Gevelsberg

Infobox German Location
Art = Stadt
Name = Gevelsberg
Wappen = Wappen Gevelsberg gold.pnglat_deg = 51 |lat_min = 18
lon_deg = 7 |lon_min = 20
Lageplan =
Bundesland = Nordrhein-Westfalen
Regierungsbezirk = Arnsberg
Kreis = Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis
Höhe = 160
Fläche = 26.27
Einwohner = 32719
Stand = 2005-12-31
PLZ = 58285
PLZ-alt = 5820
Vorwahl = 0 23 32
Kfz = EN
Gemeindeschlüssel =
Straße = Rathausplatz 1
Website = [http://www.gevelsberg.de/ www.gevelsberg.de]
Bürgermeister = Claus Jacobi
Partei = SPD

Gevelsberg is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, (Germany).

Geography

The city extends from the wooded mountainous south up, into the narrow valley of the Ennepe with Route 7 up to the hilly northern part. The culture-geographical situation between Sauerland in the south and the Ruhr Area in the north is proximity to the recreational areas and roads to the neighbouring large cities of Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Wuppertal and Hagen. The landscape is mainly of green vegetation along the Flussaue of the Ennepe and overall in the populated areas.

Elevation is about 200 meters, the lowest is the Ennepe bei Vogelsang (135 m) and highest is the Hageböllinger Kopf (336.4 m). Its east-to-west length is 7.1 km and the north to south length is 7.15 km.

Division of the town

* Asbeck
* Berge
* Silschede

History

The city has a history of nearly 780 years. It was founded on November 7, 1225 as "Gievilberch".

When the small businesses boomed, especially the mills and iron-producing factory, they also caused a rise in population in the 19th century. Numerous houses, factory buildings and manufacturing plants developed during that time, which has shaped Gevelsberg especially today.

Coat of arms

Its historical coat of arms had lent to the city by the decree of the Prussian Department of the Interior on February 1, 1886.

From this original coat of arms, in the mid-1950s, was developed years the current coat of arms was developed, which is in use since that time. Attached at the top margin, a dreituermige, sandstone-grey mauerkrone with a closed town-gate under the tower and the badge of its municipal rights. It includes a wheel indicating its industry while the building on its coat of arms is colored red.

Economics

Small businesses shaped the municipality's industry. During the Second World War, minor damages of the facility were reported.

There is also trend-setting innovations, the examples (in German) are at [http://www.sonneregen.de Sonne & Regen] and [http://www.rikscha-gevelsberg.de Radtaxi] .

Transportation

Gevelsberg is connected to the national road network by the A1 autobahn and the B 7 and B 234 roads. The area of the municipality is served by several regional train lines of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, but contrary as to one would normally expect, Gevelsberg Hauptbahnhof only has connections to the S8 trains of the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn and nothing else. The regional trains stop at Ennepetal (Gevelsberg) railway station instead.

Twin towns

* Vendôme, France
* Szprotawa, Poland, since May 17, 1996
* Butera, Italy, since May 8, 2004. Some 1,000 people from Butera and Caltanisetta (Sicily) live in Gevelsberg.

Notable persons

* Dr. Klaus Solmecke

Festivities

*Gevelsberg Kirmes - held every final weekend of June
*Quellenfest - every year on Ascension Thursday to Sunday

External links

* [http://www.gevelsberg.de/ www.gevelsberg.de] de icon