Bergneustadt
Bergneustadt
Location of the town of Bergneustadt within Oberbergischer Kreis district
Coordinates	51°2′N 7°39′E / 51.03333°N 7.65°E / 51.03333; 7.65
Administration
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Cologne
District	Oberbergischer Kreis
Mayor	Gerhard Halbe
Basic statistics
Area	37.86 km2 (14.62 sq mi)
Elevation	206 - 500 m
Population	19,584 (31 December 2010)
- Density	517 /km2 (1,340 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	GM
Postal code	51702
Area codes	0 22 61
Website	www.bergneustadt.de

aerial view on the city

Bergneustadt

Bergneustadt is a municipality in the eastern part of the Oberbergischer Kreis (district), in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located 50 km east of Cologne. It is part of the Berg region.

History

First naming

In 1301 the place became the first time in a document The Drost Rutger of the Brandenburg March of Altena mentions namely „It begins with the construction of the Niestat ". an outpost of the Brandenburg March should be against the Cologne archbishop. In addition the same rights were conceded of the new "Veste" soon already like Lüdenscheid. The manner of writing of the first naming was "Niestat".

Chronik

In 13 May 1301, Servatius day, began of the Droste Rutger of Altena by order of the count Eberhard II of the marks with the construction of the town castle of Nyestadt in Sauerland of the Brandenburg March in the area of the district Wiedenau which was a part of the parish Wiedenest.

Mountain new town belongs with Wipperfürth, Lüdenscheid and Lennep in the circle of the sovereign town foundations of the 13th century in the space bergisch of the Brandenburg March. In the purely rural scenery in which the slightest attempts of an urban development did not exist count Eberhard II let in the most southern corner of his county build a town castle. She took over the function of the border guard compared with the counties mountain and Sayn-Homburg as well as compared with the cure kölnischen Sauerland. This sudden foundation of the castle spot is to be understood only from the force play of the territorial sovereignties out.

For various reasons this small town was almost covered in the first centuries with sovereign privileges and urban functions, for example, town jurisdiction, seat Vogtei-and Femegerichts, wall right and market right. The freedoms lasted to the citizens were exemplary. The military, administrative and judicial duties as well as the blossoming economic life of the town (arch support and processing to makes with partly own trade mark, Geschützen and hook tins, charcoal production, wide-branched commercial relations) caused an excellent position and radiation after the Aggerland.

A Mercator map from 1575 shows rather impressively like the town castle on the mountain spur in the Dörspetal procure was. Castle house with corner tower, the donjon and the central steeple (capella Saint Johannis) controlled the townscape. Double curtain walls and two massive gates protected against undesirable intruders. A contemplative way over Wallstrasse, the high street and by the moat open to the expert viewer still today the look in the medieval fabric of the town.

From 1610 to 1818 the town by political power movements suffered conditioned legal losses. The Thirty Years' War left his tracks, the plague in the years 1634/36 heaped the inhabitants away, disastrous conflagrations led in 1717 and 1742 to gigantic losses and about 1800 it came to the breakdown of the iron trade. Poverty and misery controlled the town and his inhabitants. Only slowly one recovered from the setbacks and reached to new forces. The construction of major roads about 1830 and the railway line established from 1896 to 1903 Siegburg or Köln-Olpe helped the town to new life and released them from her provincial seclusion. The home textile industry made a name to itself in the 19th century.

Since 1950 mountain new town experiences a strong industrial growth. Car industry, paper treatment, metal treatment and plastic treatment as well as mechanical engineering continue the tradition of the flourishing commercial relations.

Older than the mainvillage are Wiedenest (1154), Altenothe (1237), Belmicke (1296); they all are a part of Bergneustadt since 1969. The "Bonte Kerk" (coloured church) in Wiedenest dates from the 11th century and is one the marvelloust churches in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Bergneustadt is by many regarded the best city to live in Oberberg.

The coat of arms

The arms were granted on December 24, 1876.

The town developed around a castle built in 1301 by Rüttger von Altena ordered by Earl Eberhard II of the Mark. The oldest seals of the city date from the middle of the 14th century and already show the present arms. The upper part of the arms shows the arms of the Counts of the Mark, the lower part the older arms of the (oldest) Counts of Berg, from which the Counts of the Mark descended. From 1922-1969 the city used a mural crown on the arms.

Buildings and institutions

Historical buildings

• In the district Wiedenest stands a "colored church" with colorful medieval paintings at the ceiling.

