- Rees, Germany
Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
Name = Rees
Wappen = Wappen_rees.svg
lat_deg = 51 |lat_min = 46 |lat_sec = 0
lon_deg = 6 |lon_min = 24 |lon_sec = 0
Lageplan =
Bundesland = North Rhine-Westphalia
Regierungsbezirk = Düsseldorf
Kreis = Kleve
Höhe =
Fläche = 109.66
Einwohner = 22559
Stand = 2005-12-31
PLZ = 46459
Vorwahl = 0 28 51
0 28 57 (Mehr / Haffen)
Kfz = KLE
Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 1 54 044
Gliederung = 7
Straße = Markt 1
Website = [http://www.stadt-rees.de/ www.stadt-rees.de]
Bürgermeister = Dr. Bruno Ketteler
Partei = CDURees is a town in the district of Cleves in the state of
North Rhine-Westphalia ,Germany . It is located on the right bank of theRhine , approx. 20 km east ofCleves . Population (2005): 22,559.Founded in 1228, Rees is the oldest town in the lower Rhine area.Organization and neighbouring municipalities
Rees is administratively organized in seven communities:
* Community of Bienen
* Community of Empel
* Community of Haffen
* Community of Haldern
* Community of Mehr
* Community of Millingen
* Community of ReesThe neighbouring municipalities are
Oude IJsselstreek (province ofGelderland , NL) andIsselburg (district of Borken) in the North,Hamminkeln andWesel in the East,Xanten in the South (all district of Wesel), andKalkar andEmmerich in the West.History
The origin of the town is a
Frankish settlement established between 500-800 AD. The name Rees most probably goes back to theFranconian term "Rys", which means "willow grove".The
Lower Rhine area was Christianized by the Irish missionaryWillibrord between 657-739. Around 1000 the nearbymonastery of Aspel was first mentioned.On
July 14 ,1228 Rees was granted municipal rights byHeinrich I von Müllenark ,Archbishop of Cologne . At that time it had about 600 inhabitants. In 1289/90 the works on a fortified city wall began, which was finished in 1350. In 1392 Rees and the monastery of Aspel became part of theCounty of Cleves .During the
Eighty Years War , the town was captured by Spanish troops in 1598. After the death of the last duke of Cleves in 1609, the town belonged to theMargraviate of Brandenburg . Between 1616 and 1625 Rees was occupied by Dutch troops, who strengthened the town into a huge fortress. In 1701 it became part of theKingdom of Prussia .In 1816, Rees became capital of the newly-founded Rees District within Regierungsbezirk Kleve. Railway access was established with the opening of the railway line
Oberhausen -Arnhem in 1856.During the Nazi period, many
Jew ish inhabitants were deported. The only surviving monuments to centuries of Jewish life and activity in Rees are two historic Jewish cemeteries. The city was almost completely destroyed by an Allied air raid onFebruary 16 ,1945 duringWorld War II . It became part of North Rhine-Westphalia after the war.Culture, Tourism and Points of Interest
Rees possesses one of the most beautiful Rhine promenades in Germany, with restaurants and cafes arranged along the riverbank. Most visitors come from the nearby
Netherlands , theMünsterland , and the urbanRuhr Area , from where Rees can be easily accessed via theAutobahn A3 in approx. 30 minutes. Boat tours on the Rhine river (e.g. toNijmegen ,Netherlands ) can be taken from the small shipping pier. The town offers amotorhome park, as well as three campsites and many bicycling routes.The municipal Koenraad-Bosman-Museum provides varying exhibitions on town history and arts.
In the town center, there are many affectionately restored wells and water pumps that have become recognizable landmarks. An annual "Pumpenkirmes" (Ger., "pump fair") celebrates their former role as places for work and gossip.
Near the river bank, there are many remains of the ancient city fortification. Several
casemates have been restored and are open to the public. Quite remarkable, though not publicly accessible, is a Jewish cemetery uniquely situated on the top of the wall. Because Jews in medieval Rees were forbidden from being buried within the city walls, a cemetery was built atop the wall itself to protect the graves from floods and enemies.The town has a sculpture park where artists from Germany and the Netherlands are exhibited.
The facilities of the SV (Sportverein) Rees have been used by several national and international
soccer teams, most memorably playing host to the national team of Cameroon in 2002.Haldern is venue of the
Haldern Pop festival, which takes place every August and attractsindie music artists from all over the world as well as thousands of enthusiastic fans.Traffic infrastructure
Railway
The train station Empel-Rees is located about 4km from city center and is connected northbound to
Emmerich and southbound toWesel -Oberhausen -Duisburg -Düsseldorf -Cologne -Bonn -Koblenz . From the station, there is a bus line downtown.Major roads
Rees has major road access to the
Autobahn A3 and the federal roads B8 (North-South) and B67 (East-West).Inland waterways
*The River
Rhine For pedestrians and bicyclists, transfer across the Rhine is provided by two ferries from Easter holidays through October.Nearest airports
Distance to
Düsseldorf International Airport : ca. 75kmDistance to
Airport Weeze (low cost carriers only): ca. 35kmExternal links
* [http://www.stadt-rees.de/ Website of Stadt Rees] de icon
* [http://www.reescity.de/ Inofficial Website of Rees am Rhein] de icon
* [http://www.gresto.de/ Reeser Online Community] de iconReferences
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