Grefrath
Encyclopedia
Grefrath (ˈɡʁeːfʁaːt) is a municipality in the district of Viersen
, in the western part of North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. (It should not be confused with the village of Grefrath which lies just to the south of Neuss
on the Rhine River.)
It is situated in the Lower Rhineland
region (German: Niederhein), which is located between the river Rhine and the borderline between Germany and the Netherlands
.
The river Niers
crosses through the municipality from the south to the north.
The villages of Grefrath and Vinkrath are located on the westerly bank of the small river, whereas Oedt and Mülhausen are situated on the easterly bank.
Towns and municipalities adjoining Grefrath are (clockwise, beginning in the north):
The nearest bigger cities are Mönchengladbach
(15 km to the south-south-east), Krefeld
(15 km to the east) and Venlo
(15 km to the west).
.
In 1243 Grefrath was acquired by the county of Geldern
(since 1339: duchy of Geldern) to which it belonged for the next centuries. In 1543 the duchy of Geldern was given to the Burgundian Netherlands
, also called the Spanish Netherlands
after the division of the House of Habsburg
.
During the Eighty Years' War
, in which the Seventeen Provinces
(predecessor of today's Netherlands
) fought for their independence from Spain
, Grefrath continued to belong to Spain along with the southerly part of the duchy of Geldern.
Following the conclusion of the Treaty of Utrecht
in 1713, the Spanish part of the duchy of Geldern was added to Prussia
.
In the course of the French Revolutionary Wars
, Grefrath was occupied by the French in 1794. It became an official part of the French territory in 1801, belonging to the Département Roer.
After the defeat of Napoleonic France, the left Lower Rhineland region was returned to Prussia as a result of the Congress of Vienna
in 1815, and Grefrath was assigned to what later became the Kempen District (Kreis Kempen).
Over a century later, when the country of Prussia was finally dissolved, Grefrath became a part of the newly-created German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia
.
In 1970, the municipalities of Grefrath (including the villages of Grefrath and Vinkrath) and Oedt (including the villages of Oedt and Mülhausen) were united.
The United States Army's 507th U.S. Army Artillery Detachment was activated in 1970 and was assigned to the 5th U.S. Army Artillery Group. This group consisted of four teams, Alpha Team was headquartered in Grefrath, Germany. These teams were responsible for the security and maintenance of the Nike Hercules missile and was the only nuclear-armed surface-to-air weapon operational with the U.S. Army.
Viersen (district)
Viersen is a Kreis in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Cleves, Wesel, district-free Krefeld, Neuss, district-free Mönchengladbach, Heinsberg and the Dutch province of Limburg.-History:...
, in the western part of 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...
, Germany
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...
. (It should not be confused with the village of Grefrath which lies just to the south of Neuss
Neuss
Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district and owes its prosperity to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes. It is primarily known...
on the Rhine River.)
It is situated in the Lower Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
region (German: Niederhein), which is located between the river Rhine and the borderline between Germany and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
The river Niers
Niers
The Niers is a river in Germany and the Netherlands, right tributary to the river Meuse. Its source is near Erkelenz, south of Mönchengladbach, in North Rhine-Westphalia . The Niers flows through Mönchengladbach, Viersen, Wachtendonk, Geldern and Goch before flowing into the Meuse just across the...
crosses through the municipality from the south to the north.
The villages of Grefrath and Vinkrath are located on the westerly bank of the small river, whereas Oedt and Mülhausen are situated on the easterly bank.
Towns and municipalities adjoining Grefrath are (clockwise, beginning in the north):
- WachtendonkWachtendonkWachtendonk is a municipality in the district of Kleve in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Duisburg and Venlo at the Dutch border. Its name is of Dutch origin and means 'water hill'.-External links:*...
- KempenKempenKempen may refer to:*Kempen, Germany, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany;*the German name of the Polish town of Kępno, or the former Prussian district Kreis Kempen;*the Dutch and Belgian region of Kempen, usually called Campine in English...
- TönisvorstTönisvorstTönisvorst is a town in the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 5 km west of Krefeld.-Historical monuments:*Das alte Rathaus, St. Tönis*Der Mertenshof, St. Tönis*Schluff , St. Tönis...
- ViersenViersenViersen is the capital of the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Viersen is situated approximately 8 km north-west of Mönchengladbach, 15 km south-west of Krefeld and 20 km east of Venlo ....
- NettetalNettetalNettetal is a municipality in the district of Viersen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Nettetal is not a town itself, but a federation of villages that have developed around the river Nette, and the worked-out gravel pits that now form five lakes. It is situated on the border with the...
The nearest bigger cities are Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border....
(15 km to the south-south-east), Krefeld
Krefeld
Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine...
(15 km to the east) and Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
(15 km to the west).
History
The town of Grefrath was first mentioned in 1177, at that time bearing the name of Greverode. This stands for "The Earls' Clearing" (German: Rodung der Grafen)..
In 1243 Grefrath was acquired by the county of Geldern
Geldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
(since 1339: duchy of Geldern) to which it belonged for the next centuries. In 1543 the duchy of Geldern was given to the Burgundian Netherlands
Burgundian Netherlands
In the history of the Low Countries, the Burgundian Netherlands refers to a number of Imperial and French fiefs ruled in personal union by the House of Valois-Burgundy and their Habsburg heirs in the period from 1384 to 1482...
, also called the Spanish Netherlands
Southern Netherlands
Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...
after the division of the House of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
.
During the Eighty Years' War
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
, in which the Seventeen Provinces
Seventeen Provinces
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of Western Germany.The Seventeen Provinces were originally held by...
(predecessor of today's Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) fought for their independence from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Grefrath continued to belong to Spain along with the southerly part of the duchy of Geldern.
Following the conclusion of the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
in 1713, the Spanish part of the duchy of Geldern was added to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
.
In the course of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, Grefrath was occupied by the French in 1794. It became an official part of the French territory in 1801, belonging to the Département Roer.
After the defeat of Napoleonic France, the left Lower Rhineland region was returned to Prussia as a result of the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
in 1815, and Grefrath was assigned to what later became the Kempen District (Kreis Kempen).
Over a century later, when the country of Prussia was finally dissolved, Grefrath became a part of the newly-created German federal state of 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...
.
In 1970, the municipalities of Grefrath (including the villages of Grefrath and Vinkrath) and Oedt (including the villages of Oedt and Mülhausen) were united.
The United States Army's 507th U.S. Army Artillery Detachment was activated in 1970 and was assigned to the 5th U.S. Army Artillery Group. This group consisted of four teams, Alpha Team was headquartered in Grefrath, Germany. These teams were responsible for the security and maintenance of the Nike Hercules missile and was the only nuclear-armed surface-to-air weapon operational with the U.S. Army.
| 507th Arty Det | TEAM | LOCATION | UNIT SUPPORTED | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HQ | Grefrath | 9th Missile Wing | The 9 Missile Wing was a Dutch speaking Wing with Flemish personal | |
| A Team | Grefrath | 56th Squadron | ||
| B Team | Kaster | 53rd Squadron | ||
| C Team | Kapellen | 55th Squadron | ||
| D Team | Xanten | 54th Squadron | ||
| E Team | Fort Bliss, TX | Never deployed to Germany | ||