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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 | |
|---|---|
 Forecourt of Schloss Bensberg | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Bergisch Gladbach within Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district  | |
  Bergisch Gladbach  Bergisch Gladbach | |
| Coordinates: 50°59′30″N 7°07′49″E / 50.99178°N 7.13026°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Köln |
| District | Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis |
| Subdivisions | 6 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Frank Stein[1] (SPD) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 83.12 km2 (32.09 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 267 m (876 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 51 m (167 ft) |
| Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
| • Total | 112,660 |
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 51401-51469 |
| Dialling codes | 02202, 02204, 02207 |
| Vehicle registration | GL |
| Website | www.bergischgladbach.de |
Geography
editBergisch Gladbach is east of the Rhine and about 10 km east of Cologne.
City structure
editThe urban area of Bergisch Gladbach is not divided into city districts (Stadtbezirke) with their own district representation. For statistical purposes, there are six statistical districts (statistische Bezirke), which are numbered consecutively and are divided into several districts (de: Stadtteile) with their own names. These are mainly name of former smaller settlements from which today's urban area developed, or new development areas whose names have been memorized over time for better orientation. Bensberg was an independent town until 1975. Before 1975, Schildgen belonged to the municipality of Odenthal.
- Statistical District 1: Schildgen (11), Katterbach (12), Nussbaum (13), Paffrath (14), Hand (15)
- Statistical District 2: City Center (21), Hebborn (22), Heidkamp (23), Gronau (24)
- Statistical District 3: Romaney (31), Herrenstrunden (32), Sand (33)
- Statistical District 4: Herkenrath (41), Asselborn (42), Bärbroich (43)
- Statistical District 5: Lückerath (51), Bensberg (52), Bockenberg (53), Kaule (54), Moitzfeld (55)
- Statistical District 6: Refrath (61), Alt Refrath (62), Kippekausen (63), Frankenforst (64), Lustheide (65)
Neighbouring municipalities
editBeginning in the north, the neighbouring municipalities and neighbouring towns are clockwise Odenthal, Kürten, Overath, Rösrath, Cologne and Leverkusen.
History
editEarly settlements existed in the 13th century, but the town was officially founded only in 1856.
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 (Kreis).
The second part of the name, Gladbach, originates from Low Rhenish (Bergisches Platt) and means canalised stream in reference to the small river (the Strunde) that was artificially canalised in early medieval times. In Bergisch Platt, the regional dialect, gelaat (laid) eventually evolved to glad (the 'd' is often pronounced as a 't'). The second part of the word, Bach, is the Standard German word for a small stream and refers 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] | |
| Nationality | Population (2014) |
|---|---|
 Turkey |
2,123 |
 Italy |
882 |
 Poland |
878 |
 Greece |
679 |
 Romania |
300 |
 Kosovo |
288 |
 Croatia |
260 |
 Austria |
257 |
 Russia |
241 |
 Bosnia & Herzegovina |
208 |
Economy
editPaper manufacturing, printing, glass wool manufacturing, chocolate and high-tech industries are a large part of Bergisch Gladbach's economy.
Politics
editMayor
editThe 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
edit
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 |  5.7
|
20 | 6
| |
| Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 13,858 | 28.7 |  12.8
|
16 | 6
| |
| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 9,209 | 19.1 | 5.0
|
10 | 5
| |
| Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 2,438 | 5.1 | 0.5
|
3 | ±0 | |
| Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 2,213 | 4.6 | 0.2
|
3 | ±0 | |
| Citizens' Party GL (BGL) | 1,398 | 2.9 | 1.2
|
2 | 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 | 6
| ||
| Electorate/voter turnout | 89,995 | 52.3 | 0.1
|
|||
| Source: City of Bergisch Gladbach | ||||||
Twin towns – sister cities
editBergisch Gladbach is twinned with:[4]
Beit Jala, Palestine (2010)
Bourgoin-Jallieu, France (1956)
Bucha, Ukraine (2022)
Ganei Tikva, Israel (2012)- Joinville-le-Pont, France (1960)
Limassol, Cyprus (1991)
Luton, England (1956)
Marijampolė, Lithuania (1989)
Pszczyna, Poland (1993)- Runnymede, England (1995)
Velsen, Netherlands (1956)
Notable people
edit- Markus von Ahlen (born 1971), footballer and coach
- Rüdiger Baldauf (born 1961), jazz musician
- Astrid Benöhr (born 1957), endurance athlete
- Sebastian Blomberg (born 1972), actor
- Wolfgang Bosbach (born 1952), politician (CDU)
- Karl Budde (1850–1935), Protestant theologian
- Armin Falk (born 1968), economist
- Markus Feldenkirchen (born 1975), journalist
- Philomena Franz (1922 - 2022), Sinti writer and activist
- Vanessa Fuchs (born 1996), Germany's Next Topmodel winner of the season 2015
- Kerstin Gier (born 1966), author
- Volker Goetze (born 1972), German born, New York based musician composer and filmmaker
- Fabian Hambüchen (born 1987), artistic gymnast
- Götz Heidelberg (1923–2017), physicist, constructor and entrepreneur
- Waldemar Henrici (1878–1950), general and Reichsarbeitsdienstführer
- Mats Hummels (born 1988), footballer
- Hubert Käppel (born 1951), guitarist and music pedagogue
- Brigitte Kraus (born 1956), middle distance runner
- Georg Koch (born 1972), football goalkeeper
- Heidi Klum (born 1973), model and presenter
- Carolin Kebekus (born 1980), comedian, singer and actress
- Theo Koll (born 1958), journalist
- German Mäurer (1811–1885), Prussian writer
- Veronika Moos-Brochhagen (born 1961), textile artist
- Benyamin Nuss (born 1989), pianist
- Bastian Oczipka (born 1989), footballer
- Uwe Ommer (born 1943), act, fashion and advertising photos
- Monika Piel (born 1951), journalist and presenter
- Tibor Pleiß (born 1989), basketball player
- Karin Sander (born 1957), artist
- David Schnell (born 1971), painter
- Tim Wiese (born 1981), German football goalkeeper and wrestler
Secondary schools in Bergisch Gladbach
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2023 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Staatsangehörigkeit in Bergisch Gladbach". Stadt Bergisch Gladbach. Retrieved 21 July 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Städtepartnerschaften- und Freundschaften". bergischgladbach.de (in German). Bergisch Gladbach. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
External links
edit
- Official website
(in German) - Fire Department Bergisch Gladbach (in German)