Public utilities

Libraries

• Public library Bergneustadt

Banks

• Savings bank Gummersbach-Bergneustadt with four offices (city centre, district Stadtwald, district Wiedenest, district Pernze)
• Deutsche Bank with one office
• Volksbank Oberberg e.V. with one office

Schools

• "Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Bergneustadt 'Auf dem Bursten' " (primary school)
• "Katholische Grundschule Bergneustadt" (catholic primary school)
• "Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Bergneustadt-Hackenberg" (primary school)
• "Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Bergneustadt-Wiedenest" (primary school)
• "Wüllenweber Gymnasium" (grammar school/high school Bergneustadt)
• "Städtische Realschule Bergneustadt" (city secondary school)
• "Gemeinschaftshauptschule" (general school Bergneustadt)

Religious groups and communities

Protestant parishes and churches

• Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Bergneustadt (Lutheran denomination) with
  • Altstadtkirche (17th century)
  • Versöhnerkirche, district Stadtwald (1966)
  • Gemeindecentrum Hackenberg (1976)
• Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Wiedenest (Lutheran denomination) with churches in
  • Wiedenest (Bunte Kerk, 11th century)
  • Neuenothe (chapel, 1960s)
  • Pernze (1960s)

Roman-Catholic parishes and churches

• Roman Catholic parish Saint Stephanus, Bergneustadt
• Roman Catholic parish Saint Matthias, Hackenberg
• Roman Catholic parish Saint Anna, Belmicke, with a chapel in Wiedenest/Pernze

Evangelical parishes

• Evangelisch-freikirchliche Gemeinden (Brüdergemeinden) Wiedenest
• Evangelisch-freikirchliche Gemeinden (Brüdergemeinden) Hackenberg
• Evangelisch-freikirchliche Gemeinde (Baptisten) Bergneustadt, Wilhelmstrasse
• Common Bible school - Wiedenest (this is the bible school of the German brethrens)
• Christen ohne Namen (= Christians without a name)
• Ecclesia

Other religious groups

• Jehovah's Witnesses
• New Apostolic Church

Associations

• TV Bergneustadt (different sports, e.g. handball, gymnastics, karate)
• Chess association Bergneustadt/Derschlag
• Stamp collector's association Bergneustadt
• Baris Spor Hackenberg (football)
• SSV Bergneustadt (football)
• Bodyguard (kickboxing, Thai-boxing, boxing, yoga)
• Table tennis association "Schwalbe" Bergneustadt ("Schwalbe" being the main sponsor)
• Soar club Bergneustadt
• German Red Cross Bergneustadt
• HSG Bergneustadt-Gummersbach
• BSV (swimming)
• THW-Bergneustadt
• The Voices (choir with newer repertoire)

Economy

The city's major employer is Innomotive Systems Europe GmbH (briefly called ISE) - a supplier of the automotive industry which is specialized in the development and production of innovative structural and safety systems for automobiles.

Population

Geography

Neighbouring cities

Districts

aerial view on the district "Stadtwald" (belonging to the city centre)

Following 22 districts belong to Bergneustadt (bold printed districts: more information beneath) :

Belmicke

It is located 8.4 km E of Bergneustadt and is in the easternmost district. The area was first time named in 1296 as Belmiche.

Pernze

It is located 4 km NW of Bergneustadt. It is accessible by B 55. The settlement was founded as Pernswede.

Wiedenest

Located 3.2 km NE of Bergneustadt and is also accessible by B 55. It was founded in 1154 as Wiedennest. It is in the central district of the municipal area.

Transport

Road

Bergneustadt is connected to the German Autobahn-Network ("Motorway network") by a feeder road between the city centre and the A4 (exit No. 26). The Bundesstraße ("Federal Road") B55 runs through the city centre, through the district Wiedenest and along the district Pernze. It connects the town with the cities Gummersbach (in the West) and Drolshagen (in the East).

Public transport

At the bus stop Graf-Eberhard-Platz in the city centre are stopping the following bus lines:

• No. 301 : Gummersbach —- Bergneustadt —- Olpe
• No. 313 : Bergneustadt (city centre) —- Attenbach
• No. 314 : Bergneustadt (city centre) —- Hackenberg (district)
• No. 315 : Bergneustadt (city centre) —- Stadtwald (district)

Air transport

There is an airfield with a 600 m (1968.5 ft) long grass airstrip in the district Auf dem Dümpel. Planes with one motor and a maximal weight of 3,400 pounds and helicopters with a maximal weight of 11,400 pounds are allowed to alight.

Town Twinnings

• Châtenay-Malabry, F, 1967
• Landsmeer, NL, seit 1968

Châtenay-Malabry and Landsmeer are also twinned since 1986

• „Arbeitsgemeinschaft Neustadt in Europa“ (see the germane Wikipedia: „Neustadt in Europa“)

Persons

• Friedhelm Julius Beucher, politician, member of the Bundestag (Federal Diet) from 20 December 1990 to 17 October 2002
• Anja Harteros, opera singer
• Horst Janzen, painter

• Günther Aders, Quellen zur Geschichte der Stadt Bergneustadt und des alten Amtes Neustadt von 1109 bis 1630 = Sources for the History of the City of Bergneustadt and the old Amtes Neustadt from 1109 to 1630, pg. 71, 1951, 7-268
• Marianne Hack and Hubertus Dan - Literaturverzeichnis zur Geschichte Bergneustadts im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert = Bibliography to the History of Bergneustadts in the 19th and the 20th centuries, Gummersbach, 1991
• Bergneustadt 1301-1951, Festschrift, Bergneustadt 1951

Sources

Towns and municipalities in Oberbergischer Kreis Bergneustadt | Engelskirchen | Gummersbach | Hückeswagen | Lindlar | Marienheide | Morsbach | Nümbrecht | Radevormwald  | Reichshof | Waldbröl | Wiehl | Wipperfürth