Heimbach
Encyclopedia
Heimbach is a town in the district of Düren
in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. It is located on the river Rur
, in the Eifel
hills, approx. 20 km south of Düren
. Heimbach is the city with the smallest number of residents in North Rhine-Westphalia. Parts of the city are Blens (290 residents), Düttling (80 residents), Hasenfeld (1200 residents), Hausen (290 residents), Hergarten (600 residents) and Vlatten (1000 residents). The city has included these parts since 1972. Before 1972 these villages had their own administrations. Between Hausen and Hergarten there is located a small housing estate called Walbig, and between Hasenfeld and Schmidt (City of Nidegen) there is located a housing estate called Buschfelder Hof, which former belonged to Blens.
Heimbach and its Hengenbach Castle was the seat of the local noble family which has inherited County of Jülich in 1207 and Heimbach was attached to the said County (and later Duchy
) since 1237.
After the fire of 1687 the city of Heimbach was rebuilt because it was necessary to house the town's population; however, the castle of Hengebach was left a ruin until 1904 when restoration work began. Now restored, the castle is owned and operated as a tourist attraction by the city of Heimbach. The castle itself is located on a rock in the middle of Heimbach. Today it is used as a restaurant and a location for public events. There are also castles in the villages Blens, Hausen and Vlatten, which are now part of Heimbach.
Heimbach is an important town for pilgrims. As there is the monastery of Mariawald
, too, there are many pilgrims, who want to see the statue of Mary
in the church of Heimbach.
The Mayor of Heimbach is Bert Züll (CDU). The Council of Heimbach contains 11 members of the Christian Democratic Union, 3 members of the SPD, one member of the Green Party, 3 members of the FDP and 2 members of the UWV.
Heimbach is a popular town for tourists. Most of them come from the near cities Cologne, Aachen or Düsseldorf
and there are many who come from the Netherlands. Most of them just visit Heimbach for a day. The most important objects of interest are the National Parc Eifel, the power house built in style of Art Nouveau, the water supply dam of Rur, the monastery of Mariawald and Hengebach castle. There is a famous series of concerts called Spannungen which is placed in the power house. Musicians as Sharon Cam, Lars Vogt or Sabine Meyer have already taken part in these concerts.
From the villages of Hausen and Blens, which are located in the North of Heimbach you have a great view on a row of great rocks. Earlier they were open for climbing, but to conserve the animals there they are now part of a nature conservancy area. A lot of people also spend their time in Heimbach on one of the lot of campgrounds around Heimbach. There are impressive ones in the shades of those rocks.
Most residents of Heimbach are Roman Catholics. So there are churches in Heimbach (St. Clemens), Hausen (St. Nikolaus), Vlatten (St. Dinysius) and Hergarten (St. Martin) and chapels in Blens (St. Georg), Hasenfeld (St. Nepomuk), Düttling (St. Apollonia) and Vlatten (St. Michael).
Düren (district)
Düren is a Kreis in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Heinsberg, Neuss, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Euskirchen and Aachen.-History:...
in the 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...
, 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 is located on the river Rur
Rur
The Rur , — not to be confused with the Ruhr — is a river which flows through portions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It is a right tributary to the river Meuse...
, in the Eifel
Eifel
The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium....
hills, approx. 20 km south of Düren
Düren
Düren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
. Heimbach is the city with the smallest number of residents in North Rhine-Westphalia. Parts of the city are Blens (290 residents), Düttling (80 residents), Hasenfeld (1200 residents), Hausen (290 residents), Hergarten (600 residents) and Vlatten (1000 residents). The city has included these parts since 1972. Before 1972 these villages had their own administrations. Between Hausen and Hergarten there is located a small housing estate called Walbig, and between Hasenfeld and Schmidt (City of Nidegen) there is located a housing estate called Buschfelder Hof, which former belonged to Blens.
Heimbach and its Hengenbach Castle was the seat of the local noble family which has inherited County of Jülich in 1207 and Heimbach was attached to the said County (and later Duchy
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
) since 1237.
After the fire of 1687 the city of Heimbach was rebuilt because it was necessary to house the town's population; however, the castle of Hengebach was left a ruin until 1904 when restoration work began. Now restored, the castle is owned and operated as a tourist attraction by the city of Heimbach. The castle itself is located on a rock in the middle of Heimbach. Today it is used as a restaurant and a location for public events. There are also castles in the villages Blens, Hausen and Vlatten, which are now part of Heimbach.
Heimbach is an important town for pilgrims. As there is the monastery of Mariawald
Mariawald Abbey
Mariawald Abbey is a monastery of the Trappists , located above the village of Heimbach, in the district of Düren in the Eifel, in the forests around Mount Kermeter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany....
, too, there are many pilgrims, who want to see the statue of Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
in the church of Heimbach.
The Mayor of Heimbach is Bert Züll (CDU). The Council of Heimbach contains 11 members of the Christian Democratic Union, 3 members of the SPD, one member of the Green Party, 3 members of the FDP and 2 members of the UWV.
Heimbach is a popular town for tourists. Most of them come from the near cities Cologne, Aachen or Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
and there are many who come from the Netherlands. Most of them just visit Heimbach for a day. The most important objects of interest are the National Parc Eifel, the power house built in style of Art Nouveau, the water supply dam of Rur, the monastery of Mariawald and Hengebach castle. There is a famous series of concerts called Spannungen which is placed in the power house. Musicians as Sharon Cam, Lars Vogt or Sabine Meyer have already taken part in these concerts.
From the villages of Hausen and Blens, which are located in the North of Heimbach you have a great view on a row of great rocks. Earlier they were open for climbing, but to conserve the animals there they are now part of a nature conservancy area. A lot of people also spend their time in Heimbach on one of the lot of campgrounds around Heimbach. There are impressive ones in the shades of those rocks.
Most residents of Heimbach are Roman Catholics. So there are churches in Heimbach (St. Clemens), Hausen (St. Nikolaus), Vlatten (St. Dinysius) and Hergarten (St. Martin) and chapels in Blens (St. Georg), Hasenfeld (St. Nepomuk), Düttling (St. Apollonia) and Vlatten (St. Michael).