Remscheid

Remscheid (German pronunciation: [ˈʁɛmʃaɪt] ⓘ) is a city 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 area.

Remscheid
City
German Röntgen Museum
German Röntgen Museum
Flag of Remscheid
Flag
Coat of arms of Remscheid
Coat of arms
Location of Remscheid
Remscheid is located in Germany
Remscheid
Remscheid
Remscheid is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Remscheid
Remscheid
Coordinates: 51°11′N 07°12′E
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionDüsseldorf
DistrictUrban district
Government
 • Lord mayor (2020–25) Burkhard Mast-Weisz[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total74.6 km2 (28.8 sq mi)
Elevation
365 m (1,198 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-31)[2]
 • Total111,770
 • Density1,500/km2 (3,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
42801–42899
Dialling codes02191
Vehicle registrationRS
Websitewww.remscheid.de
City Hall

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.

Its highest point is the Brodtberg (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 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).[3][4]

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:[5]

Rank Nationality Population (31.12.2019)
1 Turkey5,749
2 Italy3,158
3 Syria1,264
4 Poland1,187
5 Bulgaria1,039
6 Spain866
7 North Macedonia748
8 Croatia646
9 Serbia583
10 Portugal493

Politics

Mayor

The current Mayor of Remscheid is Burkhard Mast-Weisz of the Social Democratic Party (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:

Candidate Party Votes  %
Burkhard Mast-Weisz Social Democratic Party 22,431 60.6
Heidemarie Alexa Bell Christian Democratic Union 9,710 26.2
Peter Keck Pro Remscheid 1,908 5.2
Fritz Beinersdorf The Left 1,309 3.5
Roland Kirchner W.i.R. Remscheid 877 2.4
Bettina Stamm Real Remscheid 775 2.1
Valid votes 37,010 98.5
Invalid votes 548 1.5
Total 37,558 100.0
Electorate/voter turnout 85,783 43.8
Source: State Returning Officer

City council
Results of the 2020 city council election.

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:

Party Votes  % +/− Seats +/−
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 12,718 34.5 Decrease 0.3 20 Decrease 1
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 11,036 29.9 Decrease 7.3 17 Decrease 3
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) 5,409 14.7 Increase 6.3 9 Increase 5
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 1,945 5.3 Increase 0.6 3 Increase 1
Pro Remscheid (PRO) 1,870 5.1 Increase 0.7 3 Increase 1
The Left (Die Linke) 1,700 4.6 Decrease 1.4 3 ±0
W.i.R. Remscheid (WIR) 1,092 3.0 Decrease 1.5 2 ±0
Real Remscheid (Echt) 788 2.1 New 1 New
Alternative for Germany (AfD) 358 1.0 New 0 New
Valid votes 36,916 98.4
Invalid votes 592 1.6
Total 37,508 100.0 58 Increase 6
Electorate/voter turnout 85,783 43.7 Increase 0.7
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 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
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Remscheid is twinned with:[6]

Notable people

References
  1. Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 19 June 2021.
  2. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2021" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  3. "US Army SS 01 Chronology 1941–1945: 1945".
  4. "Lightning, the History of the 78th Infantry Division". Washington, Infantry journal press. 1947.
  5. "Informationen der Statistikstelle: Remscheider Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner am 31. Dezember 2019" (PDF). Stadt Remscheid. pp. 6, 12. Retrieved 9 May 2020. Available on Stadt Remscheid website under "Bevölkerung und Bevölkerungsentwicklung".
  6. "Partnerstädte". remscheid.de (in German). Remscheid. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  • Flohr, Gustav (2020). Noch ein Partisan (in German). Verlag J.H.W. Dietz Nachf. Bonn. pp. 161–191, 482–483. ISBN 978-3-8012-0546-1.
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