Weeze
Encyclopedia
Weeze is a municipality in the Lower Rhine
(Niederrhein
) region, in the north-western part of North Rhine-Westphalia
in the district of Kleve
in the region of Düsseldorf
.
The municipality consists of the town of Weeze and the village of Wemb and has approximately 10,500 inhabitants. It is situated in the district of Kleve, embedded in the north-western part of the Lower Rhine Region, and lies between Goch to the north and Kevelaer to the south. The Netherlands
lie directly to the west.
72% Roman Catholic
17% Protestant
11% Other religious denominations
The Municipality encompasses Weeze, Wemb, the area of the former military airfield Laarbruch
(now Airport Weeze
) and 16 farmsteads.
Farming 45,330 km², Woodland 19,040 km², rest 15,080 km²
67 craftsman’s guilds, 14 industrial firms, 161 trading businesses, 2 banks, 27 restaurants and pubs, 154 other businesses (insurance agents etc. )
Protected buildings and natural sights of interest:
Currency
The currency used in Weeze is the Euro.
Languages Spoken: Deutsch (German) , Dutch
The coat of arms of Weeze bears the form of the patron of the town and the patron saint of the Catholic Church St. Cyriakus with book and palm in the left half with a blue background. The top left half depicts a black dragon’s head on a golden background, the bottom right half with a white background bears a green twig with five roses (Geldrian roses/medlar blooms) and five leaves. The twig and the leaves are shown green and the roses red.
The coat of arms can be seen on the Weeze juror’s (court’s) crest from 1460. The roses depict the affiliation to the former dukedom of Geldern.
Examples of Weeze's history are the restored Catholic church of St. Cyriakus, excavations from the Stone and Bronze Ages, Wissen Castle complete with moat, Kalbeck Castle and the ruins of Hertefeld Castle.
An area in and around today’s Weeze was first-mentioned in a document from King Lothar II in 855 a.d. when the King presented Count Ansfried with a piece of estate to the east of the River Niers, known as Villa Geizefurt and situated mainly in the farmstead area of Kalbeck.
The area was populated before the name Weeze was officially mentioned for the first time in a document in 1226 when the Earl to Alpen, Henry III, presented the Zisterzienserkloster Kamp with an estate in the farmstead of Vornick.
The municipal development suffered a major setback during the Second World War when eighty percent of the town was destroyed. Through commitment, hard work and craft skills the citizens of Weeze managed to rebuild the town. Destroyed houses and buildings were rebuilt in the fifties and sixties. The town development was continuously pursued and culminated in the redevelopment of the town centre. Today, the town centre is the forum for activities such as the Kirmes (carnival fair), Christmas markets, street parties and more.
Weeze became well-known through its energetic shoe-makers, whose shoes were distributed to Krefeld and Wuppertal, later through carpentry and woodworking, and through the Royal Air Force base at Laarbruch, which was located in the heart of the Municipality between 1954 and 1999. Today it is the newly opened regional airport “Airport Weeze”, located on the former Royal Air Force airbase at Laarbruch, which is helping Weeze to become a household name throughout Europe.
in 1999 left Weeze’s politicians and inhabitants with a major challenge. Industrial estates have been redesigned and extended so that companies have been able to expand and new companies have, as a result, chosen Weeze as a home base. The population has grown by almost 10% since the departure of RAF personnel and their families. Local politicians are targeting a future population of 12,000.
With the positive economic perspective provided by Airport Weeze, which already employs in the region of 350 locals, the Municipality of Weeze is to undergo many changes in its infrastructure. Roads to and from the airport will have to be extended and improved to meet future demand. Schools and kindergartens will also have to grow in capacity for the targeted increase in population.
The Municipality can be reached by road and rail: via Autobahn 57, via trunk road B 9 or by rail on the Cologne-Kleve link. Due to this fact and the easy accessibility from the Rhine-Ruhr
Region, from Düsseldorf and Krefeld
, as well as from the Netherlands, Weeze is an attractive site for commercial businesses. With recent state approval for the development of the former RAF Laarbruch airbase into a regional civilian airport with a logistical and industrial base, a projected 2,000 jobs will be created by the year 2010.
base at RAF Laarbruch
between 1954 and 1999. Closure of the airbase in 1999 had a considerable effect on the local economy, with the loss of 400 jobs and the departure of 5,000 base personnel and dependants.
