Altenkirchen (district)

The district of Old Churches ( Westerwald) is a district in the north of Rhineland -Palatinate, Germany. He is (clockwise) surrounded by the North Rhine-Westphalian districts Rhein- Sieg-Kreis, Oberbergischer Kreis, Olpe and Siegen -Wittgenstein and the Rhineland-Palatinate Westerwald district and the district of Neuwied. Name -giving county town is the Old Churches ( Westerwald).

• 4.1 Kreistag
• 4.2 District Administrators
• 4.3 Landtag and the Bundestag

Geography

The county old churches is the northernmost district of Rhineland- Palatinate. It comprises the northern part of the Westerwald. The Valley of victory forms the border to the north. The upper circle of old churches is expected the winner country. Named after the county Wildenburg Wildenburgische country lies north of the victory. Other rivers in the district are the Wied and Nister.

History

Today the district belonged before 1803 to various dominions, including the counties of Sayn- ​​old churches and Sayn- ​​Hachenburg, the rule Wildenburg (already in 1418 died out, their possessions came to the Prince of Hatzfeld later) and the electorates of Cologne and Trier. All areas were 1815 Prussian. The state of Prussia was divided its provinces in government districts and counties. The result was the 1816 Circle Old churches in the district of Coblenz. The Prussian administration divided the circle into the mayors old churches, Daaden, Flammersfeld, Friesenhagen, Gebhardshain, Hamm, churches, Weyerbusch and knowledge. The former dominions Wildenburg and Schönstein were collected in 1821 into being gentlemen, but in 1839 again placed under the district of old churches. The mayors were renamed in 1927 in offices and existed until 1968. Them from the federation communities arose. The name "Circle Old Churches " was changed to "County Old Churches " in 1938, colloquially even today the name "Circle Old churches " are often in use. In March / April 1945 fought here, after the conquest of the Bridge of Remagen, American units of the Wehrmacht.

The boundaries of the district were not changed significantly in the course of history. Since 1946, the county old churches to Land Rheinland-Pfalz heard.

Coat of arms

The blazon is: " Divided by a bent- silver tip, is a continuous, cut from black and red cross, the front in red, a double winded, herschauender, blue reinforced golden lion, in the back in gold an upright black wall anchor " (Coat - approval 11 December 1967 ).

Meaning: The lion stands for the County of Sayn, the wall anchor for Men Wildenburg and the two-color cross for the two electorates of Cologne ( black) and Trier ( red).

Population

The development of the population, based on the present territory of the district of old churches, the values ​​from 1871 to 1987 based on population censuses. From 1990 on each of December 31, is listed, based on the sole or main residence:

Policy

Council

The council of the district of Old Churches consists of 46 council members, who were elected at the municipal election held on 7 June 2009 of personalized proportional representation, and the district as chairman.

Election results and the distribution of seats:

Due to the peculiarities of the Rhineland-Palatinate electoral system at the local elections (personalized proportional representation ) the percentage shown in the graph are voting shares as a " weighted results " reported, which may reflect the voting behavior only arithmetically.

District administrators

Landtag and the Bundestag

• The county is divided into the Old churches Landtag constituencies Betzdorf / Churches ( victory ) and old churches (Westerwald ). The directly elected in the state elections in 2006 the state parliament are Josef Rosenbauer (CDU ) and Peter Enders ( CDU). Outsmart venues received from the district of old churches, Matthias Krell (SPD ), Thorsten Wehner (SPD ) and Hans -Artur Bauckhage (FDP) seats in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament.
• Together with the district of Neuwied district of old churches is part of the parliamentary constituency of Neuwied. In the 2009 federal election Erwin Rüddel was directly elected. Outsmart courts were elected from the constituency Sabine Bätzing - Lichtenthäler (SPD ) and Elke Hoff ( FDP).

Traffic

By the district leads in the extreme southwest of the Federal Highway 3 Frankfurt- Cologne with the departure Neuwied / Old churches in the local situation Willroth. Just east of the circular area leads the A - 45 casting Dortmund, in the north of the A4 Köln- Olpe over. The circle is usually traversed by numerous highways, including the B 8, B 62 and B 256

The Cologne -Minden Railway Company introduced already in 1860 its railway line from Cologne in the Sieg up to knowledge and a year later on to Siegen ( Siegstrecke ). In the village there Betz 1861 branched the route via Herdorf towards Haiger - Dillenburg.

A quarter century later opened up the Prussian State Railways the side valleys and the high Westerwald: The paths of Limburg reached the county seat Old Churches 1884 Siershahn (sub Westerwaldbahn / Wood Creek Valley Railway ) and 1885 Hachenburg ( Oberwesterwald train); the connection to the track in the Sieg at Au followed 1887.

From Betz village after Daaden a branch line was opened in 1885 /86 1887/88 was followed by the cross-connection of churches according to Freudenberg, then later to Olpe (1907 ) and 1890 knowledge to Morsbach. Finally, the distance from Linz am Rhein found in Flammersfeld following the line Siershahn - old churches.

The Gebhard Hainer country opened up the circle old churches themselves through the opened in 1913, and later repeatedly extended " circle light railway Scheuerfeld - Nauroth ", the old churches as Westerwaldbahn the circle GmbH still exists today and the traffic on the State railway Betzdorf - Daaden ( Daadetalbahn ) and the has taken Heller Valley Railway.

In Herdorf starts since 1907 /08, today belonging to the KSW circular path Siegen-Wittgenstein GmbH outdoor Grunder railroad.

The passenger was adjusted to a number of branch lines with 78 km length in the years 1945-1984:

There remained 63 km for passenger transport, which is less than half of the network.

Since 1 August 2002, the tariff of the transport association Rhein-Sieg (VRS ) is applied as a transitional tariff on all rail routes in the district of Old Churches, when the start or destination station is located in the territory of the VRS. From the Association of Municipalities knowledge, Betz village Daaden and churches as well as from the city of Siegen- Wittgenstein Herdorf are possible on the rail insert and on individual bus trips to the tariff of the transport association Westfalen- Süd ( VGWS ) in selected cities in the county; from the VG churches even trips over Freudenberg in the district of Olpe are possible beyond. On 1 January 2009, the District Old churches joined the transport association Rhein- Mosel ( VRM). Ever since then, the transport association Rhein-Mosel for travel within the district boundaries and for example also in the neighboring district of Neuwied.

Cities and Towns

(Population at 31 December 2012)

• Herdorf, city ( 6796 )

Association of communities with their member municipalities:

( The seat of the municipality *)

• 2 municipality Betzdorf

• 3 municipality Daaden

• 4 community association Flammersfeld

• 5 municipality Gebhardshain

• 6 municipality Hamm (Sieg)

• 7 Kirchen (Sieg)

• 8 convention community knowledge

Emergency numbers

In the Old churches circle partially new emergency numbers are valid since 1 November 2008. The police emergency call 110 has remained unchanged and is still going on at the police station in Betzdorf, old churches, road house, victories or Gummersbach. Some changes to the emergency number 112 This is now connected to Montabaur for integrated emergency control center. From here, all fire departments, as well as the doctors and ambulance alert in the district. The old service number 19222 from the DRC has thus become obsolete.

Sons and daughters of the circle

• Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen ( born March 30, 1818 in Hamm (Sieg), † March 11, 1888 in Heddesdorf ), social reformer (founder of the Raiffeisen banks)
• Joseph Hoffner ( born December 24, 1906 in Horhausen, † October 16, 1987 in Cologne ), an important social and business ethics, Bishop of Munster, Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal, President of the German Bishops' Conference