Engelskirchen

Infobox German Location
Art = Gemeinde
Name = Engelskirchen
Wappen = Wappen-eng.jpg
lat_deg = 50 |lat_min = 59
lon_deg = 7 |lon_min = 25
Lageplan =
Lageplanbeschreibung =
Bundesland = Nordrhein-Westfalen
Regierungsbezirk = Köln
Kreis = Oberbergischer Kreis
Höhe = 124
Fläche = 63.07
Einwohner = 20534
Stand = 2006-06-30
PLZ = 51766
PLZ-alt = 5250
Vorwahl = 02263
Kfz = GM
Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 3 74 008
Straße = Engelsplatz 4
Website = [http://www.engelskirchen.de/ www.engelskirchen.de]
Bürgermeister = Wolfgang Oberbüscher
Partei = SPD

Engelskirchen is a municipality in Oberbergischen Kreis, Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bergischen Land, about 40 kilometers east of Cologne. Nearby towns are Wipperfürth, Gummersbach, Overath, Bergisch Gladbach, Wermelskirchen and Leverkusen. The neighbouring municipalities are: Kürten, Lindlar, Marienheide, Much and Wiehl.

History

Engelskirchen is an old bergische settlement mentioned for the first time in 1353 as Engellerskerken. The many restored half-timbered houses distinguish the valley of Ermen and Engels in the Bergischen country. On the 1st of January 1975, the independent municipalities of Engelskirchen and Ründeroth were combined forming modern-day Engelskirchen.

Coat of arms of Engelskirchen

The coat of arms, granted on March 24th, 1976, contains the lion of the Counts of Berg and the chequered bar of the arms of the Counts of the Mark. Historically the municipality was part of both counties.

Places

ites of interest

Museums

* Rhenish industry museum
* Oelchenshammer (smith's museum)

Castles and castles

* Castle Ehreshoven
* Water castle Alsbach

Monuments

*The warrior's monument with Thingstätte and the physical monument Aggertalhöhle in Ründeroth.
*The Engelskirchener Lohmühle and three mills in the Lambachtal.
*Aggertal cave in Ründeroth

Catholic parish church Saint Peter and Paul

The origin of the parish church under the name Saint Peter and Paul in Engelskirchen lies in the 13th century. The massive west tower still comes from this time. Since the separation of the parish Saint Severinus in Lindlar in 1554 it is independent. For the huge number of the believers the church should have become in the 19th century too small, so that one cancelled the ship of the church after long-standing donation operations. Then anew a three aisle long house on round pillars with across house and taken off main choir was established. In 1943 to 1945 homeless inhabitants of Cologne and foreign civilian prisoner admission{intake} found here at times. Still in the last day of the war two explosive bombs destroyed with an air raid a share{part} of the church. While the bombs hit into aisle and tower, the vault collapsed. Three years later there followed a scanty renovation, then at the beginning of the years 1970 one repaired the damages{harms} from the war time more thoroughly. Later one more sacristy was grown.

pecific Peculiarity

Each year from November 15th until December 22nd, the Engelskirchen postal office answers letters to the infant Jesus. In 2002, over 50,000 letters arrived from all over the world. (The address is: To the infant Jesus, 51766 Engelskirchen)

Twin towns

* Plan-de-Cugues, France, since 1962

Literature

* Josef Hesse - "Engelskirchen im 19. und 20. Jahrunderte" = "Engelskirchen in the 19th and the 20th Centuries", Engelskirchen 1985
* Peter Opladen / Edmund Schiefeling, "Engelskirchen im Aggertal 1051

External links

* [http://www.oberberg-online.de/staedte/engelskirchen Official site] de icon
* [http://www.rim.lvr.de/orte/engelskirchen/index1.htm Information about Engelskirchen] de icon