrictRhein-Erft-Kreis
Subdivisions15
Government
 • Mayor (2017–25) Volker Mießeler[1] (CDU)
Area
 • Total96.33 km2 (37.19 sq mi)
Elevation
72 m (236 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total61,807
 • Density640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
50126, 50127, 50129
Dialling codes02271
Vehicle registrationBM
WebsiteKreisstadt Bergheim (in German)

Geography
St. Johann Baptist Church in Niederaußem, over 700 years old

Bergheim is about 22 km west of Cologne, approximately 72 metres above sea level. Its highest point is the Glessener Höhe (Glessen Height) at 204 metres. The Erft River flows through Bergheim. The town lies in the Zülpicher Börde, which belongs to the Kölner Bucht. Economically and geographically Bergheim is in the Rhenish lignite coalfield.

History

There is a burial hill in Niederaußem, dating from about 4000 BC. Romans settled in Bergheim around 50 BC. They constructed the major Roman road, the Via Belgica, that crossed the area where Bergheim is today. Later the Franks took control over the region. In the Middle Ages, Bergheim was granted city rights and later became part of the County of Jülich. In the 19th and 20th centuries Bergheim grew rapidly through the settlement of industry based on the local lignite coal. In World War II, the Wesseling synthetic oil plant was bombed during the Oil Campaign of World War II. Then in April 1944, a large underground plant for synthetic oil manufactured from lignite was set up outside Bergheim.[3]

Districts
  • Ahe
  • Auenheim
  • Bergheim-Mitte
  • Büsdorf
  • Fliesteden
  • Glesch
  • Glessen
  • Kenten
  • Niederaußem
  • Oberaußem
  • Paffendorf
  • Quadrath-Ichendorf
  • Rheidt-Hüchelhoven
  • Thorr
  • Zieverich

Points of interest

Points of interest are the Niederaussem Power Station with the world's tallest cooling tower as well as the Kottenforst-Ville Nature Park.

Notable people
  • Gerhard Fieseler (1896–1987), fighter pilot in the First World War and aircraft constructor (Gerhard-Fieseler-Werke)
  • Günter Grass (1927–2015), writer, Nobel Prize 1999, lived in Bergheim-Oberaussem for several years after the end of the World War II
  • Sarah Kreuz (born 1989), singer, second place with DSDS
  • The footballer Lukas Podolski grew up in Bergheim, played in the youth team of FC Jugend 07 Bergheim from 1991 onwards. In 1995 he changed to the D-youth of the 1. FC Köln
  • Michael Schumacher (born 1969), Formula 1 racing driver and seven-time world champion, attended the Geschwister-Scholl-Realschule in Bergheim
  • Lukas Sinkiewicz (born 1985), footballer
  • Victoria Ulbrich (born 1992), singer and former band member of Queensberry

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

Datteln is twinned with:[4]

References
  1. Bürgermeisterwahl Kreisstadt Bergheim 25.06.2017, 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. "Meeting No. 45/6" (PDF). Enemy Oil Intelligence Committee. February 6, 1945. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
  4. "STEK BM 2035: Dokumentation Ergebnisse Stadtdialog 1. Phase "Wo steht Bergheim heute?"" (in German). Bergheim. 2018-01-31. p. 18.
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