The airbase was rejuvenated by a new role as a civilian regional airport Airport Weeze
(also known as Niederrhein) which saw commercial operations commence in May 2003. Situated near the city of Cleves, the new airport has been intended to enable low-cost airlines
to operate efficiently. Approximately 11 million travellers, mostly Dutch and German, use the airport annually. The two-storey terminal building
measures approximately 140 x 70 m and was developed from a steel building which dated back to 1933. The large-scale glass front, granite floor and a modern interior provide for an up-to-date appearance. Parking spaces for 1000 vehicles were built in front of the terminal.
On 3 January 2006, an administrative court suspended the airport's operating licence in response to complaints over noise. Flight operations however continue while the issue is debated in the courts.
make Weeze an easily accessible town. On its way to the Meuse River the Niers snakes past castles and old farmhouses. Natural and historical sights of interest are dotted throughout the municipality, making the countryside setting attractive and interesting.
A highlight of the castle is its neo Gothic chapel which was built in 1876 and designed by the Cologne architect Vincenz Statz. An authentic servants’ settlement, the Boye, also belongs to the castle complex, where extensive buildings stemming from the past two centuries are still visible.
castle lies to the east of Weeze in the middle of an approximately five hectare park and is still owned by the family of zu Eulenburg und Hertefeld. The castle received extensive war damage in 1945 and of its complex only the neighbouring house from 1706 remained intact. However, the ruins of the castle were bolstered so that the remaining historical walls could host classical and theatrical events.
The Herrensitz-Route, a border-crossing cycling route, guides cyclists to these and many other highlights and attractions of the region, such as Kleve, home of Anne of Cleves
; Kevelaer
, famous for its pilgrimages, Moyland Castle
between Kalkar and Bedburg-Hau, or Gennep in the Netherlands where the Meuse
and Niers
rivers converge.
The Weeze animal park with its educational trail and children’s zoo is a special attraction for families. The park is located on the edge of the town next to the ruins of Hertefeld Castle.
in England.
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
(Niederrhein
Niederrhein
Niederrhein could refer to:* The northernmost German section of the river Rhine, see: Lower Rhine * The Lower Rhine region* Airport Weeze, also known as Airport Niederrhein*Niederrhein , a song by Austrian musician Herwig Mitteregger...
) region, in the north-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...
in the district of Kleve
Kleve (district)
Kleve or Kreis Kleve is a Kreis in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
in the region of 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...
.
The municipality consists of the town of Weeze and the village of Wemb and has approximately 10,500 inhabitants. It is situated in the district of Kleve, embedded in the north-western part of the Lower Rhine Region, and lies between Goch to the north and Kevelaer to the south. 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...
lie directly to the west.
Facts and figures
- Religious makeup:
72% Roman Catholic
17% Protestant
11% Other religious denominations
- Municipal area:
The Municipality encompasses Weeze, Wemb, the area of the former military airfield Laarbruch
RAF Laarbruch
The former Royal Air Force Station Laarbruch, more commonly known as RAF Laarbruch ICAO EDUL was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands...
(now Airport Weeze
Airport Weeze
Weeze Airport or Niederrhein Airport is an airport situated southwest of the small municipality of Weeze in the Niederrhein of western Germany. It is northwest of Kevelaer, about southeast of Nijmegen, Netherlands, and northwest of Duisburg...
) and 16 farmsteads.
- Land cultivation:
Farming 45,330 km², Woodland 19,040 km², rest 15,080 km²
- Commercial and employment structure:
67 craftsman’s guilds, 14 industrial firms, 161 trading businesses, 2 banks, 27 restaurants and pubs, 154 other businesses (insurance agents etc. )
- Protected buildings
Protected buildings and natural sights of interest:
- Alte Försterei (old forester’s house)
- Alte Kaplanei (old chaplain’s house)
- Altenheim Clemenshaus (senior citizen’s residence)
- Evgl. Pfarrkirche (Protestant church)
- Kath. Pfarrheim (Catholic vicarage)
- Kath. Pfarrkirche Heilig Kreuz (Catholic church in Wemb)
- Kath. Pfarrkirche St. Cyriakus (Catholic church in Weeze)
- Marienwasserhof (remains of the former monastery Marienwasser)
- Castle ruins and domestic building of Hertefeld Castle
- Schloss Kalbeck (Kalbeck Castle)
- Wasserburg Schloss Wissen http://www.schloss-wissen.de(Wissen Castle and moat)
- Wassermühle (water-mill)
- Windmühle Wemb (windmill)
- 2 Kastanien am Heishof, Kalbeck (2 chestnut trees with a circumference of 5,90 metres and 4 metres)
- 20 Kopfeichen am Büssenhof, Kalbeck (20 oak trees)
- Kroneiche in Vorselaer (oak tree with a circumference of 4,20 metres)
- Trüppeiche am Trüpphoff in Wissen (oak tree with a circumference of 5,80 metres)
- Zigeunereiche am evgl. Friedhof (oak tree near Protestant graveyard with a circumference of 3,80 metres)
Currency
The currency used in Weeze is the Euro.
