Kreuztal

Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
Name = Kreuztal
Wappen = Wappen von Kreuztal.pnglat_deg = 50 |lat_min = 58
lon_deg = 7 |lon_min = 58
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Nordrhein-Westfalen
Regierungsbezirk = Arnsberg
Kreis = Siegen-Wittgenstein
Höhe = 350
Fläche = 70.97
Einwohner = 31771
Stand = 2006-12-31
PLZ = 57223
Vorwahl = 02732
Kfz = SI
Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 9 70 024
Gliederung = 13
Straße = Siegener Str. 5
Website = [http://www.kreuztal.de/ www.kreuztal.de]
Bürgermeister = Rudolf Biermann
Partei = CDU

Kreuztal is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Geography

Location

Kreuztal is a town in the low mountains of the northern Siegerland and lies at the western edge of the Rothaargebirge about 10 km north of Siegen.

Across the municipal area from the east flows the Ferndorfbach, swinging to the south in the inner town and leaving the municipal area through the constituent community of Buschhütten.

In the northern municipal area rises the Littfe, which then runs through the constituent communities of Burgholdinghausen, Littfeld, Krombach, Eichen and Fellinghausen before emptying into the Ferndorfbach in the inner town. Further tributary brooks to the Littfe are the Langebach, the Heimkäuser Bach, the Breitenbach, the Krombach, the Stendenbach and the Bockenbach.

In the town's west end rises the Heesbach, which then runs through the constituent communities of Oberhees, Mittelhees, Junkernhees and Fellinghausen, emptying into the Littfe at the footbridge. One tributary to the Hees is the Ostheldener Bach, which feeds the Robertsweier (pond). The Berghäuser Bach, which flows through the Berghäuser Weier (another pond), empties into the Ostheldener Bach downstream from the Robertsweier.

Geology

The municipal area is part of the "Rheinisches Schiefergebirge", or Rhenish Slate Mountains. The southernmost constituent community of Buschhütten gives way to the Sieg gorge to the south. While the bedrock contains many layers of iron-bearing rock, the surface is formed of weathered clayey-sandy earth.

Municipal area's extent

The municipal area covers 70.96 km². This breaks down as follows:
* 60.02% wooded
* 16.41% agricultural
* 14.49% buildings and yards
*7.09% transport
*2.26% other

The town's highest point is the "Hoher Wald" at 655 m above sea level, and its lowest point is to be found in Buschhütten where the Ferndorfbach leaves the municipal area at a height of 260 m above sea level. The municipal area's north-south extent is 12 km, and its east-west extent is 11 km.

Neighbouring communities

The town, lying in the northwestern part of the district, borders in the south on Siegen, in the west on Freudenberg and Wenden, in the north on Kirchhundem and Olpe and in the east on Hilchenbach and Netphen. The town is shaped by the valleys of the Ferndorfbach, Littfe and Hees, which together form a cross-shaped valley.

The town's highest elevation is the mountain "Hoher Wald" at 655 m above sea level. The peak is however not open to the public, as it belongs to the Bundeswehr. Other mountains are the "Hölzenberg" 626 m above sea level, "Kindelsberg" 617.9 m above sea level (the town's landmark), the "Martinshardt" 616.1 m above sea level, the "Ziegenberg" 521 m above sea level, the "Wilder Stein" 478.9 m above sea level, die "Rodenull" 436 m above sea level, the "Köpfchen" 407.4 m above sea level, the "Pfaffenberg" 398.7 m above sea level, the "Buberg", the "Pühlsberg", the "Krähenberg", the "Altenhahn", the "Löherhauberg", the "Höhberg", the "Rohberg", the "Wolfshagen", the "Mühlberg", the "Mühlenkopf", the "Kilgeshahn", the "Siegerberg", the "Kohlenberg", the "Hohler Stein", the "Dudeltätsch" and the "Heidlofsberg".

Constituent communities

The town is made up of the centres of Burgholdinghausen, Krombach and Eichen in the north, Kreuztal in the middle, Osthelden, Oberhees, Mittelhees, Junkernhees and Fellinghausen in the west, and Ferndorf, Kredenbach, Langenau and Buschhütten in the south.

History

The town of Kreuztal as it stands now is the child of the municipal reform of 1 January 1969. It came into being through the voluntary merger of the communities of Burgholdinghausen, Buschhütten, Eichen, Fellinghausen, Ferndorf, Kredenbach, Kreuztal, Krombach, Littfeld, Mittelhees, Oberhees and Osthelden.

The first documentary mentions go back to 1067, among which are found a place called "Berentraph", the later constituent community of Ferndorf, one of the earliest named places in the Siegerland. Until the town was founded, Ferndorf was the old "Amt's" namesake.

The constituent community of Ernsdorf was first mentioned in a document as "Erinstorff" in 1417-1419. During the time of the Confederation of the Rhine, Ernsdorf was the local mayor's seat.

The name that the town now bears frst cropped up in 1826 in the baptismal register of the community of Ferndorf.

Development in the town was sparked by the railway. In 1861, the Ruhr-Sieg line opened, leading Kreuztal to become a railway hub by 1880. Up to 1888, a spur to Erndtebrück, Bad Laasphe and Marburg was built. Also in the plans was a line to Olpe and Meinerzhagen, but this was only partly finished, as far as Krummenerl.

Religion

(as of 30 December 2003)
* 59.43% Evangelical
* 17.99% Catholic
* 22.58% other

Politics

Town council

The town council's 38 seats are apportioned thus, in accordance with municipal elections held on 26 September 2004:

Education

*At Dreslers Park is the Kreuztal-Hilchenbach Music School, which is run by, among others, the town's cultural office.
*At the Kreuztal School Centre are the Friedrich Flick Gymnasium, the Ernst Moritz Arndt-Realschule and the Clara Schumann comprehensive school.

Personalities

Honorary citizens

* Arnold Buch
* Friedrich Flick
* Friedrich Schadeberg
* Gustav Schweisfurth
* Heinrich Georg

Sons and daughters of the town

* Friedrich Flick, born 10 July 1883, died 20 July 1972 in Konstanz, German industrialist and convicted war criminal
* Adolph Wurmbach, born 15 Juli 1891, died 1968 in Kreuztal, German writer
* Josef Hufnagel, born 13 January 1900, died 9 February 1982 in Münster, Westphalia, German politician (Member of the Bundestag)

Outing destinations in the area

* Biggesee, reservoir with boat trips and watersports
* Atta-Höhle, stalactite cave
* Ginsburg, castle ruins in the Rothaargebirge
* Naturpark Rothaargebirge, scenery and famous hiking trail
* Wendener Hütte, charcoal blast furnace from 1728
* Freudenberg, historic Old Town
* Obernautalsperre, drinking water reservoir in Netphen
* Siegen, "Oberes Schloss" (stately home), Siegerlandmuseum with Rubens gallery
* Elspe, Karl May Festivals
* Panorama-Park Sauerland, leisure park in Oberhundem
* Rhein-Weser-Turm, look-out tower with pub
* Bad Berleburg, Baroque stately home from 1733

References

External links

* [http://www.kreuztal.de/ Kreuztal] de icon
* [http://www.ge-kreuztal.de Clara Schumann comprehensive school] de icon
* [http://www.ffg-kreuztal.de Friedrich-Flick-Gymnasium Kreuztal] de icon
* [http://www.buergerbus-kreuztal.de/ BürgerBus Kreuztal (private buses)] de icon