History

The area of the Bergisches Land did belong to the earldom Berg for most of the medieval times, which still give the district its name.

In 1816 after the whole Rhineland area did come to Prussia the districts of Waldbröl, Homburg, Gimborn Wipperfürth and Lennep were created on the area now covered by the district. In 1825 the districts Gimborn and Homburg were merged to the district Gummersbach. In 1932 it was merged with the district Waldbröl, and then for the first time called Oberbergischer Kreis. The restructure of the districts in 1969/75 did then create the district in its current size.

Geography

Geographically it covers the hills west of the Sauerland and north of the Westerwald, the so called Bergisches Land. In North Rhine-Westphalia it is the district with the most artificial lakes, the biggest one being the Wiehl dam in the southeast.

The Oberbergische Kreis is the eastern share area of the nature reserve Bergisches Land. He lies 200-530 meters about the sea level, is rich in wood and rich in water and a recreational area for citizens from Cologne, Ruhr area and Netherlands.

The prevailing rock is greywacke which was diminished earlier in big dimensions in stone quarries and still becomes today partly.

• Nördlichster point: bend of the Brebach (brook), 480 meters to the north-east of the place Griesensiepen/Spree
• Südlichster point: tributary stream of the Holper brook, 660 meters to the west of soaps
• Westlichster point: Go on and on, 200 meters to the west of Kiefhaus and 90 meters super half of the inlet of the Dürsch brook
• Östlichster point: 20 meters northwesterly the L342, 790 meters to the east of Hardt (Gummersbach)

The highest elevation of the circle is the Homert with 529 meters altitude in the area of the town Gummersbach in the eastern margin of the area of a circle, near A45.

Boundary Bergisches country - Oberbergisches country

The Oberbergische country lies in the southeast of the former dukedom mountain and formerly of adjoining areas and today is a part of the tourist region Bergisches land. Already in 1740 a description of the dukedom separated mountain with his 17 offices the "Niederbergische" northward Wupper from the "Oberbergischen" southward the Wupper.

When the dukedom and the neighboring territories were sorted by Napoleon in 1806 and by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 anew, also there fell the imperial rules independent till then Gimborn Neustadt to which Gummersbach belonged (as well as Homburg and parts of the county mark) to the Grand Duchy mountain or (in Prussia).

Coat of arms

The coat of arms is a combination of the heraldic signs of the territories the district belonged. The red-white bar in top comes from the earldom Mark. The lion in the symbol of the earldom Berg, and the Homburg castle (near Nümbrecht) was the seat of the Princes of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

Politics

District Administrator

• 1945-1951: Dr. August Dresbach, CDU
• 1951-1952: Fritz Eschmann, SPD
• 1952-1956: Wilhelm Henn, CDU
• 1956-1961: Fritz Eschmann, SPD
• 1961-1964: Reinhard Kaufmann, CDU
• 1964-1969: Dr. Heinrich Schild, CDU
• 1969-1989: Hans Wichelhaus, CDU
• 1989-1994: Hans-Leo Kausemann, CDU
• 1994-1999: Herbert Heidtman, SPD

Since the 1st October, 1999 there is only a full-time District Administrator who is at the same time with it a management head.

• 1999-2004: Hans-Leo Kausemann, CDU
• 2004-today: Hagen Jobi, CDU

District Administrator for the management

• 1946-1979: Dr. Friedrich-Wilhelm Goldenbogen, CDU
• 1979-1987: Dr. Dieter Fuchs, CDU
• 1987-1994: Dr. Gert Ammermann, CDU
• 1995-1999: Heribert Rohr, SPD

Economy

In the area of a circle the economy is marked particularly by small and middle-class industry. There are many companies in the area of plastic processing, auto ancillary industry, metal processing and services.

Places of interest

• The so-called " colored Kerken ", the churches with medieval wall and cover paintings are known national.
• Wiehler limestone cave
• Rhenish industry museum in Engelskirchen
• House Dahl
• Bergisches open-air museum Lindlar
• Castle Gimborn
• Castle Homburg
• Castle Hückeswagen and historical old part of the town from Hückeswagen
• Castle Ehreshoven

Transport

In the southern part of the Oberbergischen Kreis federal motorway crosses highway A 4 with connectors in Engelskirchen, Bielstein, Wiehl - Gummersbach, Reichshof - Eckenhagen, the area of a circle of the west to the east.

The regional road net of the Deutsche Bahn AG maintains stops for the so-called "city road", among the rest, in Engelskirchen, Ründeroth, Dieringhausen, Gummersbach and Marienheide;

In Bergneustadt, Marienheide, Radevormwald and Wipperfürth gives it in each case small airfield for sports airplanes.

Weather in the Oberbergischen

It give 9 precipitation stations and climate stations German weather service it in the circle, namely in Hückeswagen - Bevertalsperre, Lindlar - to Oberlichtinghagen, Marienheide - sewage layout the north, Morsbach, Radevormwald, Waldbröl, Wipperfürth.

Besides a station is in Nümbrecht - Distelkamp where beside precipitation, also the cloud education, tag temperatures, night temperatures and ground temperatures, solar hours and relative air humidity are measured.

In Eckenhagen weather station of the German weather service is the only online in the circle, there all 10 minutes of air temperature and aerial moist, sunshine duration and temperature are measured in the surface of the earth.

Regular arrangements

Yearly

• 1st May and the first May weekend medieval market on castle Homburg in Nümbrecht
• May: International Wiehler jazz days
• The first May weekend: Radevormwald town festival
• 1. and 2 Pentecosts: potter market in the historical castle court of Reichshof - Denklingen
• July: always on the 2nd weekend: Light festival in the health resort park from Nümbrecht
• Summer: professional radian runnings with known drivers in the city center from Radevormwald
• From August to October: Wiehl - dahlia show
• September: Traditional plum fair in Radevormwald
• Autumn: eggs market in Reichshof - Eiershagen
• Autumn: Light festival in Lindlar
• At the end of November: Christmassy plant art market in Nümbrecht, the last week-end before the 1st Advent

More often

• Every second Thursday in the month cattle market in Waldbröl

Towns and municipalities

External links

=Weblinks

• Official website (German)
• Touristical website for the Bergisches Land (German)
• Kreisinformationssystem Oberberg (German)