Languages Spoken: Deutsch (German) , Dutch
Weeze’s coat of arms
The Municipality of Weeze was granted the right to carry a coat of arms by the Prussian Ministry of State on April 28, 1928.The coat of arms of Weeze bears the form of the patron of the town and the patron saint of the Catholic Church St. Cyriakus with book and palm in the left half with a blue background. The top left half depicts a black dragon’s head on a golden background, the bottom right half with a white background bears a green twig with five roses (Geldrian roses/medlar blooms) and five leaves. The twig and the leaves are shown green and the roses red.
The coat of arms can be seen on the Weeze juror’s (court’s) crest from 1460. The roses depict the affiliation to the former dukedom of Geldern.
History
Individual artefacts from the earliest settlement of the area date back to the early/middle Stone Age. In the following periods a burial site with 1,000 hills in the area of Kalbeck, settlement remains on the Hees, remnants of the Roman road between Cologne and Nijmegen in the Netherlands and a significant discovery of Roman silver coins have all been found on municipal soil. Franconian burial sites from around 700 and 800 AD have also been unearthed in the close vicinity of the town centre.Examples of Weeze's history are the restored Catholic church of St. Cyriakus, excavations from the Stone and Bronze Ages, Wissen Castle complete with moat, Kalbeck Castle and the ruins of Hertefeld Castle.
An area in and around today’s Weeze was first-mentioned in a document from King Lothar II in 855 a.d. when the King presented Count Ansfried with a piece of estate to the east of the River Niers, known as Villa Geizefurt and situated mainly in the farmstead area of Kalbeck.
The area was populated before the name Weeze was officially mentioned for the first time in a document in 1226 when the Earl to Alpen, Henry III, presented the Zisterzienserkloster Kamp with an estate in the farmstead of Vornick.
The municipal development suffered a major setback during the Second World War when eighty percent of the town was destroyed. Through commitment, hard work and craft skills the citizens of Weeze managed to rebuild the town. Destroyed houses and buildings were rebuilt in the fifties and sixties. The town development was continuously pursued and culminated in the redevelopment of the town centre. Today, the town centre is the forum for activities such as the Kirmes (carnival fair), Christmas markets, street parties and more.
Weeze became well-known through its energetic shoe-makers, whose shoes were distributed to Krefeld and Wuppertal, later through carpentry and woodworking, and through the Royal Air Force base at Laarbruch, which was located in the heart of the Municipality between 1954 and 1999. Today it is the newly opened regional airport “Airport Weeze”, located on the former Royal Air Force airbase at Laarbruch, which is helping Weeze to become a household name throughout Europe.
Economy
The departure of almost 40% of the local population with the withdrawal of British personnel and the closure of nearby RAF LaarbruchRAF Laarbruch
The former Royal Air Force Station Laarbruch, more commonly known as RAF Laarbruch ICAO EDUL was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands...
in 1999 left Weeze’s politicians and inhabitants with a major challenge. Industrial estates have been redesigned and extended so that companies have been able to expand and new companies have, as a result, chosen Weeze as a home base. The population has grown by almost 10% since the departure of RAF personnel and their families. Local politicians are targeting a future population of 12,000.
With the positive economic perspective provided by Airport Weeze, which already employs in the region of 350 locals, the Municipality of Weeze is to undergo many changes in its infrastructure. Roads to and from the airport will have to be extended and improved to meet future demand. Schools and kindergartens will also have to grow in capacity for the targeted increase in population.
The Municipality can be reached by road and rail: via Autobahn 57, via trunk road B 9 or by rail on the Cologne-Kleve link. Due to this fact and the easy accessibility from the Rhine-Ruhr
Rhine-Ruhr
The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region is the largest metropolitan region in Germany with about 10,100,000 inhabitants. It is of polycentric nature and the only megacity in Germany. It covers an area of 7,110 square kilometers and lies entirely within the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia...
Region, from Düsseldorf and 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...
, as well as from the Netherlands, Weeze is an attractive site for commercial businesses. With recent state approval for the development of the former RAF Laarbruch airbase into a regional civilian airport with a logistical and industrial base, a projected 2,000 jobs will be created by the year 2010.
Airport Weeze (Niederrhein)
The airport in the Municipality of Weeze was formerly home to the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base at RAF Laarbruch
RAF Laarbruch
The former Royal Air Force Station Laarbruch, more commonly known as RAF Laarbruch ICAO EDUL was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands...
between 1954 and 1999. Closure of the airbase in 1999 had a considerable effect on the local economy, with the loss of 400 jobs and the departure of 5,000 base personnel and dependants.
