Engelskirchen
Encyclopedia
Engelskirchen is a municipality in Oberbergischer Kreis, Germany
in North Rhine-Westphalia
, about 40 kilometers east of Cologne
. The neighbouring municipalities are (clockwise from the west) Overath
, Lindlar
, Gummersbach
, Wiehl
and Much
.
settlement mentioned for the first time in 1353 as Engellerskerken. On 1 January 1975, the independent municipalities of Engelskirchen and Ründeroth,formally known as 'Runde Rode' were combined to form the modern-day Engelskirchen.
, granted on 24 March 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.
in 1554. The number of parishioners outgrew the capacity of the church in the 19th century. Then a new three-aisle long house on round pillars with transepts and separate main choir was established. From 1943 to 1945 homeless inhabitants of Cologne and foreign civilian prisoners were housed here. Nonetheless, an air raid on the last day of the war resulted in two bombs destroying part of the church. The bombs hit the aisle and tower, and the vault collapsed. Three years later, a minimal renovation was done. In the 1970s, there was a more thorough renovation. Later a new sacristy was built.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, about 40 kilometers east of Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. The neighbouring municipalities are (clockwise from the west) Overath
Overath
Overath is a town in the Rheinisch-Bergischer district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Overath is located about 25 km east of Cologne, in the Bergisches Land...
, Lindlar
Lindlar
Lindlar is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located about 30 km east of Cologne.-Geography:Lindlar is located between latitudes 50°58' and 51°5' N. and longitudes 7°15' and 7°28' E...
, Gummersbach
Gummersbach
Gummersbach is a city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, being the district seat of the Oberbergischer Kreis. It is located 50 km east of Cologne. In the past it was nicknamed "the Lime Tree Town", because lime trees lined the main street...
, Wiehl
Wiehl
Wiehl is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis, in Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany. It is located approx. 41 km east of Cologne. The neighbouring municipalities Reichshof, Waldbröl, Nümbrecht, Much, Engelskirchen and Gummersbach border on the town....
and Much
Much, Germany
Much is a municipality in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 30 km north-east of Bonn, and 20 km south-west of Gummersbach.-Twin towns:* Doullens, France, since 1976...
.
History
Engelskirchen is an old Bergisches LandBergisches Land
The Bergisches Land is a low mountain range region within the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 artificial lakes...
settlement mentioned for the first time in 1353 as Engellerskerken. On 1 January 1975, the independent municipalities of Engelskirchen and Ründeroth,formally known as 'Runde Rode' were combined to form the modern-day Engelskirchen.
Coat of arms of Engelskirchen
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, granted on 24 March 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.
Subdivision
The municipality Engelskirchen consists of the following settlements: Bellingroth, Bickenbach, Buschhausen, Dörrenberg, Engelskirchen, Grünscheid, Hahn, Hardt, Hollenberg, Kaltenbach, Loope, Miebach, Müllensiefen, Neuremscheid, Oesinghausen, Oetterstal, Osberghausen, Papiermühle, Remerscheid, Rennbruch, Rommersberg, Ründeroth, Schnellenbach, Stiefelhagen, Thal, Wahlscheid, Wallefeld and Wiehlmünden.Museums
- Baumwollspinnerei Ermen & Engels, one of six locations of the Rheinisches IndustriemuseumRheinisches IndustriemuseumThe Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
- Oelchenshammer, a museum forge
Monuments
- The warrior's monument with thingThing (assembly)A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
site - The Lohmühle and three other mills in the Lambachtal
- Aggertal cave in Ründeroth
Catholic parish church of Saints Peter and Paul
The origin of the parish church with the name Saints Peter and Paul in Engelskirchen lies in the 13th century. The massive west tower dates back to this time. It became an independent parish following its separation from Saint Severinus parish in LindlarLindlar
Lindlar is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located about 30 km east of Cologne.-Geography:Lindlar is located between latitudes 50°58' and 51°5' N. and longitudes 7°15' and 7°28' E...
in 1554. The number of parishioners outgrew the capacity of the church in the 19th century. Then a new three-aisle long house on round pillars with transepts and separate main choir was established. From 1943 to 1945 homeless inhabitants of Cologne and foreign civilian prisoners were housed here. Nonetheless, an air raid on the last day of the war resulted in two bombs destroying part of the church. The bombs hit the aisle and tower, and the vault collapsed. Three years later, a minimal renovation was done. In the 1970s, there was a more thorough renovation. Later a new sacristy was built.
Christmas post office
Each year from November 15 until December 22, the Engelskirchen postal office answers letters to the infant Jesus. In 2009, over 160,000 letters arrived from all over the world.Literature
- Josef Hesse - Engelskirchen im 19. und 20. Jahrunderte (Engelskirchen in the 19th and the 20th Centuries), Engelskirchen 1985
- Peter Opladen and Edmund Schiefeling, Engelskirchen im Aggertal 1051