Bergisch Gladbach

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Bergisch Gladbach
Forecourt of Schloss Bensberg
Forecourt of Schloss Bensberg
Flag of Bergisch Gladbach
Flag
Coat of arms of Bergisch Gladbach
Coat of arms
Location of Bergisch Gladbach within Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district
Bergisch Gladbach is located in Germany
Bergisch Gladbach
Bergisch Gladbach
Coordinates: 51°06′N 07°07′E / 51.100°N 7.117°E / 51.100; 7.117Coordinates: 51°06′N 07°07′E / 51.100°N 7.117°E / 51.100; 7.117
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionKöln
DistrictRheinisch-Bergischer Kreis
Subdivisions6
Government
 • Mayor (2020–25) Frank Stein[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total83.12 km2 (32.09 sq mi)
Highest elevation
267 m (876 ft)
Lowest elevation
51 m (167 ft)
Population
 (2020-12-31)[2]
 • Total111,636
 • Density1,300/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
51401-51469
Dialling codes02202, 02204, 02207
Vehicle registrationGL
Websitewww.bergischgladbach.de

Bergisch Gladbach (German pronunciation: [ˌbɛɐ̯gɪʃ ˈglatbax] (About this soundlisten)) is a city in the Cologne/Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district).

Geography[]

Bergisch Gladbach is located east of the river Rhine, approx. 10 kilometers east of Cologne.

Neighbouring municipalities[]

Beginning in the north clockwise the neighbouring municipalities and neighbouring towns are: Odenthal, Kürten, Overath, Rösrath, Cologne and Leverkusen.

History[]

Early settlements existed in the 13th century, but the town was officially founded in 1856.

Old castle and town hall of Bensberg

The word Bergisch in the name does not originate from its location in the county of Berg and was not added to distinguish it from Mönchengladbach as believed by many people, but from the counts who gave their name to the region. At the start of the 12th century the counts of Berg settled in the area and it later became the duchy (under Napoleon, the grand duchy) of Berg. This is where the first part of the name (Bergisch) comes from, the town being located in the former county of Berg. It is the administrative headquarters ('Kreisstadt') of the Rheinish-Bergisch district (or 'Kreis').

The second part of the name, Gladbach (cognate with English Ladbrooke) originates from Low Rhenish (Bergisches Platt) and means canalised stream, referring to the small river (the Strunde) that was artificially canalised (laid) in early medieval times. In Bergisch Platt, the regional dialect, laid is said gelaat, a word which eventually evolved to glad (in this case the 'd' is pronounced as a 't'). The second part of the word, bach is the standard German word for a small stream, referring in this case to the Strunde.

In 1975 the town incorporated 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[]

Paper manufacturing, printing, glass wool manufacturing, chocolate, and high-tech industries make up a large part of Bergisch Gladbach's economy.

Twin towns – sister cities[]

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

Bergisch Gladbach is twinned with:[4]

Notable people[]

Secondary schools in Bergisch Gladbach[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 29 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2020" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Staatsangehörigkeit in Bergisch Gladbach". Stadt Bergisch Gladbach. Retrieved 21 July 2015.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Städtepartnerschaften- und Freundschaften". bergischgladbach.de (in German). Bergisch Gladbach. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

External links[]

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