The airbase was rejuvenated by a new role as a civilian regional airport Airport Weeze
Airport Weeze
Weeze Airport or Niederrhein Airport is an airport situated southwest of the small municipality of Weeze in the Niederrhein of western Germany. It is northwest of Kevelaer, about southeast of Nijmegen, Netherlands, and northwest of Duisburg...
(also known as Niederrhein) which saw commercial operations commence in May 2003. Situated near the city of Cleves, the new airport has been intended to enable low-cost airlines
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
to operate efficiently. Approximately 11 million travellers, mostly Dutch and German, use the airport annually. The two-storey terminal building
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
measures approximately 140 x 70 m and was developed from a steel building which dated back to 1933. The large-scale glass front, granite floor and a modern interior provide for an up-to-date appearance. Parking spaces for 1000 vehicles were built in front of the terminal.
On 3 January 2006, an administrative court suspended the airport's operating licence in response to complaints over noise. Flight operations however continue while the issue is debated in the courts.
Culture and tourism
The surrounding countryside draws tourists and nature lovers. Its setting on the River Niers in the northern part of the Lower Rhine Region combined with the close proximity to the NetherlandsNetherlands
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...
make Weeze an easily accessible town. On its way to the Meuse River the Niers snakes past castles and old farmhouses. Natural and historical sights of interest are dotted throughout the municipality, making the countryside setting attractive and interesting.
Wissen Castle
Schloss Wissen is a moated castle located to south of Weeze on the B 9 trunk road. The roots of this complex date back to the 14th century. After a number of different building phases, today’s castle is primarily neo Gothic in design. The von Loe family extensively restored the castle between 1969 and 1973.A highlight of the castle is its neo Gothic chapel which was built in 1876 and designed by the Cologne architect Vincenz Statz. An authentic servants’ settlement, the Boye, also belongs to the castle complex, where extensive buildings stemming from the past two centuries are still visible.
Kalbeck Castle
On the other side of Weeze, to the north, is the complex of Kalbeck, hardly visible from the road and situated in a large wood. This castle also has a long history, being first mentioned as a moated castle in 1326. Destroyed by fire on a number of occasions, Baron Friedrich von Vittinghoff-Schell rebuilt it in 1909 modelled on Westphalian moated castles of the 18th century. The gardens of the Castle provide a backdrop for classical outdoor concerts in the summer.The ruins of Hertefeld Castle
This historically important manor (14th century) and later BaroqueBaroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
castle lies to the east of Weeze in the middle of an approximately five hectare park and is still owned by the family of zu Eulenburg und Hertefeld. The castle received extensive war damage in 1945 and of its complex only the neighbouring house from 1706 remained intact. However, the ruins of the castle were bolstered so that the remaining historical walls could host classical and theatrical events.
Tourism
The Municipality offers a wide range of outdoor activities. An almost 210 kilometre network of bridle, cycling and rambling paths, partially along the Niers River, as well as recreational activities such as angling, canoeing and kart racing round off an abundance of leisure activities in and around the Municipality.The Herrensitz-Route, a border-crossing cycling route, guides cyclists to these and many other highlights and attractions of the region, such as Kleve, home of Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
; Kevelaer
Kevelaer
Kevelaer is a municipality in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is the best visited Catholic pilgrimage location within north-western Europe. More than 800,000 pilgrims, mostly from Germany and the Netherlands, visit Kevelaer every year to honour the Virgin Mary.The...
, famous for its pilgrimages, Moyland Castle
Moyland Castle
Moyland Castle is a moated castle in Bedburg-Hau in the district of Kleve , one of the most important neo-Gothic buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its name derives from the Dutch word Moiland which means "beautiful country"...
between Kalkar and Bedburg-Hau, or Gennep in the Netherlands where the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
and 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...
rivers converge.
The Weeze animal park with its educational trail and children’s zoo is a special attraction for families. The park is located on the edge of the town next to the ruins of Hertefeld Castle.
Famous residents
- Ronald PofallaRonald PofallaRonald Pofalla is a German politician, currently serving as the Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery and a Federal Minister for Special Affairs in the Second Cabinet Merkel....
, General-Secretary of the CDUChristian Democratic Union (Germany)The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
Twin town
Weeze is twinned with the town of Watton, NorfolkWatton, Norfolk
Watton is a market town in the district of Breckland within the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the crossroads of the A1075 Dereham-Thetford road and the B1108 Brandon-Norwich Road, about west of Norwich....
in England.